Qantas: Sydney business lounge upgrade is on the way...
The Sydney business class lounge might finally be deserving of its flagship status.
By David Flynn, February 27 2025
Qantas is trying to get its lounge upgrade program back on track, although the lounges now face increasing ‘capex competition’ from a wave of new aircraft deliveries and refits to the current fleet.
First up will be the new Qantas Auckland International Lounge, which is now due to open in early 2026, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson tells Executive Traveller.
"But also not long after that, we’re going to see the (Sydney) Qantas international business class lounge completely refurbished.”
That’s welcome news, even if this is the third or fourth time the project has been announced (like so many travellers, we’ve lost count) – and it’s long overdue, considering the Sydney lounge is or at least should be the airline’s flagship business class lounge.
Hudson didn’t go into detail on how the refresh would be delivered – while the current Auckland business class and first class lounges are being completely closed this year to fast-track the rebuild, it’s difficult to imagine how that could be done in what is Sydney Airport’s busiest international lounge.
The previous “full redesign and rebuild from scratch” involved a staged section-by-section closure of the lounge, with initial work to commence in early 2024 and “completion of stage one estimated by early 2025.”
And if work on the Qantas Sydney International Business Lounge starts in 2026, after a ribbon-cutting across the pond in Auckland, then Sydney looks like being a 2027 proposition.
That said, in its report for the first-half of the 2025 financial year, the airline stated “Construction commencing on new Auckland and Sydney International Business Lounges in 2025,” so perhaps the new Sydney lounge could be revealed by late 2026?
Reshaping the Qantas Sydney International Business Lounge
Hudson called out the lounge’s “design features”, saying “we’re going to be using the designer that we’ve had across our lounges to help us do that.”
“There are going to be some really unique things about this business lounge.”
Qantas last promised its Sydney international business class lounge would see a “complete refurbishment and expansion” beginning in 2024, which re-activated a plan first promised for 2018-2019 for a Cinderella-like transformation of the Flying Kangaroo’s lounge for business travellers and Gold-grade frequent flyers.
Those plans laid out a fresh, modern look to be developed by Qantas designer David Caon – which we rate as a plus, because we’re fans of his clean and understated aesthetic – in collaboration with Australian architecture firm Bates Smart.
At the time, Qantas cited key goals of delivering “ample space, privacy and ambience,” with a centrepiece being “a new signature (Neil Perry) dining experience.”
Executive Traveller was previously been told the Sydney makeover would see the lounge’s capacity will grow by 40%, to more than 600 seats, through a combination of expansion and better use of the current footprint.
And before you ask: no mention was made of Melbourne’s Qantas international business class lounge. Perhaps that will become a 2028 thing...
22 May 2011
Total posts 87
We’ve heard it many times before, will believe it when I see it
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2574
We can relate to that!
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 263
Food. Focus on the food. I don't want to make a sandwich on a grill thing. Cutlery change as well. It's not 2004 anymore or what ever decade they got everything.
16 Nov 2021
Total posts 10
Seriously as long as it's metal, how does cutlery affect "your time in the house"?
19 Dec 2022
Total posts 8
what about the over full domestic business class lounge in Sydney, it certainly needs some work
Etihad - Etihad Guest
23 Apr 2019
Total posts 11
Melbourne's business class will move with the T2 expansion (that basement lounge area is set for a big shaeup) starting 2027 so they won't spend big money on something that is only there for another four years.
19 May 2023
Total posts 3
I believe it will happen soon they can't keep putting it off. The logistics of it will be interesting, a staged process would mean turning away guests at peak periods due to capacity. Does SIT have space for a makeshift lounge so they can close it completetly and refurb it all at once I wonder ?
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 70
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD AND DRINKS
thats why we go to the lounge, banish the sandwhich grills to the joyce era and stop being tight...(in fact banish the grills from ALL qantas lounges everywhere and put on the same quality spread that virgin does for its lounges)
21 Jun 2022
Total posts 9
"the same quality spreads that virgin does for its lounges" - this must be a joke. Missing from a ham and cheese toastie, is well, the ham!! Jeez, do not look to Virgin Australia for anything on the lounge front. They are also rans...
Etihad - Etihad Guest
04 Mar 2018
Total posts 28
I Was in the lounge one weekend evening and the food was just boiled rice and Sloppy meat or chicken mixed with brown juice and vegetables. It was so bad that I left the lounge and went outside and paid for real food. I have since lost my Gold Card, however I now have a Voirgin Gold Card. WHY dont they care about the people spending $$$$ with them?
13 Feb 2015
Total posts 72
The decision to not do lounge upgrades during Covid shutdowns becomes ever more bewildering.
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 261
You really think Qantas had vast amounts of money to spend on lounge upgrades when it was close to running out of money altogether? You really think that in the middle of this terrible period when staff were being laid off, it would have been a good look for Qantas to be busy upgrading business class lounges? Come on, a bit of reality & common sense please.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2016
Total posts 48
Qantas was focused on staying afloat during COVID; lounge renovations were not in the picture. Also unsure how 2-metre separation and other health concerns could have allowed construction efforts in all circumstances?
13 Feb 2015
Total posts 72
Singapore managed it…
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 512
That would be the same SQ which is majority owned by the Singaporean government and was given SGD19 billion in Covid funding by its government owners? A bit different to Qantas. Sure, Qantas got AUD2.7 billion in government taxpayer subsidies, so SQ got about 8x the money. There's a LOT you can do with that sort of money!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Apr 2017
Total posts 4
This may be controversial but I would also support having ticketed business and first in the current “first” lounge and everyone else no matter their status in the “business” lounge.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2016
Total posts 48
I don't understand this comment. The Sydney First lounge since the post-COVID travel boom has been creaking at the seams at busy times before the A380 departures. If you allowed in the large amount of Business passengers that are not Platinum or P1 then you'll have people standing up to eat their lunch. It's just not feasible.
Also I don't get what you mean by allowing people into the business lounge without status.. That's what already happens as you only need to have a business class ticket to enter
18 Sep 2015
Total posts 144
This may be controversial, too, in this particular forum. How about first class lounges for first class ticket holders only, business class lounges for business class ticket holders only and another lounge for the road warriors with status. I'm thinking something like the Singapore lounge access model.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 512
Qantas couldn't make the first class lounge only for first class passengers, it has only a few A380s per day, with a maximum of 14 passengers each and departure times spread out. The lounge would be like a ghost town.
I think the idea of dedicated lounges for first class and business class and frequent flyers is a good one in theory but it comes down to having the real estate and how you 'differentiate' the offerings. Turkish Airlines in Istanbul has dedicated business class and frequent flyer lounges but they are almost identical. SQ's model is actually to have two first class lounges, The Private Room is for its own first class passengers and the First Class Lounge is for first class passengers on other airlines.
16 Jun 2023
Total posts 6
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