Executive Traveller exclusive
Qantas is set to splurge on its lacklustre Sydney and Melbourne international business class lounges, spending millions of dollars to ensure the well-worn spaces finally live up to their flagship status.
It’s the domestic cornerstone of a $100-million investment in the airline’s lounge network, which will also include a dedicated first class lounge for London, the return of the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge plus an all-new Qantas Club for Hobart and regional Qantas Regional Lounge for Broome.
That cash splash comes ahead of what’s expected to a blockbuster set of financial results when the airline reveals its half-year update on Thursday February 23.
“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long term investments for our customers,” remarked Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce in announcing the airline’s lounge roadmap through to 2025.
“That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year” – that being for a future fleet of Airbus A350, A321XLR and A220 jets – “and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges.”
“Millions of people a year visit our lounges and they are typically our frequent flyers who travel with us the most, so anything we do to improve them is a way of saying thank you to our most loyal customers.”
Hard details on what we’ll see and when remain scant, but here’s what we know so far.
Melbourne’s Qantas international business class lounge is first in line, in news that’ll cheer regular visitors to what’s colloquially nicknamed ‘the dungeon’.
It’ll be expanded to increase capacity by up to 30% “to accommodate future passenger growth,” Qantas says – no doubt with an eye towards new routes including non-stop Project Sunrise flights to London and New York from 2026.
Travellers can expect “a full internal refresh and a new signature food and beverage concept.”
The redevelopment work will be carried out in stages beginning later this year, with the aim of the undefined ‘stage one’ opening in mid-2024.
The David Caon-designed Qantas Singapore First Lounge.
Bigger and bolder things are planned for the Qantas Sydney international business class lounge, which is slated for a “complete refurbishment and expansion.”
Executive Traveller understands the airline is reactivating a pre-pandemic plan – albeit one first promised for 2018-2019 – to deliver a make-over that the Flying Kangaroo’s business travellers and Gold-grade frequent flyers have long been waiting for.
That transformation saw “a completely new design” to be developed by Qantas designer David Caon – which we rate as a plus, because we’re generally fans of his clean, fresh and understated aesthetic – in collaboration with Australian architecture firm Bates Smart.
“Our customers have told us that ample space, privacy and ambience are what they value most in their lounge experience, so the overall design of the new lounge will be tailored with this in mind,” Joyce said of the original plan.
Lounge capacity will grow by 40% “to more than 600 seats”, Qantas promises, with a centrepiece of the all-new lounge being “a new signature dining experience.”
But this “full redesign and rebuild from scratch” is no simple task – Qantas says work is estimated to commence in early 2024 “with completion of stage one estimated by early 2025”, with the project and timeline “pending confirmation of Sydney Airport terminal upgrade plans.”
