Newly-expanded Qantas Singapore lounge eases the squeeze
Qantas Club members and lounge pass holders are once again welcome at the airline's Singapore lounge.
By David Flynn, August 9 2019
Qantas’ Singapore lounge now has more seats and more space following today’s opening of a much-needed extension. Qantas Club members and holders of complimentary Qantas lounge passes are once again being welcome at the popular lounge, having been turned away since mid-2018 due to overcrowding.
Qantas magicked up the extra room by taking over a paid luggage storage area located behind a wooden herringbone wall at the far end of the lounge’s main wing.
With the wall pushed back, there are now five long banquettes and scores of individual chairs, plus low round tables each with inbuilt AC and USB outlets.
This has added 74 seats, to bring the lounge’s total capacity to almost 600 passengers, compared to some 460 guests when the lounge debuted in April 2013.
This was the same month that the newly-minted alliance between Qantas and Emirates saw Singapore dropped in favour of Dubai as the stopover for Airbus A380 flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London.
However, when Qantas reversed that decision in March 2018, the Singapore lounge was quickly pushed to its limits during peak evening periods – a condition which saw Qantas Club members, and for a while even some Gold-grade Qantas frequent flyers, being sent to other nearby lounges in the terminal.
Qantas says the additional seating means there’s now sufficient room for Qantas Club members and travellers with a complimentary Qantas lounge pass ahead of the airline’s wave of evening flights.
“With the return of our Singapore hub, we are seeing strong demand for travel in premium cabins,” says Qantas International Acting CEO, Mr Naren Kumar.
The lounge itself is also being rebranded as the Singapore Business Lounge, in readiness for the November 2019 opening of Qantas’ new Singapore First Lounge.
Qantas will open a new first class lounge in Singapore by November 2019
The 240-seat first class lounge – located in a seperate part of Changi Terminal 1 – will be a crowd-buster for the main business class lounge, catering to not only first class passengers on Qantas' Airbus A380s but Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers and Chairman's Lounge members.
Take a guided tour inside the new Qantas Singapore first class lounge
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
19 Aug 2011
Total posts 165
and the First lounge will be available for other OneWorld Emeralds as well, and I am betting that will be worth a bit to Qantas.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
14 Mar 2017
Total posts 152
That First lounge can't come soon enough. I was here about two weeks ago and it was packed, even with the new space. Went next door to the BA lounge instead, which was palatial in comparison since there was only about 10 people in it.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
When in Nov is the new F lounge expected to open? Early? Late? (announced as delayed until next year during Oct?)
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2561
If we had a more specific timeframe than just 'November' we'd have published it. Would you settle for "mid-November, give or take a week or two"?
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
The current lounge is a zoo from about 5:30 until 7pm. Once the PER and SYD flights board, it eases off.
The extension is welcome but I wonder if, now it is open, Economy passengers entering with Qantas Club memberships rather than status will still be sent to the SATS Lounge next door. It may be that the situation doesn't really improve until the F Lounge opens late this year though, given all airlines seem to run late with lounge extensions, maybe planning for a February opening is more realistic.
02 Aug 2016
Total posts 11
we'll be there in about 8 weeks and were contemplating BA or Emirates lounges as alternatives.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
14 Mar 2017
Total posts 152
I personally think the BA lounge is better, and since it's right next door the penalty if it isn't is a 30 second walk. :)
09 May 2017
Total posts 36
BA lounge is definitely better - compared to the zoo at the Qantas lounge. The situation would be made a lot better if QF1 Sin-LDN was on time. Flown it twice in 3 months and delays were 3-6 hours overnight both times. Staff said that flight is often delayed. It's a very uncomfortable lounge with no laid back chairs and only the banquettes for spreading out on. Also very awkward to have people remonstrating with staff in front of you faced with a full lounge that there is a spare seat next to you and they are not allowed to use it - invisible barriers don't work well in 2019.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
EK - 1
BA - 2
QF - (distant) 3
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2014
Total posts 23
I just tried to link a pass to a SIN-BNE and it won't allow it. Website continues to say that Singapore is one of the airports that is unable to use them at the moment.
12 Aug 2019
Total posts 2
hi David, bad news, they are still refusing lounge passes at Changi, I just tried to allocate one for someone but it was disallowed, then called Qantas and they confirmed that they are still not accepting lounge passes at Singapore:(
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2561
Interesting, could be a slip-up as Qantas told us on Friday that the newly-expanded lounge would once again accept lounge passes.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Nov 2016
Total posts 64
I was just in the SIN Business lounge during the pressure time of 5pm and 7pm when five A380s land and the extra seating has eased the pressure on the lounge. Around that window seating is easily available. There is separate seating for First Class passengers, Platinum One and Chairmans Lounge members. I find the staff at the lounge extremely welcoming and professional. Jason, Ali and Pay to name only a few. The new First Lounge will hold 210 passengers and I'm sure all are looking forward to it in late November.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2014
Total posts 23
I just successfully linked a pass for Oct. :)
12 Aug 2019
Total posts 2
great news, I have just tried it and now it let's you use it in Singapore:)
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