End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened?

[Bellwood]

A double whammy for me this week now that I have been cutting back on work travel as I move towards retirement. I received an e-mail from Emirates telling me I am no longer Platinum - back to a Gold member. And a letter today from Virgin with a Silver card to replace my Gold card. I'm only Life-Silver on Qantas, so no more domestic lounge access for me unless a client pays for business class (never happens domestically ).

My Virgin Gold card was a "daughter" of my long-gone Qantas gold status (from when Virgin offered its first, very popular, status match with Qantas and I moved over to Virgin domestic as my first preference, not regretted). Many years earlier, I started with employer-funded membership of Ansett Golden Wing and when Ansett collapsed in 2001, after a brief but annoying period, my employer paid for Qantas lounge membership (and when I soon obtained Gold status, those employer funds remained on hold for about 15 years - I was surprised to find that Qantas retained a record of those funds, and when my QF Gold evaporated, automatically restored my lounge membership for a few months using dollars from a company I had left long ago!). This effectively represents continuous domestic lounge access for me since soon after Ansett opened its first lounges.

But my decaying brain cells cannot recall just when it was that these lounges first appeared. A few minutes googling has told me when they closed, but not when they started, although the Wiki article on Ansett says that its Frequent Flyer program started in 1991. But my feeling is that the lounges themselves were around a while before that - maybe in the late 80s? Does anyone know/remember for sure?

Thanks
Phil

 

[NM]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

My first visit to an airline lounge was in 1989 and I think it was called the Captains Lounge, prior to flying BNE-HNL-LAX with Qantas. I am not sure when TAA/Australian Airlines first opened the Flight Deck lounges, but I am pretty sure they were also around at the time even though my first visit was not until 1990, before they started their Frequent Flyer program. I joined Australian Airlines FF program in Sept 1991. Lounge access based on FF program status did not come for quite a few years later when the concept of status based on activity was introduced.

 

[serfty]

My first visit was in early 1989 as a guest of an exec of the mob I was working at as we had a few journies MEL to / from SYD.

I found it amazing ... a world of complimentary f&b, bricks (mobile 'phones) & many half filled glasses of (quite reasonable quality) wine left behind whenever boarding for a flight was called.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

My earliest memory of a lounge was Ansett in Melbourne, would have been 1989 or 1988. We were overlooking the luggage being put on board. Those were the days of ''luggable" portable computers and there was a special firm rubbed lined case to transport each in, in the hold (too big for the cabin). Obviously marked "Fragile / handle with care" etc.

So we were watching three of these things on the luggage cart, as it was Gate 1 (or is it 2) just outside the lounge windows.

Just as the baggage handler got to our luggables, one of the lounge "hostesses" came to see what we were looking at. So we all saw the baggage handler, take each luggable case, raise it to head level and drop it 2 or 3 feet onto the conveyor belt. The lounge person, before we could say anything raced away to report it! No damage, but I think the lounge got in touch with one of us shortly after with apologies etc etc.

 

[Pushka]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

I can remember Ansett club pre 1985. We used to go there for the drinks and food as back in the good ole days you didn't need to be flying to use the club.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

The AN Golden Wing lounges were opened by 1981 (July 1981 was my first visit to one, in BNE). I have an idea they were about a year old by then, so I'd say they opened in 1980, give or take a few months.

The QF (all international in those days) were the Captain's Club; they were certainly around in the latter 1970s.

 

[Major]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

I joined AN Golden Wing in Jan 1984 in SYD and it had been going for a few years before that.

 

[Ikara]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

If I remember correctly, in the late 70's TAA had a room set aside for CIP's (Commercially important passengers). A square room with no windows and about 10 seats around the wall as I recall. Some cold drinks available in a mini bar type fridge. The door was to the left of what became the security screening area in the old Adelaide terminal. There was a second door that led out to the tarmac for boarding (pre security obviously)

JB

 

[kdub]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

Worked for a company that built 'Captains Clubs' (now Qantas Club) for Australian Airlines & Qantas in the late 80's. Sydney international airside, Melbourne domestic which was located on the pier mezzanine around gate 5. Melbourne international airside located next to gate 3, & Melbourne International landslide. Located on 3 floor international terminal next to all the airline offices. All now long gone.

 

[serfty]

Re: End of many years domestic lounge access - but when was it that they first opened

In the later nineties I used the MEL landside international a couple of time while they were refitting the then International airside lounge located between gates 1 and 3. I think the latter became the gate 1 general lounge later on but the area is now part of the retail snake.