Four new Qantas lounges will open at Brisbane Airport this year
By David Flynn, January 9 2016
- Expanded Qantas Club
- New Qantas Business Lounge, Chairman's Lounge
- Single international lounge to replace first, business lounges
Qantas will open four new Brisbane airport lounges in the second half of this year as part of a multimillion dollar upgrade to the airline's terminal, boosting lounge space by some 30% in total.
This will include a redesign and expansion of the Qantas Club and construction of a new Business Lounge for domestic business class travellers and top-tier frequent flyers, which is tipped to follow the lead of Perth’s new Business Lounge (below) but with hints of Queensland in the design.
“It’s the next evolution of our Business Lounges" Helen Gray, the airline's Head of Domestic Product & Service, tells Australian Business Traveller with regards to the Perth Business Lounge.
"The key element now is regionality, and all the lounges won’t necessarily look the same."
Also on the cards: a new invitation-only Chairman's Lounge for VIPs and high-value customers.
Photos: Inside the Qantas Chairman's Lounge
Work on all three domestic lounges will be carried out in stages so that each can be partly open, in a staged process across the second half of this year, while a second stage of expansion continues into 2017.
At Brisbane's International Terminal, the current first class and business class lounges will merge into a single modern lounge with an expanded footprint – similar to what the airline has already done with its popular international lounges at Singapore (below) and Hong Kong.
The new Brisbane international lounge is expected to open in September 2016.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 131
Great to see BNE International lounges getting a makeover. The First "cupboard" is embarrasingly ... errm.... dreadful!
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
06 May 2015
Total posts 54
Great news! The Domestic Business lounge is always full, and hard to find seats. Upgraded bar and food area will be beneficial as they are really strapped for space. Would improve their efficiencies too, as currently they have to wheel food through the QClub into the business lounge! Hopefully they can work on the International ones as well.
04 Jan 2014
Total posts 40
Going into the Brisbane Qantas Club lounge and Business lounge is like going to a session in a pub when a football match is on. Usually not many/any seats, most of the food being quaffed down with little choice, very loud every where with people trying to talk over each other and the few staff there trying to keep the place clean and food bar filled.
Going into the International Qantas Business lounge is quite depressing. Not updated or expanded in years. I was there last month while flying Emirates to Dubai...I soon vacated and walked down to gate 75 for the excellent Emirates lounge.
Be nice if Qantas could one day do the upgrades before the place looked terrible.
08 Jul 2015
Total posts 26
You should go into the QF PER lounge. It's like the Rooty Hill Leagues Club
23 Aug 2011
Total posts 65
Pity that Qantas doesn't do something about the J lounge at Melbourne airport, used it a week ago on my way to HKG, crowded and couldn't even get a seat, tables full of dirty plates and cups, food offering was poor with a lot of empty or half empty plates. Flight was okay friendly crew did what they had to do.
QF lounge HKG is great and deserves all of the accolades.
I am going to HKG in November and thinking of trying out CX.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 645
Pity that this has no relevance to the article... send an email/tweet/facebook etc TO QF.
When i read an article and the associated forum posts from the public, i don't wanna hear/read rants about OFF TOPIC 'issues'
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
15 Aug 2012
Total posts 171
Totally agree, qantas are back in ack and investing, that's the story here and congratulations to them.
BTW, I was in the Melbourne international lounge a fortnight ago in a busy time and the lounge and staff were fantastic.
I find it interesting that just about every article on this site that mentions Qantas turns into a bashing session. I think qantas have turned a major corner in difficult times and are on the improve.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 388
Great news!!
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
This is interesting. I think it implies that QF have no plans to bring their own First Class international services to Brisbane, so its unlikely BNE will be seeing A380 services from anyone other than Emirates. If QF want to run services (on their own metal) to DXB from BNE, they'll clearly do so using a Dreamliner. Anyone who wants First Class to Europe via DXB can use Emirates to DXB in First, then change to QF from DXB to LHR.
Then again, this isn't necessarily a total tragedy. Given what a world class First Class product needs these days (lounges, ground service, private suites on planes etc), it seems that it is destined to remain confined to flagship routes to/from primary hubs. And Business Class has in many ways matched and even exceeded the First Class of old. The new QF lounge will certainly be an improvement over the current one, that's for sure.
We can also work out from this that when QF replace the 747 that does BNE-LAX-JFK, they'll be using a Dreamliner rather than an A380... maybe its just me but I think the LAX-JFK tag flight really should be done on an A380 given its a flagship route and QF should want to offer First all the way to NYC (at least if you're travelling from MEL or SYD) but maybe that's just me.
22 Aug 2015
Total posts 18
Unless if QF move away from the crappy terminal 7 in JFK (or if the terminal 7 can accomdate an A380), i highly doubt QF will use their A380 to JFK
09 Sep 2012
Total posts 139
Flagship route? The Q in Qantas stands for Queensland, not for Qew South Wales or Qictoria.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 388
Agree with you that today's business class, especially the new QF suites are as good as many first class products in the market. As for the Dreamliner being the aircraft to LAX from BNE, not even Qantas would know this. The lounges in Singapore and HK are world class, so if the new lounge in Brisbane is at this level, then this is not that far off the mark in terms of comfort and service from most first lounges, so would therefore suffice if QF do decide to bring one of there on order A380's to this route.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
"The lounges in Singapore and HK are world class, so if the new lounge in Brisbane is at this level, then this is not that far off the mark in terms of comfort and service from most first lounges, so would therefore suffice if QF do decide to bring one of there on order A380's to this route."
I see your reasoning, but a lot of the value (imo) from First Class comes from the lounge. The upgraded QF BNE lounge would certainly be good, but would it have an a la carte restaurant service with Neil Perry food, access to the same top-shelf liquor one can get in SYD and MEL's First lounges, and spa treatment facilities?
Maybe its just my lush-and-foodie self talking, but if I'm paying for First Class I want that a la carte menu and higher grade of booze so I can binge in the lounge BEFORE binging on the plane.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
Well you always have the option of transitting through SYD (as awful as it may sound) but probably worth it for the F Lounge.
09 Sep 2012
Total posts 139
Why on earth go backwards and add three hours to the journey?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
Total posts 34
Yes brisbane first lounge badly needs it.. but there goes hte good first champange availabel there
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
Indeed, that is quite sad. But at least the overall makeover will be worthy of QF's new upgraded business class product and also make the overall lounge better for the vast majority of users.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 388
Fair call. Hourses for courses I guess. I am just glad we who live in Brisbane are now getting a world class lounge over the current average and crowded space we currently have. And with it similar experiences as Sing & HK, there is much to look forward too. Keep up the good work QF.
12 Feb 2014
Total posts 228
Raises the interesting question of whether Brisbane, with upgraded lounges of the quality established in HK/Singapore, plus the advantage of a better domestic/international terminal linkage, might not serve Qantas better as a hub for US/Canada services than Sydney. At least for all non-Sydney and Melbourne customers.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
I think that's already pretty much the case. QF's services to North America depart from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. I don't think any depart from Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin or Perth.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 122
Great for brisbane to get a lounge upgrade for a change!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Any idea on the location for the new Domestic Business lounge (the article suggests the Qantas Club will expand into the existing space)
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