The best Qantas and Oneworld lounges at Bangkok

Like many other airports, Bangkok offers Qantas and Oneworld passengers a choice of lounges – although the airlines themselves won’t always admit that.

A case in point is Qantas, which directs its business class travellers and Platinum and Gold frequent flyers to the airport’s independent and quite uninspiring Miracle Lounge ahead of the evening departure of QF24.

Yet those passengers are fully entitled to skip the Miracle Lounge – in fact, we strongly advise this course of action – and instead, visit the excellent Bangkok lounges of Oneworld members Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines or Qatar Airways, with the additional none-Oneworld option of the Emirates Lounge (under the Qantas-Emirates partnership).

Here are your options coveting the Bangkok lounges of all four airlines.

As the operating hours of each lounge is based around the schedule of its parent airline, some lounges might not be open ahead of your own flight’s departure.

Cathay Pacific lounge, Bangkok 

We’d rate Cathay Pacific’s lounge as Bangkok’s best for Oneworld frequent flyers who aren’t in business or first class – specifically Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire tiers (including the Platinum and Gold levels of Finnair, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways).

Cathay’s Bangkok lounge is of course also open to business and first class passengers, but we suspect many of those will be drawn to the restaurant-style menu of the Qatar Airways lounge just a few minutes’ walk away.

Not that the Cathay Pacific lounge is any slouch in the dining department: the Noodle Bar serves freshly-prepared Asian dishes such as wonton noodles and tom yam soup, with salads, pastries, desserts and even a Thai breakfast available at the self-serve deli.

Cathay Pacific's Bangkok lounge.

Ask at the bar for your choice of drink, spanning from delicious Jing teas to wine, spirits and Champagne (Charles de Cazanove was recently being served).

With seating for around 140 travellers, the sophisticated space is broken into clearly-differentiated sections. The contemporary design is rooted in a warm residential aesthetic, resulting in a vibe that’s more ‘living room’ than airport lounge.

Cathay Pacific’s Bangkok lounge is located at the top of Concourse G (near the intersection with the E and F concourses) and open between 5am and 6.30pm daily.

Emirates Lounge, Bangkok

If you’re heading from Bangkok to Sydney on Qantas flight QF24 as a business class passenger, Qantas Platinum One, Qantas Platinum or Qantas Gold frequent flyer, the Emirates Lounge is an easy and reliable option.

Located on Concourse G, towards the D gates wing, this is your typical Emirates lounge – and that’s not a bad thing by any stretch.

Emirates' Bangkok Lounge.

It means you’ll find the same familiar armchairs, couches and other fixtures as pretty much every Emirates lounge anywhere else in the world.

You’ll also see a self-serve buffet with an appealing array of hot and cold dishes and a self-pour bar featuring fine spirits and Moet champagnes.

And fortunately for travellers on the 6pm Qantas flight QF24 from Bangkok to Sydney, they’ll find Emirates’ Bangkok lounge open from around 2pm, so there’s plenty of time to relax or even include this in your lounge-hoping plan.

Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, Bangkok

The Qatar Airways Premium Lounge is the go-to if you’re jetting out of Bangkok in business or first class with any Oneworld airline – although it’s out of bounds if you’re only in premium economy or economy class, despite your Oneworld frequent flyers status.

That’s because all Qatar Airways Premium Lounges are exclusive to business class and first class passengers: a policy which enhances the upmarket boutique appeal of these chic lounges.

And stepping into the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Bangkok’s Concourse D (across from gate D8) certainly boasts that ‘private club’ vibe.

Qatar Airways' Premium Lounge at Bangkok.

Visitors will love the quiet relaxed environment and comfortable furnishings, where dining options include a restaurant-style Brasserie with à la carte menu complemented by an extensive self-serve deli buffet and cocktail bar.

At the time of writing, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Bangkok is open daily from 5am to 9am, 4pm to 8.40pm and then 10.30pm to 2am.

Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge, Bangkok

JAL’s Sakura business class lounge is like a calming slice of Japan amidst the concrete chaos of Bangkok airport.

That applies to not only the clean crisp lines and pared-back aesthetic with light-coloured wood accents but the delectable Japanese meals and snacks.

The dining area is managed by Nippon-Tei, one of Bangkok’s longest-running and most popular Japanese restaurants; the beef or chicken curry rice is the lounge’s most popular dishes.

JAL's Bangkok business class lounge is like a little slice of Japan.

As you’d expect, the bar selection extends to Japanese whiskey and sake.

There’s plenty of space to relax and spread out, with views over the airfield and AC/USB power outlets always close at hand (as is also the case at the Cathay Pacific lounge).

Located in Concourse D near Gate D8A, opposite the international transit counter and near the corner of the E and F wings, Japan Airlines’s Sakura Lounge is open to business and first class travellers alongside Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire cardholders.

Opening hours for the JAL Sakura Lounge are as follows:

• mornings: 2½ hours before the departure of JL708, through to the departure of JL32
• evenings: 3 hours before the departure of JL34, through to the very last JAL departure

(With JL34 being wheels up at 10pm, this means the Sakura lounge opens around 7pm, which is sadly too late for QF24.)

If you’re bound for Bangkok, don’t miss our selection of the best hotels in Bangkok and the city’s amazing ‘modern Thai’ restaurants.