Doors to new Darwin Qantas Club open

[Red Roo]

Promising an improved travel experience with more luxury and more space, welcome to the new Darwin Qantas Club: DOORS TO NEW DARWIN QANTAS CLUB OPEN

Looking forward to your feedback.

 

[russellferrier]

I was there last Wednesday and I believe it was closing the next day.
Staff were doing a great job dealing with the crowding in the temporary section.

Back in Darwin in two weeks and will get to sample the new lounge three weeks after that.

 

[Jaryd]

Great! Heading there tonight and will have a look!

 

[wheatbix]

I'm often passing through Darwin and most interested in the new space. The Qantas Media Release didn't include any photos, so if anyone's there and manages to take some snapshots I'm definitely curious to have a look!

 

[Red Roo]

I'm often passing through Darwin and most interested in the new space. The Qantas Media Release didn't include any photos, so if anyone's there and manages to take some snapshots I'm definitely curious to have a look!

We've posted some photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152383122907686.1073741869.8662337685&type=1

 

[TripleB]

It looks much bigger than the old one - I'm on the redeye on Saturday morning so I'll report back soon.

It must be hard to cater for such sporadic burts of people - I would imagine that >25% of the daily use of the QF club happens between 00:30 and 02:00.

Hopefully the terminal expansion will result in more available seats and mean that (non QF club people) people don't have to sit on the floor whilst waiting for their plane in the early hours of the morning or better still an end to the farce of sitting on the plane for 20 minutes whilst the adjacent international flight disembarks (so as that they can keep the international and domestic people separate) then disembarking via the stairs onto the tarmac then being ushered up stairs into the aerobridge of the adjacent gate, then ushered back down the stairs in the open air part of the terminal to then enter the terminal on the lower level next to the baggage carousel (don't laugh - this happened to me 2 weeks in a row).

 

[ajw373]

It looks much bigger than the old one - I'm on the redeye on Saturday morning so I'll report back soon.

It must be hard to cater for such sporadic burts of people - I would imagine that >25% of the daily use of the QF club happens between 00:30 and 02:00.

Hopefully the terminal expansion will result in more available seats and mean that (non QF club people) people don't have to sit on the floor whilst waiting for their plane in the early hours of the morning or better still an end to the farce of sitting on the plane for 20 minutes whilst the adjacent international flight disembarks (so as that they can keep the international and domestic people separate) then disembarking via the stairs onto the tarmac then being ushered up stairs into the aerobridge of the adjacent gate, then ushered back down the stairs in the open air part of the terminal to then enter the terminal on the lower level next to the baggage carousel (don't laugh - this happened to me 2 weeks in a row).

It has been a number of years since I was in Darwin, but thought the international part of the terminal was completely separate, with just a shared gate or two, which they close the doors on. Just trying to picture the scenario you mention about not getting off whilst international pax are also getting off.

 

[opusman]

Very stylish!

Makes the MEL QP seem positively dated.

 

[Katy]

We've posted some photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152383122907686.1073741869.8662337685&type=1

AusBT also has some lovely pics up if you can't access FB.

 

[samh004]

Love the dining area, and the chairs near the front (I assume - first pic). Looks vastly bigger!

 

[mickeyc747]

In the lounge now, it's great, was crowed everyone had a seat. Lounge has been kept clean and food and beverage service great.

 

[YSSY]

Afraid I never saw the old one, but the lounge seems similar to the Sydney one, all good. I was in the red eye on Saturday and didn't appreciate it had just opened, after going down the secret hallway!

 

[TripleB]

It has been a number of years since I was in Darwin, but thought the international part of the terminal was completely separate, with just a shared gate or two, which they close the doors on. Just trying to picture the scenario you mention about not getting off whilst international pax are also getting off.

There's quite a big gap between the aerobridge of the former gate 3 (I think it is now gate 7) - the one chiefly used by Qantas 737/767 metal and the international terminal aerobridge (which doubled as domestic 4A (now 8 I think)) and quite often in the period between midnight and 12:30am (especially if there is a delay) they will slot an arriving JQ A320 into that gap. 2 weeks in a row that was the SYD flight and we sat and watched the (late) DPS flight disembark on the adjacent aerobridge, then we were pushed down the stairs onto the tarmac, up the stairs attached to the back of the aerobridge - and then rather than simply being allowed to enter the terminal through the old domestic gate 4A (with the concertina gates blocking you from going into international arrivals) we were transferred out to the outside walkway down the stairs again and then sent out into the terminal on the domestic ground levels arrival gate. It was crazy. Admittedly it only happened twice (I fly in and out >40 times a year) but it was completely unnecessary.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I'm not travelling again this month (at this stage) but see steady is in the new DRW QP next Friday. I suppose a drink to the new lounge is appropriate.

 

[Dino84]

Looks great from the photos and I'm definitely happy about the extra space, when flying out in the middle of the day it was extremely difficult to get a seat.

Scott.

 

[ajw373]

There's quite a big gap between the aerobridge of the former gate 3 (I think it is now gate 7) - the one chiefly used by Qantas 737/767 metal and the international terminal aerobridge (which doubled as domestic 4A (now 8 I think)) and quite often in the period between midnight and 12:30am (especially if there is a delay) they will slot an arriving JQ A320 into that gap. 2 weeks in a row that was the SYD flight and we sat and watched the (late) DPS flight disembark on the adjacent aerobridge, then we were pushed down the stairs onto the tarmac, up the stairs attached to the back of the aerobridge - and then rather than simply being allowed to enter the terminal through the old domestic gate 4A (with the concertina gates blocking you from going into international arrivals) we were transferred out to the outside walkway down the stairs again and then sent out into the terminal on the domestic ground levels arrival gate. It was crazy. Admittedly it only happened twice (I fly in and out >40 times a year) but it was completely unnecessary.

I see, when using the place regularly before, now 12+ years ago only one gate could be used for international and that was next to the gate normally used by Ansett, with Qantas normally using the 3rd gate next to the turbo prop gates.

Getting back to the lounge, back then it wasn't too bad, the flights were spread better throughout the day, with some morning departures and some early afternoon departures, with cut a couple around middnight. My how things have changed if it is so busy that late at night.

 

[smithy]

Looking forward to accessing the new lounge next month. The old set up was so over crowded that i gave up using it on my last few visits to Darwin.

 

[JessicaTam]

The photos look good. Certainly a lot brighter than the last time I was there.

 

[puppysparkes]

Great lounge Red Roo! It is a vast improvement over the old lounge. Here is my seat facing the front desk waaaay up the other end. Same spot looking to my left. The lounge wraps around the bar and you have two entry/exit points.

 

[crum]

In the lounge now and it's great. Nice job Red Roo!