It’s Mimosa time at the new-look Qantas Honolulu Lounge
Qantas reveals a fresh face for its Aloha State lounge.
By David Flynn, December 16 2022
Freshly-cooked pancakes, a fruit salad and a Mimosa: if that sounds like a decent Hawaiian breakfast, then the reopened and refurbished Qantas Honolulu International Business is the place to be.
And let’s be honest and set some expectations here: this is just a refresh, not a sweeping million-dollar makeover.
(That significant transformation, and the heavy financial toll that comes with it, is being saved for Qantas’ Auckland and Sydney business lounges, a decision with which nobody could argue.)
The new-look Qantas Honolulu lounge.
What travellers jetting from Honolulu to Sydney will see from December 16 is a spruced-up space which reflects its islands locale in everything from decor – including Hawaiian art – to food and drinks.
The new-look Qantas Honolulu lounge.
In a nod to the 11am departure of Qantas flight QF104 to Sydney, the upgraded buffet sports a broader range of breakfast dishes including fruit, pastries and pancakes, with self-serve Bloody Mary and Mimosa stations alongside premium local beers and wines.
The new-look Qantas Honolulu lounge.
Qantas says its Honolulu lounge is open from three hours prior to the first Qantas departure – that is, around 8am – until the last Qantas flight pushes back.
Sadly, this doesn’t align with the 8.30am departure of Jetstar flights to Sydney and Melbourne.
The new-look Qantas Honolulu lounge.
And from December 20 to January 26, Qantas will boost its Sydney-Honolulu flights to a daily frequency “in response to strong demand over the holiday period.”
“We’ve seen really strong interest in our services to Hawai’I, especially over the holiday period, so it’s great that we’re now able to offer the full Qantas experience to our customers on the ground in Honolulu,” a Qantas spokesperson tells Executive Traveller.
As before, access to the Qantas Honolulu International Business Lounge includes passengers in business and first class on Qantas and Oneworld partner airlines, along with Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members, Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald frequent flyers and Qantas Club members.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1224
Assuming it is not open for Jetstar departures, is this the most lightly used lounge in the network? Was there no contract lounge available at HNL that QF could've used instead?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 18
Honolulu feels like a weird place for Qantas to have its own branded lounge?
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 228
I've never been able to work out why Qantas has its own lounge at Honolulu for just one flight a day. That means its open for three hours. Not even open earlier for the Jetstar flights. There must a good reason they can't or won't use the American Airlines / Japan Airlines lounge, but all the same it just seems very strange.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 127
Well the JAL/AA lounge has a nice enough outlook but everything else is seriously sub par compared to anything QF has and yes I’m including the regional lounges. Pity JQ can’t use it - they get sent to DL and that is a whole other rung down from JAL/AA
22 Jan 2019
Total posts 15
Agreed, I once had an extended layover at HNL following flight disruption. Naively, I went to the AA lounge thinking there might be a shower ( I was enroute from SYD - IAD, and got rerouted via HA/AA), alas it was no more than a large QF regional lounge. Seeing my QF gold status on the boarding pass, the door staff rang the QF lounge which was due close in half an hour and asked if it could use their shower. They said I could thankfully.
It might have been improved though, but the staff at both lounges were some of the most helpful I've come across.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Mar 2022
Total posts 13
Interesting that they continue to keep this open only for one flight, and even then it's usually only 4x weekly. A partner deal would make much more sense.
That said, on the few times I've used it for HNL - SYD, the place is absolutely packed before what was QF4 and now QF104.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 422
Look forward to checking this out on my Hawaii escape in Jan. Seems sort of like a Hawaiian version of a Qantas Club LOL! Given how OneWorld has been talking about opening its own lounge network like Star Alliance and SkyTeam you rally think Honolulu should be a perfect spot. A few OneWorld airlines flying there in American, Alaskan, JAL and Qantas, also Fiji which is a OneWorld Connect member. If OneWorld could get a single large-enough space in the terminal a OneWorld lounge would make perfect sense here.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
Agree it is an odd one but I'm thinking it must be some legacy deal with HNL airport that goes back years, that makes it viable or else they would have closed it way back when and definitely not completed a refresh now, but hey ... a bonus for paying top dollar on QF to Hawaii. And also agree I can't work out why they wouldn't stretch it a few hours earlier for the JQ flight?
Etihad - Etihad Guest
04 Mar 2018
Total posts 26
I have been to this lounge downstairs near the Garden,\. Took a Colleague with me, and it was just the worst. Food was not acceptable and limited, and I Was embarrassed for my friend. We ended up leaving. However on the way to the Mens room I found some signs, with Different Airline names on them. Stuck me that this lounge was for different airlines at different times of the day.
Was in HNL Mid November 22, and this Qantas lounge was shut. Went to the JAL Lounge. Most impressed. Even with this upgrade, I would still go to the JAL Lounge.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Aug 2015
Total posts 56
Yup that dicey lounge downstairs in the garden was trash, especially with a elder fam member in a wheelchair. It was packed and couldn't even get a seat and a cool drink, we walked out and relaxed in a cafe further along... They need a new lounge good to see !
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
I'll be there on day 2 of the refurbed lounge. Hoping it's been expanded into one of the adjoining, unused spaces - and those photos seem to indicate it has.
24 Jun 2020
Total posts 46
Worst lounge in the network in my opinion and holds about 30 people comfortably yet they let in about 60 prior to the flight which makes it a nightmare for all. Unless they increase the size, it is doomed.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
And sadly, having visited it on Saturday, it is still exactly the same size. No expansion at all. New chairs, new laminate, and a better food and beverage offering.
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