Worst Domestic Qantas Lounges & What Can be Done About It?

[Daver6]

Didn't the HBA lounge get an upgrade just prior to Covid. They installed a toastie machine. You lot are so ungrateful

 

[SYD]

Likely because when I was last in PHE it was a steel frame with no walls.

Has been under construction as part of the airports re-development/expansion.

So Port Headland gets a new “International” airport before Hobart…..

 

[Bibendum]

Qantas can fix SYD overnight - just upgrade the food. Just slam a Spice Bar like offering in the middle like MEL and mission accomplished. If they're feeling generous they can spruce up the flooring and furniture.

The worst lounge is definitely HBA but that can't be fixed short of demolishing the whole terminal and starting again.

& the Showers.. They are disgusting

 

[kangarooflyer88]

& the Showers.. They are disgusting

Perhaps I am disconnected from reality, but having visited the SYD lounge showers a few times, I fail to see what is disgusting about them. They tend to be clean (albeit spartan) and there is decent hot water pressure. If there is one substantial complaint I have about the showers it's the lack of ventilation, which if you are taking a steamy shower can be frustrating. That being said, one nice touch that I see Lufthansa, Emirates and others make is the provision of soap and shampoo, combs and other necessities for taking a shower. In particular I distinctly remember Lufthansa lounges in Germany feature L'Occitane toiletries.

-RooFlyer88

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Similar to BME.

Surprised no one has mentioned PHE, makes HBA look wonderful.

So I guess you can say aside from Perth, Western Australia has a clean sweep of the worst QF lounges?

 

[jrfsp]

So I guess you can say aside from Perth, Western Australia has a clean sweep of the worst QF lounges?

On the contrary, the majority are pretty good (KTA one of the best regional lounges), only PHE lets the side down - which is being rectified

 

[kangarooflyer88]

On the contrary, the majority are pretty good (KTA one of the best regional lounges), only PHE lets the side down - which is being rectified

Could the presence of travellers in high-vis jackets at PHE be the reason why this dire situation is being rectified faster than at HBA?

 

[jrfsp]

Could the presence of travellers in high-vis jackets at PHE be the reason why this dire situation is being rectified faster than at HBA?

More to do with the $45m airport redevelopment which was a condition of the new airport lease in 2016.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

More to do with the $45m airport redevelopment which was a condition of the new airport lease in 2016.

Pity the powers that be didn't insist that Schipol had to invest money into the airport as a condition for them buying the airport!

 

[Daver6]

Perhaps I am disconnected from reality, but having visited the SYD lounge showers a few times, I fail to see what is disgusting about them. They tend to be clean (albeit spartan) and there is decent hot water pressure. If there is one substantial complaint I have about the showers it's the lack of ventilation, which if you are taking a steamy shower can be frustrating. That being said, one nice touch that I see Lufthansa, Emirates and others make is the provision of soap and shampoo, combs and other necessities for taking a shower. In particular I distinctly remember Lufthansa lounges in Germany feature L'Occitane toiletries.

-RooFlyer88

They're not proactively cleaned after each use and there's not enough of them either.

 

[RichardMEL]

Since MEL and SYD J international lounges were mentioned - do we define the ADL QC as the "worst" international J lounge in Oz? just asking'

I also vote MEL J international (a.k.a. the Dungeon) as a really poor place. This one time, not on the way to band camp, I was flying MH on >midnight flight. I was in QF F but they closed around 11 iirc and actually apologised to me to say sorry you'll have to go down to the dungeon LOL.... and it was fairly dire. Luckily I had no need of the slop for food and very average drink selection down there thanks to the F lounge.

Having said that, the NZ lounge, which is actually the level below the dungeon is pleasant. It has a few windows so some light (you get to see out under air bridges to Gates 9/11 iirc so I recall several belly views of QF 380's over the years) and it's a smallish, but quite pleasant experience.

Anyway back to domestic concerns....

 

[RooFlyer]

Didn't the HBA lounge get an upgrade just prior to Covid. They installed a toastie machine. You lot are so ungrateful

No; see below; and yes.

sandwich press also removed?

Oh, God! Say it ain't true! Not the sandwich press?? It'll be the jar of Liquorice Allsorts next!

 

[jase05]

Oh, God! Say it ain't true! Not the sandwich press?? It'll be the jar of Liquorice Allsorts next!

That jar is the only redeeming feature of the HBA lounge

 

[kangarooflyer88]

They're not proactively cleaned after each use and there's not enough of them either.

When I've visited they seemed clean. Then again my definition of clean and your definition of clean may differ. In terms of quantity of showers I think there are 2 or 3 in each of the lounges which isn't too bad when compared to domestic lounges in other regions like North America (i.e. 0 for most US domestic lounges, 2 at some Air Canada domestic lounges). If anything, I'm quite pleased at the consistency of finding showers at Qantas domestic lounges. Even in small cities where one would not expect there to be a shower like TSV or CNS, there are some!

Since MEL and SYD J international lounges were mentioned - do we define the ADL QC as the "worst" international J lounge in Oz? just asking'

I also vote MEL J international (a.k.a. the Dungeon) as a really poor place. This one time, not on the way to band camp, I was flying MH on >midnight flight. I was in QF F but they closed around 11 iirc and actually apologised to me to say sorry you'll have to go down to the dungeon LOL.... and it was fairly dire. Luckily I had no need of the slop for food and very average drink selection down there thanks to the F lounge.

Having said that, the NZ lounge, which is actually the level below the dungeon is pleasant. It has a few windows so some light (you get to see out under air bridges to Gates 9/11 iirc so I recall several belly views of QF 380's over the years) and it's a smallish, but quite pleasant experience.

Not to go too off topic, but the reason why I started this thread was passengers have choices when travelling out of an international terminal in Australia. Sydney has like half a dozen lounges I can access between my QF Gold status and AmEx Platinum card. The same cannot be said for domestic travel where it is typically limited to airline operated lounges that require you to fly the airline to access the lounge. For many of us this comes down to a choice: do we put our loyalty with Qantas (which has a strong route network and excellent lounge coverage) or Virgin (which whilst smaller in every respect tends to do a better job at things like service and lounges).

Oh, God! Say it ain't true! Not the sandwich press?? It'll be the jar of Liquorice Allsorts next!

You laugh but these little things add up! Aside from the fact that Melbourne is a more modern lounge, one key thing that clinches it for me when I think of the Melbourne Qantas pub are the candies. Jelly beans, Swedish berries, you name it! It almost makes up for the fact that the Melbourne Qantas pub offers no apron views!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if Alan Joyce gave one of his assistants $10,000 in petty cash they could noticeably improve the quality of all Qantas lounges in the network within a week. Sure it won't fix the overcrowding at HBA, it won't refurbish lounges that have been in need for refurbishment for decades, but it will create an impression on visitors. There's very little I remember of the Melbourne Qantas Pub aside from that candy station!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Daver6]

When I've visited they seemed clean. Then again my definition of clean and your definition of clean may differ. In terms of quantity of showers I think there are 2 or 3 in each of the lounges which isn't too bad when compared to domestic lounges in other regions like North America (i.e. 0 for most US domestic lounges, 2 at some Air Canada domestic lounges). If anything, I'm quite pleased at the consistency of finding showers at Qantas domestic lounges. Even in small cities where one would not expect there to be a shower like TSV or CNS, there are some!

-RooFlyer88

By clean I meant someone has come in and at the very least wiped it down between uses.

As for how many showers a US lounge may or may not have, that's pretty irrelevant. The fact is, three showers in the SYD J lounge isn't sufficient. In the mornings you have plane loads of international QF flights arriving from OS with pax connecting to domestic flights. Three showers just can't cope with the numbers wanting a shower.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

By clean I meant someone has come in and at the very least wiped it down between uses.

As for how many showers a US lounge may or may not have, that's pretty irrelevant. The fact is, three showers in the SYD J lounge isn't sufficient. In the mornings you have plane loads of international QF flights arriving from OS with pax connecting to domestic flights. Three showers just can't cope with the numbers wanting a shower.

What would be a sufficient number of showers for Qantas to have at a major airport like MEL or SYD. 6? 12? Keep in mind too, for every square foot of space dedicated to showers that means fewer square feet for travellers to sit and wait for their next flight. An alternative solution could be a booking system where passengers sign up for specific slots they want to use the shower as KLM does in their Crown lounge. That way lounge attendants can ensure the showers are cleaned and available for those who need it. I would also argue too that a passenger making an international to domestic connection should have higher priority over someone with just a domestic flight.

 

[Lynda2475]

elly beans, Swedish berries, you name it! It

3 lolly types maximum amd certainly nothing swedish. The red lollies are Allen's Raspberries and made in Australia.

One thing HBA QPub has over SYD QPub is sparkling water, HBA has cans of Schweppes Sparkling Mineral Water in fridge, in SYD there is neither a self serve fountain nor bottles/cans at the bar (SYD J does have bottles).

MEL and BNE offer sparkling water self serve on tap (as does SYD international J). Something QF could install (or stock cans/bottles) at minimal cost.

 

[Daver6]

What would be a sufficient number of showers for Qantas to have at a major airport like MEL or SYD. 6? 12? Keep in mind too, for every square foot of space dedicated to showers that means fewer square feet for travellers to sit and wait for their next flight. An alternative solution could be a booking system where passengers sign up for specific slots they want to use the shower as KLM does in their Crown lounge. That way lounge attendants can ensure the showers are cleaned and available for those who need it. I would also argue too that a passenger making an international to domestic connection should have higher priority over someone with just a domestic flight.

I don't know. I don't have visibility into the numbers nor is it my job to plan this stuff for QF. All I do know is that three is not sufficient.

 

[Bibendum]

I don't know. I don't have visibility into the numbers nor is it my job to plan this stuff for QF. All I do know is that three is not sufficient.

Agreed.. I can't tell you how many times I've had to wait coming back from LA or Jakarta for one to free up..

 

[nancypants]

Since MEL and SYD J international lounges were mentioned - do we define the ADL QC as the "worst" international J lounge in Oz? just asking'

Post automatically merged: Dec 21, 2022

Despite my deep love of the Darwin QP, it cannot reasonably be described as a better international lounge than the Adelaide QP