Last week, the brand new Virgin Australia Lounge in Wellington received some serious criticism from an AFF member. But this week, Qantas has also come under fire for the quality of its lounges at one of its airports across the ditch.
The Qantas Business and First Class lounges in Auckland are, frankly, in dire need of a refurbishment.
The good news is that these lounges are indeed slated for an upgrade in the near future. Qantas has already announced that the space will soon be transformed into a new, combined Business and First Class lounge in a similar style to Qantas’ Brisbane, London and Hong Kong international lounges.
Until this happens, the Emirates Lounge is a much better option at Auckland Airport for those eligible to access it. The only problem is that the Emirates Auckland Lounge has limited opening hours. It’s only open for a few hours prior to the departure of the Emirates flights to Denpasar around 1pm, and to Dubai at 8.30pm. The Emirates Lounge is not open early in the morning, when many of the Qantas flights to Australia depart.
During a recent visit to the Qantas Business Lounge in Auckland, auskiwiflyer was appalled by the old, dirty furniture. Unfortunately, this is just a symptom of the tired state of that lounge. Many other AFF members agree that the refurbishment could not come soon enough…
Agree the lounge is quite poor both in furnishings and quality of food offerings (when I’ve been there). A refurb is certainly more than a little overdue.
Not something I’d expect to QF standards. Agreed with the disgusting upkeep, which is something I’d expect in a private home’s lounge room, rather than an airline’s lounge.
The general decor of the AKL lounge reminds me of what I’d get at a cheap motel. I’d always make a beeline for the EK lounge where available.
Our members also believe the food on offer at Qantas’ Auckland lounges could use a major overhaul.
I have to agree on the food and beverage offerings…dismal ..beer warm and selection limited, food is unappealing and also limited. Staff take a long time to clear tables.
In Auckland, both Emirates and Air New Zealand offer far superior lounges to the current Qantas offering. Even the third-party Strata Lounge used by Virgin Australia, which is located across the hall from the Qantas lounges, is not a bad option in comparison. The Strata Lounge is also accessible with Priority Pass or Diners Club lounge membership.
Have you visited any of the Qantas lounges in Auckland recently? Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Auckland QF J lounge is disgustingly filthy, worn out, and with s*^t food. Get it remodelled now Qantas!
