Qantas has announced plans to build a new domestic Business Lounge at Adelaide Airport to serve alongside its existing Qantas Club lounge. It’s one of a range of Qantas lounge upgrades announced today as Qantas revealed an underlying loss before tax of $1.86 billion for the 2021-22 financial year.
The new Qantas domestic Business Lounge in Adelaide will have a capacity of 190 seats. Qantas promises to feature South Australia’s “culinary reputation and natural environment” in the lounge’s design.
The Qantas Chairman’s Lounge in Adelaide will also be upgraded as part of the redevelopment of Qantas’ lounge precinct at Adelaide Airport. Construction is due to begin in the second half of 2023.
Adelaide is currently the only major airport in Qantas’ domestic network not to feature a dedicated Business Lounge for Business Class passengers, as well as Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers. Qantas already operates separate domestic Business Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra.
Adelaide Airport will also soon receive a brand new international lounge, with a Plaza Premium Lounge coming soon in the international departures area.
Virgin Australia opened a brand new lounge in Adelaide last year, which CEO Jayne Hrdlicka described at the time as the “best airline lounge at Adelaide Airport”.
Qantas Auckland Lounge refurbishment
As part of today’s announcements, Qantas also confirmed that it will upgrade its lounges at Auckland Airport. The current dated Business and First Lounges will be combined to create a new and improved Qantas International Lounge. The design process will begin shortly and construction will be staged so that the lounge can continue to operate throughout.
The new Auckland lounge will offer features that will be useful for passengers travelling long-haul, with Qantas to operate Sydney-Auckland-New York flights from June 2023.
“Our new Auckland International lounge will be a step change in comfort. It will offer a lot more space and, like all of our offshore lounges, feature the best of local design, food and wine,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.
Qantas first announced the construction of a combined international lounge in Auckland in 2018. The airline says its plans were stalled by the pandemic.
Other Qantas lounge upgrades announced
An expanded Qantas Club in Rockhampton is now due to open in November 2022, while Qantas says its redeveloped lounge in Port Hedland will open by late 2023.
Aside from Rockhampton and Port Hedland, the only other lounge in the Qantas network that has not yet reopened is the Honolulu Business Lounge. Qantas says its Honolulu lounge will reopen “in coming months” following a “light refresh to furniture and amenities”.
There’s still no word on when Qantas might start the upgrade to its Sydney international Business Lounge that was announced in 2018 and due to be completed in late 2019.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: QF lounge Changes – New ADL Dom J, merged AKL lounges, Upgrades to ROK & PHE Lounge
