Which lounge to use in Melbourne airport?

[firstclasser]

Hi guys,

I'm travelling to Thailand with my fiance next Friday with JQ, and it seems I'm spoilt for choice with lounges.
I have a 2 qantas passes for the QF J lounge, I have a amex platinum for the Amex lounge, and lastly I have priority pass to use at the restaurants or use at the Plaza premium lounge.
I have not been to any of these lounges so I got no idea which lounge(s) I should give a miss given the options.

Also, will I be able to use my fast track card again which I received last time when I was travelling J (I hung on to it just in case I could use it again )?

Thanks

 

[RooFlyer]

Well, the classic AFF reply would be: try them all, then stay in the one you like. But I hear the Amex lounge is pretty good.

You should be able to use your fast-track again. Just don't flash your JQ BP at the same time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Save your Qantas passes... the QF international J lounge in MEL is probably one of the poorest lounges anywhere... dark, dingy, limited food. Better QF lounges to use the passes in.

 

[Daver6]

I can't say I've tried the PP restaurants in the MEL international terminal, but if you're after proper food, that's going to be better than lounge food. I'd say have a feed at a restaurant and then checkout the Amex/Plaza Premium lounges after.

I agree, save your Qantas passes (assuming you'll have another opportunity to use them). The QF lounge isn't worth it given the other free options that you have available.

 

[firstclasser]

So just an update;

I used both the Amex lounge and the Plaza premium lounge, and they’re actually quite identical, in terms of the food offerings. Both lounges had Thai green curry as their main all the other food and drinks were the same. So it appears these two lounges are run by the same group but just two different names attached to them. There was even access between the two lounges from the inside. The lounges were quite average...

But the way to definitely go is to dine at the selection of restaurants that are on offer with PP. I was travelling with my fiancé and we both had a Platinum charge PP (she’s the nominated member for PP on my account), and essentially you have $144 credit at each restaurant when travelling together as each PP card entitles you to $36 for the member and $36 for a guest.
We dined at the Spanish tapas restaurant and ordered plenty of food and got loaded on the Cava sparkling wine. The entire bill came to $140 and it was all looked after by the PP cards . Truly a very big perk of the new structure with the PP cards!!

 

[Happy Dude]

So just an update;

I used both the Amex lounge and the Plaza premium lounge, and they’re actually quite identical, in terms of the food offerings. Both lounges had Thai green curry as their main all the other food and drinks were the same. So it appears these two lounges are run by the same group but just two different names attached to them. There was even access between the two lounges from the inside. The lounges were quite average...

But the way to definitely go is to dine at the selection of restaurants that are on offer with PP. I was travelling with my fiancé and we both had a Platinum charge PP (she’s the nominated member for PP on my account), and essentially you have $144 credit at each restaurant when travelling together as each PP card entitles you to $36 for the member and $36 for a guest.
We dined at the Spanish tapas restaurant and ordered plenty of food and got loaded on the Cava sparkling wine. The entire bill came to $140 and it was all looked after by the PP cards . Truly a very big perk of the new structure with the PP cards!!

Hi firstclasser, how does one get the PP $36 credited to the restaurant bill? Just show them the PP card (or the electronic version) when you go to pay? Do they ask for a boarding pass?

 

[firstclasser]

Hi firstclasser, how does one get the PP $36 credited to the restaurant bill? Just show them the PP card (or the electronic version) when you go to pay? Do they ask for a boarding pass?

You provide your PP card (or e-version) at the time of payment. They have a seperate POS to put payments through with the PP cards. Surprisingly they didn’t ask for a boarding pass, nor did they match the name on the PP with any form of ID.

 

[Duffa]

I have the same type of problem tonight but am flying Etihad J
I have PP and Amex so the same alternate choices as OP.
BUT..... A colleague just told me the Etihad combined lounge has gone downhill ( I was in it just after it opened a while ago and it was pretty good then with waiter table service. Have things changed??

 

[firstclasser]

I have the same type of problem tonight but am flying Etihad J
I have PP and Amex so the same alternate choices as OP.
BUT..... A colleague just told me the Etihad combined lounge has gone downhill ( I was in it just after it opened a while ago and it was pretty good then with waiter table service. Have things changed??

If you have multiple PP’s with the option of 1 free guest then the way to go is to use your food credit at the designated restaurants. Can’t imagine any lounge beating the ala carte offerings that are offered at the airside restaurants.

 

[Duffa]

If you have multiple PP’s with the option of 1 free guest then the way to go is to use your food credit at the designated restaurants. Can’t imagine any lounge beating the ala carte offerings that are offered at the airside restaurants.

Just had the Cafe Vue Wagyu Burger - nothing special - at all in fact. Pinot very nice. A 500ml Pellegrino cost $6.50
5/10

 

[firstclasser]

Try out one

Just had the Cafe Vue Wagyu Burger - nothing special - at all in fact. Pinot very nice. A 500ml Pellegrino cost $6.50
5/10

Try out one of the other restaurants next time. I went to the Spanish tapas restaurant and thought it was pretty decent

 

[Duffa]

Yep. I agree. I did the Spanish place last time. And it was better than vue. In the Etihad lounge now. No time to try PP. Food selection very good though not hungry. Haha. I’ll srick to the fizz

 

[justinbrett]

I’m at MEL T2 QF J lounge now. Horrified. This is the worst lounge, domestic included, that I can recall. I’d take CNS or DRW QC over this any day. It’s awful. The staff are lazy (one of the bars is out of glasses so you have to go get glasses from the other bar). And they’ve run out of gin. It’s not like it goes off.

I was in the AMEX lounge earlier and I thought it was pretty basic, but now I regret leaving. It was better than Qantas. Cathay is closed at the moment, it’s about to open but my flight is also about to board, so can’t be bothered leaving.

Pretty dissatisfied with Qantas MEL Intl experience as a whole to be honest (especially check in). It’s no SYD.

 

[PLANT]

Well I'm in the DOMESTIC QF J lounge and am impressed..... Even with the ongoing tradie work happening on the side. Staff are friendly, efficient and no longer a dark atmosphere as airside..... Need more PC's available though .... Thought the bar area served Asian food from the write ups but that is not the case..... Still self serve from the food area's. Mate said the bathrooms renovated.... Huge improvement from old domestic lounge...... Found one USB C charging connection on charging bay