History of Airline Lounges in Oz?

[Panord]

Hi, I've been wondering when airline lounges in Australia came into being.

I remember as a child the old Qantas Captains Club in the international terminals. I assume they were initially for F class passengers only, and then for J class passengers after Qantas introduced business class. Does anyone have any more info?

What about the domestic airlines? I know Ansett had the Golden Wing Lounge and Australian Airlines had the Flight Deck Club. When were they introduced and which one came first?

As an aside, what on earth did people do at the airport before lounges came into being? Can you remember the days before people passed the time by logging into Frequent Flyer from the QP to complain about the dodgy sandwiches or the bar not opening until 2pm?!

 

[Ikara]

My Qantas FF card says "Member Since January '83". If I remember correctly I joined the Flight Deck club just after it started so my guess is it started in late (probably December) 1982.
Before that I remember using a room at the TAA terminal here in Adelaide. I think it was called the VIP Room or Frequent Traveller Room or something similar.
I also remember travelling in the early 747's in a section just behind First that was for Frequent Travellers and was the fore-runner of Business class. Also the lounge and bar in the upstairs section of the Jumbo's.
Gawd I'm getting old - better go and have a nanna nap!

JB

 

[munitalP]

...I also remember travelling in the early 747's in a section just behind First that was for Frequent Travellers and was the fore-runner of Business class. Also the lounge and bar in the upstairs section of the Jumbo's...

JB

This should be bought back in my humble biased opinion - must swipe your WP card to enter!


Mr!

 

[markis10]

My Qantas FF card says "Member Since January '83". If I remember correctly I joined the Flight Deck club just after it started so my guess is it started in late (probably December) 1982.
Before that I remember using a room at the TAA terminal here in Adelaide. I think it was called the VIP Room or Frequent Traveller Room or something similar.
I also remember travelling in the early 747's in a section just behind First that was for Frequent Travellers and was the fore-runner of Business class. Also the lounge and bar in the upstairs section of the Jumbo's.
Gawd I'm getting old - better go and have a nanna nap!

JB

I would say you are spot on with the 1982 timing, this gentleman could no doubt give you more info on the TAA side of things:

Advance Tourism: Australian Tourism Consultancy Experience

Ansett started about the same time according to this site:

Ansett Australia | One Of The World's Great Airlines

 

[medhead]

As an aside, what on earth did people do at the airport before lounges came into being? Can you remember the days before people passed the time by logging into Frequent Flyer from the QP to complain about the dodgy sandwiches or the bar not opening until 2pm?!

I remember as kid pestering my parents to take me upstairs to the viewing deck at the old BNE terminal. Can't remember if it was the international only then or also the domestic. It definitely became the the international terminal only later on, when the current domestic was built.

 

[JohnK]

As an aside, what on earth did people do at the airport before lounges came into being? Can you remember the days before people passed the time by logging into Frequent Flyer from the QP to complain about the dodgy sandwiches or the bar not opening until 2pm?!

What most people do at airports around the world now. Sit around and wait for their flight. I remember waiting through the night (twice) at the old ATH airport in the 90's.

Imagine a time without mobile phones, iPods, laptops, portable CD players, when people had real conversations instead of Facebook etc? I lived through it and it was quite good....

 

[medhead]

Imagine a time without mobile phones, iPods, laptops, portable CD players, when people had real conversations instead of Facebook etc? I lived through it and it was quite good....

Yeah, and I took the train from brisbane to cairns during those times. Guess what? 3 days on the train and the conversation died after about 2 hours - it was family, i know these people. Like on that train trip, i dare say people drank a lot as well

 

[dajop]

What most people do at airports around the world now. Sit around and wait for their flight. I remember waiting through the night (twice) at the old ATH airport in the 90's.

In 91 I was coming back to MEL after doing some work experience in central Qld, and I was on a 5am Compass flight out of Brisbane. Back then I didn't want to spring for a hotel room that I had to vacate at 3am-ish, so I went to the airport to spend the night there. Just as we (me and two or three others who I didn't know) were being evicted from the terminal by security at around midnight, a Compass staffer offered us to spend the night on the floor of their office, instead of outside in heat. Quite happy at the time

 

[djfuzz]

I remember in 1988 an uncle of mine came to visit us from overseas, and guested us all into a Qantas lounge at MEL. He must have been travelling on to somewhere domestic as I doubt we could have gotten through to an international lounge. It was somewhere within the terminal piers, rather than upstairs in the main building as the QP is today.

I remember as a kid being gobsmacked by the existence of such a world of plenty behind these non-descript sliding doors at an airport I had been to many times, with the free buffet, drinks, showers and (my favourite at the time) complimentary QF lapel pins galore.

It was then that I was broken forever and realised that I could never happily sit at a gate / in economy without grousing over the wonders that existed on the other side of the doors / curtains, and forever aspire to finding out how to get there (hence I'm on this forum now).

 

[serfty]

There used to be a "Landside" Qantas International Lounges at MEL. This was available on the same basis as the airside one.

The one at MEL was up a long escalator leading back away from the Doors through to emigration. While Qantas were redeveloping the now defunct gate 1 International lounges around 1995, this was the only option. Once the G1 upgrade was complete this airside lounge closed.

 

[Evan]

When i started flying Ballina and Casino airport were not much more than portable buildings and probably not even a coke machine, i honestly can't remember now but i do remember walking to the planes (Fokker's mostly).

Now i simply dread spending time in an airport without a lounge unless it is a good one you can do some shopping or something interesting, besides no lounge usually you can find a coffee shop to sit at and enjoy a drink for a while before... maybe even a bar

 

[NM]

My first lounge experience was in 1989 at the Qantas Captain's Lounge at the old BNE International.

 

[meloz]

Many years ago airlines had hidden lounges for CIP's.

I recall using the one in PER around 1977 where you entered the lounge through a door behind the check in counter. My father had a large annual spend with one of the 2 airlines at the time.

The lounge had a well stocked fridge and some nibbles. They even had a wooden box full of cigarettes.

Meloz

 

[whereishome]

What most people do at airports around the world now. Sit around and wait for their flight. I remember waiting through the night (twice) at the old ATH airport in the 90's.

Imagine a time without mobile phones, iPods, laptops, portable CD players, when people had real conversations instead of Facebook etc? I lived through it and it was quite good....

That's why I like airport bars - I've meet some real characters in Airport bars. In fact, I may write an airport novel about them.

I like lounges for their convenience, but people sequester themselves away with their work/newspaper/precision-poured-by-robots beer.

 

[serfty]

My First lounge uses were in mid 1989 -the old (Rectangular) gate 1 MEL domestic and the (now) gate 16 at SYD. I was a guest of the exec I was doing work for ...

 

[medhead]

/precision-poured-by-robots beer.

I don't find the beer pourers to be robots. I usually try to be chaty or nice. Had a but of contact with the beer person in DRW QP. But then that is darwin for you. Their precision is kinda of impressive, but then that is the advantage of having the right sized glass

 

[munitalP]

That's why I like airport bars - I've meet some real characters in Airport bars. In fact, I may write an airport novel about them... .

My best experience in an airport bar was in Atlanta between flights - I had just Y'd Auckland / LAX QF then DELTA LAX / Atlanta - my ground time in LAX was a couple of hours - I was tired and grumpy and still had a flight to TAMPA to go with a 3 hour (turned out 5 due to weather) wait in Atlanta - no lounge to use so I amused myself for a while riding the trains and exploring terminals, tried to order a hotdog and coke from the biggest African / American woman I have ever seen who only spoke cajun - that was fun (!) and sampling the goods at a Budweiser bar in my terminal...

During my flight to LAX or at LAX customs, I had lost my itinerary and had no idea where I was staying in TAMPA - I was literally flying blind and hoping that when I got to the airport, something would remind me of the resort name at least such as a shuttle bus or advertising in the airport.... hehehe

Anyway, a few Bud's under the belt sitting at the bar, I started chatting to a bloke next to me about the weather (yep - it was a shocker) and he mentioned TAMPA - I relayed my story regarding loosing my paperwork and we had a bit of a laugh about it. He asked which conference I was attending - I told him and you won't believe this - he was at the same one on the same flight staying at the same resort - Westin Innisbrook TAMPA!!! What a stroke of luck.

Needless to say I shouted him a couple of more Bud's before the flight was finally called and we have become good friends over the years!

Mr!

 

[FlyboyAl]

My dad used to work for TAA/Australian Airlines and I remember many visits to the "VIP Lounge" whenever we went anywhere. I remember Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart lounges. The fridge was always stocked up, (just like the fridge in his office!!!!), and whilst I never smoked, I'm pretty sure I also remember cigarettes being available. The lounges were small, and I think you needed to be management to use them, or at least get the OK from someone to be able to take a passenger into them.

 

[TonyD]

My Dad used to frequent the Captains Club in the late 70's , I left school in 1980 so I guess it was before then that we went in as a family. I assume he flew Y or F ?
Certainly he has also talked about FT (frequent travellers) and getting newsletters. There were warnings in the 80's not to abuse guest and bar privledges, which ultimatly did get tightened up.
When I jioned Flight Deck in 1989 you could enter without a flight that day.
I remember there was something wierd about reciprical rights with Captains Club - maybe it wasnt available in OZ but was OS ???
Back when we got 10 undated guest passes a year, our record was 17 guests in QP domestic - maybe 1998 to 1999.

 

[coolumbla]

i remember joining teh TAA one in 1986
Made the fee back when i got out of Sydney back to LAunceston on teh last flight to get back to work on one of the cheap"you tell us the day we'll tell you teh flight" deals
Also remember sliding 3 mates into the tullamarine lounge to see me off and having many many bundys
What used to happen if i heard correctly was that many melburnians joined as there was open access
They'd catch the bus from the city out , get on the drink and catch the last bus home.
I don't believe that had anything to do with teh changes to needing to travel that day!:shock:

SHane