Qantas Brisbane Lounge opens for Cathay’s 1am flight
Cathay’s business class passengers and frequent flyers have a new home at Brisbane’s international terminal.
Qantas’ Brisbane International Lounge is now rolling out the welcome mat for the 1am departure of the Cathay Pacific flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong.
Cathay previously directed its business class passengers and frequent flyers to Brisbane’s Plaza Premium lounge – but as previously reported, this independent lounge permanently closed on May 31, and will eventually be replaced by a new Escapes Lounge.
Not wishing to leave its premium passengers on the hook, Cathay Pacific has now arranged with Oneworld partner Qantas for the opening hours of the Qantas Brisbane International Lounge to be extended into the wee hours, well beyond the departure of the last Qantas flight.
A spokesperson for Cathay Pacific tells Executive Traveller that the agreement sees the Qantas lounge remaining open “at least three hours” prior to the 1am departure of CX156.
And that’s definitely an upgrade, with the Qantas lounge boasting a relaxed contemporary design and a decent spread of food and drinks.
ET review: Qantas Brisbane International Lounge
The revised opening hours of the Qantas Brisbane International Lounge are now as follows:
- Monday and Thursday: 6am to 11.45am, and 3.15pm to 12.30am
- Tuesday, Friday and Sunday: 6am to 12.30am
- Wednesday: 6am to 11.45am, and 3.15pm to 10pm
- Saturday: 6am to 12.15pm, and 3.15pm to 12.30am
Qantas itself has yet to resume flights between Brisbane and Hong Kong, and they appear unlikely to return for now, due to red-tailed fleet being stretched by a shortage of aircraft and the lure of new routes.
It’s also not gone unnoticed that the forthcoming Qantas Brisbane-Manila service launching on October 28 2024 has adopted the same QF97/QF98 flight numbers which used to belong to Brisbane-Hong Kong.
For its part, Cathay Pacific has a busy few months ahead, beginning with the mid-year launch of its new 777 Aria Suites business class and premium economy seats, along with free WiFi in business class and for Cathay Diamonds.
That’ll be followed in 2025 by the promise of high-luxe and high-privacy Cathay 777 first class suites and the possibility of new lounges at its Hong Kong hub after the opening of the airport’s Terminal 2.
Also read: Cathay Pacific’s last plane departs the Australian desert
03 Mar 2023
Total posts 37
This is great news! That Plaza Premium lounge wasn't really much chop to be honest. Felt crowded and lacking for that late Cathay flight.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2013
Total posts 144
QF used to give half the normal status credits when flying CX business between BNE-HKG, because they also used to operate that sector.
It would only be fair they provided the same SC’s as QF on CC, if they are not operating this route.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1563
LOL! I read 1 AM as lam (LAM)!!!
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