Hobart Qantas Club to be enhanced!

[Awesom Andy]

Now the congestion within the lounge is real and happens on a daily basis in the bank of departures from 1000 to 1400. Between them we have the following:

QF1502 for MEL at 0940
JQ702 for MEL at 1015
JQ758 for BNE at 1055
QF1508 for SYD at 1235
JQ720 for SYD at 1250
QF1504 for MEL at 1330

6 flights within 4 hours, naturally the lounge will be quite full given its 3x 717s and 3x A320s worth of access rights (it's like everyone has QP rights these days)

With JQ758 and QF1508 being 1 hr 40 mins apart, pax shouldn't run into each other at all. So we're more looking at 3 flights within 75 mins, and then another 3 within 55 mins.

 

[RooFlyer]

Whether they should or shouldn't run into each other isn't the point. Those of us who fly QF out of Hobart know that the lounge is uncomfortably full to overflowing most days; people are turned away (with vouchers) or choose not to use it. Maybe its the frequency of late-running of the QF 717s?

A few more seats is good, but the lounge needs expanding, not just an internal re-arrangement and a sandwich press.

 

[opusman]

To be fair, the whole airport is clearly too small - it's not just the QC. When I was there the other week (and couldn't get into the lounge), even finding two seats together in the terminal was a challenge.

Maybe David Walsh should put some money into expanding the airport to deal with the problem he's helped create!

 

[pauly7]

Like i said to the TAS Regional Manager, the HBA club has got to be the saddest and smallest capital city lounge I've ever seen :O

Well it's lucky that Virgin treat Hobart as such a priority and have a great lounge as an alternative.
Oh wait...

 

[RooFlyer]

Here at HBA and sure enough, the QP is being 'enhanced'. Door open but I didn't think a pic would be prudent ...

But here is the space at the back of the QP which is dead space. Could move that wall back towards camera to get more space if they/the HBA management wanted. The QF/JQ baggage pick up area is to the right, out of shot and should at least be partly available when the new baggage area opens, at the other end of the terminal. Can only hope it happens then.

 

[JohnK]

That was the first thing I thought too. A sandwich press. Wow, really? What's that worth...$20 from K-Mart perhaps?

The one at Big W is $19 but comes in handy.

 

[BD1959]

The one at Big W is $19 but comes in handy.

I don't know ... you guys really need to take more notice of your emails.

Why splurge $19 at Big W when - for between 10,810 and 18,230 points you have the choice of 6 from the Qantas Store?

Shame on you for thinking of going anywhere else! I'll bet the Hobart QC Manager is sat tapping away, card in hand, right now ... while it's quiet in there ... !!

Regards,

BD

 

[BindiBratz]

Well... it has been opened up and appears more spacious without the internal wall of the business centre... looks very cluttered with seats but prior to the 5:50 flight this morning it was far from full. Nothing much else appears to have changed... buffet in same position including pancake maker & ?sandwich toaster... sorry I forgot to check ☺ but no bad smells or smoke alarms

However... I appreciate that at least it's airside these days... remember the really bad old days when it wasn't and the hideous queue through security..???

 

[JessicaTam]

I think everyone is missing the point. The sandwich press is not for making toasted sandwiches. It is to squeeze more people into the lounge.

 

[JohnK]

I think everyone is missing the point. The sandwich press is not for making toasted sandwiches. It is to squeeze more people into the lounge.

Care to explain? I am a bit slow this morning.

 

[RooFlyer]

As promised, exclusive to AFF, the enhanced HBA lounge (Australian Business Traveller, eat your heart out ).

The highlight; that sandwich press:




... which seems to operate fairly well (ham, cheese and tomato):



The enhanced buffet (no change from the old buffet, as far as I can tell, except for the sandwich press):



The lounge sans business centre (its that rear wall that I want to get rid of once QF/JQ baggage collection moves). Lounge maintains its 6 different styles of seating ...





Verdict: Approved. there is more space / seating. But there is still more to do.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just did a head count. With a B717 the only flight out within the next hour, there are [-]44[/-] 50 people in the HBA lounge (I think the new capacity is 90??). There are still plenty of seats available, but take the situation where there are 3 (or 4, with a delay) planes scheduled to leave within 60 to 90 minutes (including up to 2 JQ A320s), you can see the potential for over-crowding is still right up there.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

As promised, exclusive to AFF, the enhanced HBA lounge (Australian Business Traveller, eat your heart out ).

The highlight; that sandwich press:


View attachment 65481

Ahhhhhhh ...... but does it have the pancake making machine like Sydney and Brissy ????

 

[Guvner]

That's nearly half the pax on a 717!

 

[RooFlyer]

Now 55 in the lounge and there are no free seat sets (so you'll have to join some-one else's group if you ant to sit down); we have moved to within an hour of a JQ flight.

 

[opusman]

Easiest solution seems to be to disallow access for JQ pax.

 

[RooFlyer]

Meanwhile in the gate area seat occupancy is about 90%

 

[jimmylikesitwet]

When I was at Hobart last week when the Qantas Club was closed and a couple of the flights were delayed the crowding in the departures area was ridiculous. Hopefully airport management have some plans to do some extensions soon!

 

[RooFlyer]

When I was at Hobart last week when the Qantas Club was closed and a couple of the flights were delayed the crowding in the departures area was ridiculous. Hopefully airport management have some plans to do some extensions soon!

b
Oh,ha ha. Some re jig to get more shops - but an extension? That's funny.

 

[drron]

Last night's news had an item on the opening of the refurb for Launceston airport-it was all about the new eating places.