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Qantas will reopen its flagship international First Lounge at Sydney Airport on 1 November 2021 – the same day that regular flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles resume.
While the Qantas First Lounge in Sydney will reopen next month, Qantas won’t reopen its neighbouring Business Lounge until more people are travelling – likely in January 2022. This is exactly what Qantas did previously when the trans-Tasman bubble (briefly) opened.
This is particularly great news for Qantas Club members, Gold frequent flyers and Qantas Business Class passengers travelling internationally from Sydney over the coming months. They will be invited into the superior First Lounge, along with Qantas Platinum & Platinum One members, until the Qantas international Business Lounge in Sydney eventually reopens down the track.
Eligible passengers travelling on other Oneworld airlines, as well as Qantas-marketed flights operated by other airlines like Emirates, will also have access to the Qantas First Lounge – if it’s open at the time of their flight.
While the Qantas First Lounge will be open from 1 November in the evening, prior to QF1 to London and QF11 to Los Angeles departing, the exact opening hours have not yet been revealed. It is unlikely that this lounge will initially reopen in the morning for Qantas passengers flying to Norfolk Island. But the opening hours are likely to be extended once more flights return.
Qantas says there will be some COVID-safe changes to the lounge service when this and other lounges reopen.
When the Qantas First Lounge in Sydney was open earlier this year, the main noticeable changes were that everyone was wearing masks, there were fewer menu items available to order, there weren’t any bar snacks like nuts available, and the spa was closed. But overall, the First Lounge still offered a great pre-departure experience for eligible customers.
What about other Qantas lounges?
While passengers departing on international flights from Sydney will have access to the Qantas First Lounge from 1 November 2021, Qantas won’t reopen its lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport until December. The Oneworld Los Angeles Lounge and Qantas First Lounge at LAX will also remain closed until December.
Qantas is providing “interim options” for eligible passengers travelling on its flights from London or Los Angeles during November. Customers will have access to the British Airways T3 lounge in London and the Star Alliance Lounge in Los Angeles.
Qantas will also be leasing the Catalina Lounge in the international area of Darwin Airport from 1 November 2021 until at least the end of March 2022, using it as a pop-up international transit lounge.
Back in Australia, all Qantas domestic lounges in NSW, Victoria and the ACT are currently closed due to local travel restrictions in those states. The Qantas Club at Gold Coast Airport is also currently closed due to a lack of Qantas flights running from that airport, and the Qantas Clubs in Rockhampton and Port Hedland somehow still haven’t reopened following refurbishments.
Qantas has confirmed it will reopen its lounges in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and regional NSW locations “in line with border restrictions easing and increasing demand”. This will likely see the Qantas domestic lounges in Sydney, at the very least, reopening from 1 November. But the Gold Coast lounge could remain closed until Queensland reopens its border for interstate travel in mid-December.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas Lounges will reopen on 1 November 2021
