Worst Domestic Qantas Lounges & What Can be Done About It?

[kangarooflyer88]

HBA is the only Qantas Club where I walked in and walked straight out. Far too small given the patronage.

HBA is the ninth busiest domestic airport in terms of passenger volume per BITRE, yet it has a Qantas lounge objectively worse than airports that handle less passengers like DRW. Let that sink in!

-RooFlyer88

 

[SYD]

HBA is the ninth busiest domestic airport in terms of passenger volume per BITRE, yet it has a Qantas lounge objectively worse than airports that handle less passengers like DRW. Let that sink in!

-RooFlyer88

As others have said, the entire HBA airport is is need of a knock down rebuild but delayed by in action. The MONA effect has yet to flow thru - unless they’re thinking having a large cough machine you can walk through was a good idea?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

As others have said, the entire HBA airport is is need of a knock down rebuild but delayed by in action. The MONA effect has yet to flow thru - unless they’re thinking having a large cough machine you can walk through was a good idea?

The rest of the airport ain't that bad. I actually like the stores and cafes both airside and landside. Really it's the broom closet QF has the audacity to call a lounge that is in need of a major reno. I suppose the real question now is how easily QF could expand its lounge and what would be a reasonable size for such a lounge?

-RooFlyer88

 

[jase05]

The rest of the airport ain't that bad. I actually like the stores and cafes both airside and landside. Really it's the broom closet QF has the audacity to call a lounge that is in need of a major reno. I suppose the real question now is how easily QF could expand its lounge and what would be a reasonable size for such a lounge?

-RooFlyer88

The airport is really that bad.
As others have said I doubt that QF are going to spend money on something that may only be of use short term.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

I struggle to understand why SYD would get the worst QF lounge vote.

Probably a combination of two factors:

1. Many people haven't been to every lounge in Australia, so their judgement is based on the ones that have been to. So if you've only visited - say - Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, then Sydney might understandably rank last.
2. People could define "worst" not so much in absolute terms, but in terms of "how does it compare to expectations?" You'd expect that Sydney would have a lounge that offers a flagship experience (an expectation you wouldn't have for Hobart), but as it's a relatively ordinary lounge it drops down the rankings in comparative terms.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

1. Many people haven't been to every lounge in Australia, so their judgement is based on the ones that have been to. So if you've only visited - say - Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, then Sydney might understandably rank last.

I agree that's a big problem. Not everyone has been "fortunate" to travel through all the domestic airports listed in the poll. Even yours truly must admit they haven't been to Alice Springs, and whilst I have been to Launceston with JQ, I forgot to visit the QF Pub there.

Hence, to make the voting fair, here are some walkthroughs I found on Youtube of the various QF airport lounges. For consistency sake, I will link to the QF Pub videos:

Hobart

Alice Springs

Sydney

Melbourne

[4k] Melbourne Airport Qantas Club Lounge | Qantas Club Lounge Melbourne Terminal 1

The Qantas Club located in Melbourne domestic airport is a huge lounge in first floor of Terminal 1 in Melbourne domestic Airport. 👉Did you like this vide...

youtu.be

Adelaide

Perth

Brisbane

Brisbane, Qantas Club

#LIVE: Brisbane, Qantas Club. 🎥 Subscribe at Happs: https://happs.tv/@PippaOceanTime

www.youtube.com

Canberra

Qantas Club - Canberra Airport

Tour of Qantas Club at Canberra Domestic AIrport, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

www.youtube.com

Note: I couldn't find a walkthrough video for the domestic QF Pubs at Launceston and Darwin online.

-RooFlyer88

 

[RooFlyer]

As others have said, the entire HBA airport is is need of a knock down rebuild but delayed by in action. The MONA effect has yet to flow thru - unless they’re thinking having a large cough machine you can walk through was a good idea?

Hobart Airport is already a cough machine that you walk through. Or maybe that’s what you meant?

The rest of the airport ain't that bad. I actually like the stores and cafes both airside and landside. Really it's the broom closet QF has the audacity to call a lounge that is in need of a major reno. I suppose the real question now is how easily QF could expand its lounge and what would be a reasonable size for such a lounge?

-RooFlyer88

The rest of the airport IS that bad. For instance, I’m not sure whether you realise, but it only got halfway through its last ‘upgrade’ before they abandoned it, so the whole thing is a mess. ‘Temporary’ wooden seating. Bag retrieval right down one extreme end of the terminal is just one design issue. No air bridges is a long-standing issue and one thing airport management says won’t be rectified any time soon. When did Townsville airport get airbridges? 30 years ago? No cover to the cattle runs, so in the possible 350m walk in the open to the plane, you get blown by the wind and maybe drenched.

If a plane or two gets delayed in departure or departs out of schedule in the apron becomes congested. Sometimes incoming planes have to wait beyond the apron, waiting for a spot in which to park. Sometimes they run out of ramps to get up to the aircraft, so it’s steps all the way.

They lengthened the runway a couple of years ago, to take larger, Int’l jets, but didn’t make the runway strong enough to allow those larger jets to take off fully laden. A Qantas Antarctica joy flight from Hobart to Hobart had to leave Hobart and go to Melbourne, fully fuel there and then depart again before it could fly towards Antarctica.

The QP could in theory be expanded by pushing it back is curved back wall out into the area which is currently a pretty under used waiting area. This used to be the Qantas baggage carousel area until they move that to the far far far other end of the terminal.

In respect of the airport, there is no Virgin lounge at all, mainly, I believe, because the airport authorities want too much rent for the area, the footprint of the terminal being so small so they charge a premium.

/rant! And yes I’m happy to rise to any bait people want to put out regarding the Hobart Qantas Lounge. I also enjoy bagging Hobart Airport, so keep them coming folks.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hence, to make the voting fair, here are some walkthroughs I found on Youtube of the various QF airport lounges. For consistency sake, I will link to the QF Pub videos:

Ridiculous video of a completely empty Hobart lounge. Empty and yet all the food is nicely laid out. Staged maybe?

Interesting channel

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Hobart Airport is already a cough machine that you walk through. Or maybe that’s what you meant?

Hobart is one of the few airports I've been to (aside from perhaps SWF) where the landside is considerably better than the airside. From what I recall, there were several cafes and pubs landside but not much to write home about airside.

The rest of the airport IS that bad. For instance, I’m not sure whether you realise, but it only got halfway through its last ‘upgrade’ before they abandoned it, so the whole thing is a mess. ‘Temporary’ wooden seating. Bag retrieval right down one extreme end of the terminal is just one design issue.

No air bridges is a long-standing issue and one thing airport management says won’t be rectified any time soon. When did Townsville airline get airbridges? 30 years ago? No cover to the cattle runs, so in the possible 350m walk in the open to the plane, you get blown by the wind and maybe drenched.

That's a feature, and one of the nice thing about HBA - no air bridges! That means I get some of the best plane cough imaginable for my trip reports. And besides, Hobart is known for having the fewest number of rainy days in all of Australia... according to me based on my one visit there back in April!

If a plane or two gets delayed in departure or departs out of schedule in the apron becomes congested. Sometimes incoming planes have to wait beyond the apron, waiting for a spot in which to park. Sometimes they run out of ramps to get up to the aircraft, so it’s steps all the way.

Meh, this sounds like yet another day at Toronto Pearson's airport if flying Air Canada

They Expand the runway a couple of years ago, to take larger, Int’l jets, but didn’t make the runway strong enough to allow those larger jets to take off fully laden.

Now that's what I call planning!

The QP could in theory be expanded by pushing it back is curved back wall out into the area which is currently a pretty under used waiting area. This used to be the Qantas baggage carousel area until they move that to the far far far other end of the terminal.

I think that would help to some extent. I wonder too if there is any way Qantas could further maximize the capacity of the lounge through their choice of furniture? Perhaps switch couches and other bulky chairs for lawn chairs or bar stools? I also wonder if maybe they should take the approach of LST and simply have the lounge landside where presumably there is more space than airside?

In respect of the airport, there is no Virgin lounge at all, mainly, I believe, because the airport authorities want too much rent for the area, the footprint of the terminal being so small so they charge a premium.

I think from the standpoint of Virgin it's better not to provide a lounge than to have a lousy lounge that leaves a bad taste in passenger's mouth.

/rant! And yes I’m happy to rise to any bait people want to put out regarding the Hobart Qantas Lounge. I also enjoy bagging Hobart Airport, so keep them coming folks.

Would be curious what us, the travelling public could do to make these issues known aside from the usual suggestion box. Is this very much a case of writing to our local MP or Senator? Perhaps we could get Jacqui Lambie involved?

Ridiculous video of a completely empty Hobart lounge. Empty and yet all the food is nicely laid out. Staged maybe?

If this was filmed during COVID, then I wouldn't be particularly surprised if the lounge and airport was empty. The channel is interesting as you point out, but I wouldn't necessarily cite a conspiracy, especially since we're talking about Qantas, an airline who can't manage a lemonade stand at a county fair!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Lynda2475]

Upon exiting and entering HBA last week there was a noticeable manure smell alongside the domestic security screening area, now I don't know if they had just fertilized the gardens outside or something, but it did actually smell like horse cough.

HBA has put the efficient body scanner on the International security screening point, which seems wasted given there is only 1 international destination (AKL) and the other 10 destinations are all domestic. Actually wonder why HBA is an international airport, is there really enough demand HBA-AKL to justify the service?

Elderly gentleman in front of me at security had a knee replacement, they made him take off shoes and watch, which is not necessary if the new scanners are used then there was no where for him to sit to put them back on without walking another 30 meters or so into the terminal proper.

I didn't notice anything special airside.

Lack of a aerobridge is woeful, then again NAN which accepts much larger jets also doesn't have an air bridge. On the plus side the ramp style instead of stairs did make it easier for the oldies, if not slower for everyone else.

 

[Daver6]

The polling thus far suggests otherwise:
View attachment 311586

What I would be curious for those who voted Sydney as having the worst Qantas lounge is what made you choose it over the other options, particularly Hobart (and don't say you haven't been to Hobart, many proud Tasmanians would take exception to such remarks)?

-RooFlyer88

While HBA is worse, I'm rarely ever there. The SYD domestic lounges I frequent much more regularly and often for longer than say the 30 minutes before departing from HBA. Additionally, connecting from an international flight the facilities I need are terrible. Ie, the shower situation and lack of power points.

 

[stm1sydney]

To be fair, while the dom lounges are dismal to poor, they are only dom lounges, and they have nothing on the SYD int J lounge, which is truly grim.

 

[muppet]

Anyone saying Sydney is WORSE than Hobart or Alice Springs needs to visit more lounges. Suggests a serious lack of experience.

Guested in an overseas colleague to the Hobart lounge a few years ago, they said no thanks I'd rather sit out at the gate. I had to agree. I've NEVER sat in the Sydney lounge and thought I'd rather sit at the gate. Never!

Went to Alice Springs last year - self serve beers, fresh food, quiet and very clean.
Sydney J - queue for beer, food served is essentially slop on paper plates for some reason, busy (obviously), but almost always dirty - just so much mess.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hobart is one of the few airports I've been to (aside from perhaps SWF) where the landside is considerably better than the airside. From what I recall, there were several cafes and pubs landside but not much to write home about airside.

Ah! That explains a lot. You are thinking of another airport. There are no pubs landside in the terminal and when I was there this morning, no cafes either. Just a row of hire car desks.

according to me based on my one visit there back in April!

Here? Hobart Sky Ranch Airport - Wikipedia

Would be curious what us, the travelling public could do to make these issues known aside from the usual suggestion box. Is this very much a case of writing to our local MP or Senator? Perhaps we could get Jacqui Lambie involved?

I'd love to get Jacqui Lambe involved - that circus would be a merciful distraction from the airport experience.

HBA was majority purchased recently by Schiphol airport owners, sold by a Macquarie Bank entity & downsold by a Tas Super fund. Schiphol paid too much and are now screwing the lemon as hard as they can to get their rate of return up to target.

I think from the standpoint of Virgin it's better not to provide a lounge than to have a lousy lounge that leaves a bad taste in passenger's mouth.

Nah. Their customers have put up with no lounge up to now, so why spoil them?

Come and visit HBA, Hobart airport and then you'll be able to post some informed comments about the place.

Actually wonder why HBA is an international airport, is there really enough demand HBA-AKL to justify the service?

The justification for the International designation has historically been the flights to and from other nations' bases in Antarctica, but there is or was also quite a bit of seasonal direct international freight going out (crays, berries etc). Cathay used to dominate that ... not sure how they are going right now. The hope with the runway extension was direct flights from China. Not gunna happen.

 

[nancypants]

The polling thus far suggests otherwise:
View attachment 311586

What I would be curious for those who voted Sydney as having the worst Qantas lounge is what made you choose it over the other options, particularly Hobart (and don't say you haven't been to Hobart, many proud Tasmanians would take exception to such remarks)?

-RooFlyer88

Anyone saying Sydney is WORSE than Hobart or Alice Springs needs to visit more lounges. Suggests a serious lack of experience.

Guested in an overseas colleague to the Hobart lounge a few years ago, they said no thanks I'd rather sit out at the gate. I had to agree. I've NEVER sat in the Sydney lounge and thought I'd rather sit at the gate. Never!

My argument twofold
1) Sydney is Qantas’s main (or co-main) domestic hub. The state of the lounges are embarrassing on that basis. I often don’t bother. I am often connecting in Sydney and thus often have a longer period of time to spend there so have higher expectations of how my time could/should be spent
2) I very much like the Hobart lounge for the tarmac views- often when I go there are military transport planes flying and you are actually up close to see them going. I generally don’t spend much time there as am not connecting so can manage without much more than light refreshments. Somehow every time I’ve been there it’s been uncrowded

Don’t know what Alice Springs has done to upset anyone. It’s frankly an oasis (as is darwin) and the staff are wonderful

 

[Vic]

BTW I haven't voted because I can't pick a worse lounge.

Haven't been to Alice Springs...yet but have been to Hobart and would tend to agree with your suggestion. That being said, I suspect there are some reasons why people would vote for SYD over HBA as the worst lounge. Yes, you're right, HBA has a number of flaws, the likes of which cannot be enumerated on this forum in any degree of detail without causing this thread to exceed 100 pages. On the other hand, I think some might argue, but yeah how often are you going to use the HBA lounge? Even those who fly regularly out of HBA, how often do you show up to the airport more than an hour prior to departure? SYD on the other hand, is a different beast. A lot of folks departing from or through SYD which means high passenger loads and demands of customers.

In general, I'm not in the lounge in Sydney for greater than an hour before hand either. Have, on a few occasions walked directly from Taxi to board the aircraft towards the end of the board process. When I use the train in Sydney then it'd be more like and hour or so. Importantly, SYD has the one thing I need - coffee that closely approximates barista coffee. Putting aside the stupidity they do with saving shots and pouring to to the next coffee. Hobart didn't have someone making coffee when I was there in about 2021.
I can also find a seat, and do work if need in Sydney. Queuing for drinks is rubbish. but as you say it's all relative, my objective subjectivity says syd is better than hba.

I actually don't mind the Qantas Club in Alice Springs. It was refurbished in 2020 and feels quite modern and fresh. There's always been plenty of seating when I've been there and the food isn't too bad either.

I was there in 2019. It's not a bad lounge, and has great location and visibility of the landscape. If I was flying through there regularly, I'm sure it would pale compared to SYD.

Someone mentioned the self serve drinks - yeah but its the territory. The only place I've been in a car stop for RBT with the driver having a beer on the seat in between his legs, and we got waved on. lol

Went to Alice Springs last year - self serve beers, fresh food, quiet and very clean.
Sydney J - queue for beer, food served is essentially slop on paper plates for some reason, busy (obviously), but almost always dirty - just so much mess.

No paper plates there a couple of weeks back. But I do vaguely remember something about paper plates there.
One mark for HBA was the self serve food back when everywhere else had to have food served by a person due to covid.

 

[RooFlyer]

Upon exiting and entering HBA last week there was a noticeable manure smell alongside the domestic security screening area, now I don't know if they had just fertilized the gardens outside or something, but it did actually smell like horse cough.

There used to be a 'green wall' next to the International entry door (think the QF F lounge wall, but appropriately scaled back ) just past the domestic screening area.




I can't recall if its still there, but that would be the logical target for the fertiliser. (jokes welcome )

 

[Vic]

My argument twofold
1) Sydney is Qantas’s main (or co-main) domestic hub. The state of the lounges are embarrassing on that basis. I often don’t bother. I am often connecting in Sydney and thus often have a longer period of time to spend there so have higher expectations of how my time could/should be spent
2) I very much like the Hobart lounge for the tarmac views- often when I go there are military transport planes flying and you are actually up close to see them going. I generally don’t spend much time there as am not connecting so can manage without much more than light refreshments. Somehow every time I’ve been there it’s been uncrowded

Don’t know what Alice Springs has done to upset anyone. It’s frankly an oasis (as is darwin) and the staff are wonderful

Nothing wrong with Alice Springs, just saying that what it offers cannot be better than SYD, due to the very issue you raise about SYD being a main domestic hub. It's a wonderful lounge for a very small airport.
I haven't commented on Drw, because I was last there in about 2009. Frankly back then the opening hours were limiting.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

While HBA is worse, I'm rarely ever there. The SYD domestic lounges I frequent much more regularly and often for longer than say the 30 minutes before departing from HBA. Additionally, connecting from an international flight the facilities I need are terrible. Ie, the shower situation and lack of power points.

And I think that's one of the key things about HBA. It's such a small compact airport that you don't need to be there hours in advance as is the case in SYD, particularly during rush hour. Indeed, if I may be so bold, I would reckon most Tassies probably rock up to the airport 30 minutes ahead of departure just so they can minimize HBA airport exposure, no doubt something that reduces their life expectancy on each visit!

To be fair, while the dom lounges are dismal to poor, they are only dom lounges, and they have nothing on the SYD int J lounge, which is truly grim.

If you thought SYD INT J lounge is bad, check out the MEL, DRW or CBR international lounge!

I'd love to get Jacqui Lambe involved - that circus would be a merciful distraction from the airport experience.

I reckon a big reason she blew up at QF a while back was exactly because she had to deal with the disgrace of a lounge that is HBA. Imagine being an Australian Senator and not having a Chairman's lounge at your home airport and instead what is easily one of the worst lounges in the developed world. About half the time you fly on government business you have to walk past that disgrace of a lounge.

HBA was majority purchased recently by Schiphol airport owners, sold by a Macquarie Bank entity & downsold by a Tas Super fund. Schiphol paid too much and are now screwing the lemon as hard as they can to get their rate of return up to target.

Surprised Schipol owns the airport since they are world renowned for operating top tier airports like AMS which have a number of great lounges including the KLM Crown lounge.

Come and visit HBA, Hobart airport and then you'll be able to post some informed comments about the place.

I have visited HBA and have the photos to prove it:

There used to be a 'green wall' next to the International entry door (think the QF F lounge wall, but appropriately scaled back ) just past the domestic screening area.

View attachment 311687


I can't recall if its still there, but that would be the logical target for the fertiliser. (jokes welcome )

View attachment 311684

Seems very odd they would plant this in the international terminal, which I thought was supposed to be duty free?

-RooFlyer88

 

[RichardMEL]

Proper plates at SYD dom J the last few months of visits I've been through. That at least had been rectified.

I'd also say during transits in Nov and early Dec the state of items being picked up was much better than it had been in previous times (perhaps I just was around at good times, though both peak times too).

Of course neither of those do mean the lounge is redeemed at all.. just that some things appeared a lil better - but of course just anecdotal.

Anyway I agree with the other comments - ranking "worst" is relative to both experience and expectation. I personally, like others, expect more from a major hub as opposed to a small regional, or spoke, outpost - but as ASP and DRW show, when you put effort in (and have a decent space!) then it doesn't have to be horrible.

Like everyone else I've lost count of the times I've transited SYD over the years - mostly domestic connections, but also a fair share of int->dom too. Yes, mostly the J lounge (and thus comparisions to a domestic QP are also problematic in my view because again, expectations are set a bit higher. If one is going to rate the lounges, they should be at the same "level" ie QC vs QC).

Definitely though HBA is a dire situation - there's zero doubting that.

OT: I imagine QF probably has a big dilemma in terms of doing the much promised SYD refurb. How to best do it while keeping some kind of service in their biggest domestic connecting hub. Even if they did it in stages - closing one part to refurb there's just WAY too many pax with access to try and handle. MEL already went through this and had many complaints about lack of access - and the area the MEL lounges take up is < than the SYD QP/J lounge (as was mentioned upthread, originally the WHOLE footprint was just the QC). What do do with the pax? the terminal has basically no spare space for even a "pop up"/temp area to use, and the renovations WILL take quite a bit of time. It's a real quandry tbh - everyone wants it, but how to actually deal with the disruption in a way to attempt to placate as many as possible). I fully support the notion that P1's get to go to the CL during this forthcoming time of trauma (absolutely zero self interest here! )