Article: Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge?

[AFF Editor]

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge?

There are currently no airline lounges in Newcastle, making it the busiest Australian airport on Qantas' route map not to have one.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[exceladdict]

I guess despite the industry in NTL, it isn't quite the same as the mining / energy FIFO traffic between PER and say KTA or KGI that justifies / demands the (small) lounges there.

 

[Hvr]

I wonder if part of the decision making process was how many daily/weekly QF flights there are to SYD/CBR?

 

[bullerdude]

I would hope that Newcastle Airport is able to get Qantas or an independent provider to set a lounge, as it’s desperately needed.

It gets more traffic than other small regional lounges, including business flyers at certain times. I remember pre-Covid when only Jetstar was flying from Melbourne, seeing so many gold/plat “QF” bag tags boarding the Jetstar end of week flights going home!

 

[Princess Fiona]

NTL is my home airport. I don’t fly out of there very often unless timing is convenient as I mainly go to SYD.

I don’t think we really have the QF elites ex NTL to support a QF lounge. It’s only Dash 8 or the odd 717 to BNE and MEL. There’s frequently PS flyers opposite me when I’m in 2D on the Dash 8.
VA will not be remotely interested nor have the customer base to support a lounge at NTL.

The current bar area has banger views of the tarmac and it’s a pleasant enough place to grab a stool and watch the RAAF jets take off.
If any lounge was to be built in the extension I think it likely to be a paid option.
Happy of course to be proved wrong and sit sipping Champers at an upstairs extension viewing the Hawks take off.

 

[justinbrett]

I just left NTL after 13 years of living there, unlike @Princess Fiona I did fly out very often domestically - multiple times a month, usually to BNE for personal travel but often work travel via MEL or BNE to other cities. For international my preference was out of SYD and back into BNE (with domestic connection to NTL), but often it was into SYD as well if the times didn't work. Oh and my day job was on the base - so yes, I am very familiar with NTL.

It doesn't need a lounge in its present state - although the master plan does include a lounge. I really enjoyed the new terminal, the bar is reasonably priced, you can get decent food and good views. They were even doing live music on Friday afternoons a while ago (to the point where you couldn't hear the boarding announcements ) .

I think we need to see mainline QF ops into NTL before there's any chance of a lounge - and that may happen in 10+ years, but not any time soon. The closure of the JQ base will help that - it is not a JQ city IMO (a lot of government, military and mining pax). NTL-MEL is always jet operated (usually 2 daily 717s) and NTL-BNE is a mix (3 daily Dash 8s, 1 daily 717 and 1 daily E190). Then you have ADL also on E190. The days of all QF Dash-8s are long gone fortunately, and the frequency of JQ has significantly reduced since they closed the base.

Now I'm in OOL that has an actual Qantas Club but weirdly stop-starts all day, only opening an hour before QF metal (not JQ), and there's no view - so it's not a significant improvement. I really liked the local gin they served at the NTL bar (Farmer's Wife) which is now stocked at Dan Murphys - but I was drinking it long before that at NTL.

 

[sqrt()]

I didn't realise NTL had 6x weekly service to ADL on Alliance for QF!

 

[dajop]

I don’t think we really have the QF elites ex NTL to support a QF lounge.

There are ports, with surely less elites to support a QF lounge than NTL?

Using next week as reference, QF has just shy of 1200 seats on flights departing DPO next week, which has a small QF lounge. QF has 4793 seats out of NTL, just shy of 4x the DPO figure.

 

[justinbrett]

There are ports, with surely less elites to support a QF lounge than NTL?

Using next week as reference, QF has just shy of 1200 seats on flights departing DPO next week, which has a small QF lounge. QF has 4793 seats out of NTL, just shy of 4x the DPO figure.

Yeah, I actually disagree with the lack of elites comment; and the editor's statement that NTL is a Leisure destination.

I don't think many fly to NTL from other locations for leisure; some do for sure but I don't think it's what's filling the planes M-F. I think there is a lot of outbound leisure travellers, but this is mostly for weekends.

I guess the good way to tell is in the BNE J lounge and QP, how many people get up when a QF NTL flight is called. From my experience (again, having travelled that route more than any other in my life), the number is often into the teens or 20+ per flight (fewer for Dash 8s).

 

[jakeseven7]

Yeah, I actually disagree with the lack of elites comment; and the editor's statement that NTL is a Leisure destination.

From my 4 flights last year on the MEL services on QF at least - it’s very business and lots of military as well. But of course QF would pull all the business, government and well heeled anyway I suppose.

 

[NM]

NTL is my home airport. I don’t fly out of there very often unless timing is convenient as I mainly go to SYD.

I don’t think we really have the QF elites ex NTL to support a QF lounge. It’s only Dash 8 or the odd 717 to BNE and MEL. There’s frequently PS flyers opposite me when I’m in 2D on the Dash 8.
VA will not be remotely interested nor have the customer base to support a lounge at NTL.

The current bar area has banger views of the tarmac and it’s a pleasant enough place to grab a stool and watch the RAAF jets take off.
If any lounge was to be built in the extension I think it likely to be a paid option.
Happy of course to be proved wrong and sit sipping Champers at an upstairs extension viewing the Hawks take off.

I would have expended NTL would be similar to ROK in terms of QF flights, both number of flights and aircraft types (mix of Dash-8 and 717). ROK has managed to score a lounge for qualifying Qantas passengers.

But I do agree that in my experience departing NTL, the "need" for a lounge is not significant. It just my family heritage that prefers to keep my short arms out of the deep pockets when seeking a beverage from the bar prior to boarding

 

[LostRedditor]

NTL is my home airport as well, and as a Novacastrian I'm excited to see some expansion of the airport. Newcastle is actually becoming a bit of a tech hub, lots of start ups are making Newcastle their home, or at least have larger satellite offices here. I think this will continue to happen and demand will grow. Like @justinbrett said, lounge isn't really necessary right now but will probably be in the future.

I'd love to see some direct flights to NZ from here some day

 

[justinbrett]

I'd love to see some direct flights to NZ from here some day

We've had them before - they only run whilst the subsidies are flowing!

 

[Nevstar]

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge?

There are currently no airline lounges in Newcastle, making it the busiest Australian airport on Qantas' route map not to have one.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

Newcastle city and region is growing so fast!.... NTL airport is also about to go international in the next few years, so a lounge is really needed.

 

[Monjarri]

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Will Newcastle Airport Get an Airline Lounge?

There are currently no airline lounges in Newcastle, making it the busiest Australian airport on Qantas' route map not to have one.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

Simply not good enough Qantas. Get your act together and provide similar services to Newcastle members as you do elsewhere. Cheap Cheap Cheap. It seems that Qantas is simply ignoring Newcastle members which is an unfortunate prejudice.

 

[LostRedditor]

Some news from Newcastle's federal member, Sharon Claydon, regarding funding towards upgrading NTL's international terminal facilities.

https://www.sharonclaydon.com/news/...nal-terminal-upgrade-gearing-up-for-take-off/

Edit: Site appears to be down for the moment. $55 million funding. Work planned to complete in 2024. No real details provided yet, just an announcement so far

 

[justinbrett]

Some news from Newcastle's federal member, Sharon Claydon, regarding funding towards upgrading NTL's international terminal facilities.

https://www.sharonclaydon.com/news/...nal-terminal-upgrade-gearing-up-for-take-off/

Edit: Site appears to be down for the moment. $55 million funding. Work planned to complete in 2024. No real details provided yet, just an announcement so far

There have been a lot of problems with the runway at NTL. Even after being recently reconstructed & expanded to support the F-35s, the whole thing had to be ripped up and resurfaced due to defective work (similar at AMB as well). Part of this work strengthened the thresholds to allow routine widebody landings. Whilst the KC-30A (RAAF A333) could land at NTL, it needed a pavement concession so it was a rare sight at the base. Usually it operated out of SYD when transporting NTL pers, or out of AMB for refuelling. That is the reason this has dragged out so long, which started under the previous government.

The airfield is fully equipped to handle narrowbody international flights now, and has done so previously. I do find it bizarre they can't attract airlines to operate narrowbody international flights out of NTL, but think they can attract widebodies. Even OOL is struggling on that front.

 

[LostRedditor]

I do find it bizarre they can't attract airlines to operate narrowbody international flights out of NTL,

I do as well. Hoping that changes