First look: inside Rockhampton’s new Qantas Club lounge
Things will look very different when the Red Roo finally unlocks the regional lounge’s door.
By Chris Ashton, November 18 2022
Qantas frequent flyers travelling jetting through Rockhampton can once again enjoy a cosy space to relax before their flight, with the former Regional Lounge reopening to reveal a much-needed renovation – and an upgrade to full Qantas Club status.
It’s the first lounge to open since Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce teased a new wave of lounge upgrades earlier this month; also on that list is an all-new Qantas Business lounge for Adelaide, alongside renovations for the airport’s Qantas Club and Chairman’s Lounge, and a Cinderella-like transformation for the much-maligned Auckland lounges, which will become a London-style premium lounge to serve as the linchpin for Sydney-Auckland-New York flights.
Double the capacity of the previous lounge, the new Rockhampton Qantas Club has a 200 sqm footprint with seating for up to 65 guests and a bird’s eye view of the tarmac.
After refuelling on a selection of sweet and savoury snacks, not to mention premium Australian beers and wines, guests relax on one of the lounges or get down to business with dedicated work areas with high tables. High-speed Wi-Fi is included.
Qantas has removed the old blinds to provide guests with a view of the tarmac.
Another notable feature is artworks by local indigenous artist Brandon Butler, paying respect to the traditional owners and representing a journey into the Darumbal Country, on which the airport is located.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing notes the city is a key port for QantasLink and the new Qantas Club has been designed to give frequent flyers a great experience before they take off.
Qantas currently operates 48 services each week to Rockhampton from Brisbane and Mackay, using the airline’s fleet of Q400 and Boeing 717 aircraft.
“The space has been designed with business and leisure travellers in mind,” Gissing says.
“While we expect the lounge will be well utilised by business travellers, it’s also opening just in time for the peak Christmas travel period for our leisure Qantas Club members and tiered frequent flyers.”
The Rockhampton Qantas Club is open one hour prior to each Qantas operated service until the last Qantas departure. Qantas Club members, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One and eligible Oneworld frequent flyers will be able to access the new lounge.
06 Dec 2018
Total posts 10
Much needed. Perhaps the worst of the Qantas lounges going. And always had an awful smell of damp.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 397
Is there much of a difference between a regional lounge and Qantas Club? Apart from the designation.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
It will be interesting to see what else is added in the finished product. For example, if there is no barista service, it could be argued that it is not a proper Qantas Club and more aptly described as a bigger Regional Lounge.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
28 Feb 2019
Total posts 12
Regional lounges tend to have packet food and basic drinks self-serve The likes of Rockhampton, Gladstone, Emerald. Then the larger regional ones like Mackay have some perishable things like sandwiches, soups and crudities but still self serve drinks (no spirits). Then the next step up is like Cairns and Townsville which offer a bar service with spirits and a slimmed down offering of the Brisbane/Sydney lounges for food.
That’s been my experience of QLD.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
I think we are agreeing that apart from Cairns and Townsville, none of the lounges in regional Queensland are really Qantas Clubs and are all Regional Lounges of different sizes, not that there is anything wrong with them. The new ROK lounge seems to be best described as a regional lounge albeit a vast improvement on its predecessor.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 319
Another 40 minute lounge, most likely will only open an hour before flight departure and then calls for boarding 40 minutes later.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2014
Total posts 23
Agree, very disappointing that it does not open a few hours before, Loyal Brisbane business traveler's wanting to get some work done prior to 5pm flight, set up downstairs then need to pack up and move upstairs not all that long prior to flight boarding. Last couple of trips I haven't bothered.
01 Dec 2012
Total posts 64
A bit presumptively negative. Check the Qantas website about the new lounge and you'll find "Lounge opening hours are one hour prior to each Qantas operated service until last Qantas departure" presumably due to the quite high flight frequencies from ROK.
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