Review: Qantas Sydney Airport domestic business lounge
Delivering a decent mix of comfort and convenience, the domestic lounge is getting on yet still worth a visit.
By Chris Ashton, August 17 2023
Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Airport
Sydney - Kingsford Smith
Alliance
Oneworld
Airline
Qantas
Cabin-class
Business
Notes
The Good
- All-day barista coffee
- Wine, beer and spirits from noon
The Bad
- Power points are relatively scarce
- Bathrooms need a refresh
Introduction
Buffet dining and complimentary drinks, free WiFi and a ‘pew with a view’ are some of the most appreciated features of airline lounges. At Sydney Airport’s Terminal 3, the Qantas domestic business lounge is the go-to for many elite status holders and premium travellers.
Whether travelling for work or a well-earned break, the upper-level hangout has you covered with varied seating to suit your mood, along with a basic selection of meals and larger array of drinks.
However, there are areas where the lounge is sorely lacking. More on these later.
Location & Impressions
After clearing security, turn left and continue straight ahead. You’ll soon spot the sliding glass doors leading to the Qantas business lounge – opposite Gates 4 and 5.
Keep an eye out for the subtle signage at the entrance, or you may find yourself at the Qantas Club.
Take the escalator up, where you’ll be greeted by reception staff. For those requiring wheelchair access, the lounge exit (further along the departure level) has a lift you can make use of.
Lift access is available at the lounge exit.
Immediately inside is a lengthy buffet stocked with hot and cold options, an upright bench and lounge seating on your left, followed by yet more seating directly ahead.
Whether you're in the mood for socialising or quiet time, you'll find a seat with your name on it.
Continue around the corner past the barista and you’ll find even more spots to perch yourself, including work desks and benches.
Screens dotted throughout the lounge show arrival and departure information, as well as useful info such as weather at the destination and walking time to the gate.
The lounge overlooks the Qantas hangars.
Featuring grey carpets, an indigenous wall motif and muted colour palette, the domestic lounge wraps around a central core, which is accessible from all sides and houses the bathroom and shower facilities… and it’s here that one of the lounge’s issues is most apparent.
Showers cover all the bases, but the bathrooms are well below the standard they need to be, both in cleanliness and facilities – particularly for such a highly-trafficked lounge with the word ‘business’ in its title.
While the lounge doesn’t appear overly busy during our midday Wednesday visit, bathrooms are in a rather poor state, and we can only imagine what they’d be like in peak times. Cracked tiles in the loos isn’t a good look and maintenance really needs to be stepped up.
Towels are available by the doors to the showers.
Beyond the ablutions, cleanliness fares much better, with tables wiped and empty plates and glasses quickly removed.
Low benches are fitted with central power outlets (and lined with some rather hard office chairs).
Floors could do with a clean. Given the near-constant stream of travellers entering the lounge, that may not be the simplest task but would definitely improve the feel of the space. Perhaps a silent push vacuum...
Access
- Passengers with an onward Qantas or QantasLink business class flight
- Travellers connecting to or from an international business or first class flight with Qantas, Emirates or a Oneworld airline, even if the domestic leg is booked in economy
- Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers before or after a same-day Qantas, QantasLink, Emirates, Jetstar* or Oneworld flight
- Other Oneworld Emerald members when their next onward flight that day is with Qantas or QantasLink and carries a QF or other Oneworld flight number (no access when flying Jetstar)
- Emirates Skywards Platinum cardholders where their next onward flight that day carries a QF or EK flight number and is operated by Qantas or QantasLink
Gold frequent flyers, Oneworld Sapphire members and Qantas Club cardholders can instead use the nearby Qantas Club lounge when travelling in economy.
*Jetstar flights depart from Terminal 2, rather than Terminal 3. Jetstar passengers should allow enough time to check-in at T2, walk to T3, clear security and access the lounge before returning to T2 in time to board.
Dining
Our midday to late-afternoon visit sees a variety of self-serve fare: a tight menu of salad and sandwich fillings, plus an assortment of cakes and fresh fruit.
Hearty leek and potato soup with bread rolls and pork in apple sauce with steamed rice are the two hot options.
Make your own toastie, or whip up a small grazing platter from the buffet.
Adding to that are self-serve juices and soft drinks, complemented by barista coffee. Near the entrance is a second barista station, though this is closed during our visit.
Two self-service coffee machines and snack counters are also available. Given the large lounge footprint, they make a great option for travellers short on time but still needing that morning caffeine hit, or when there’s a lengthy queue at the barista station.
From midday, the drinks counter doubles as a bar, with self-pour white, red and sparkling wine, together with a good selection of beers, spirits and mixers available from the staff.
Beers can be requested from bar staff.
As the afternoon wears on, a large antipasto selection of cheese, cabanosi and olives, plus corn ships, crackers and dips with various cut vegetables is also plated up – and quickly pounced on.
An afternoon snack of dips, crackers and cheese goes down a treat.
Work
Designed with the business traveller in mind, you’ll find everything here from group seats for jet setting colleagues through to armchairs for solos and duos, as well as work desks for those who brought their laptop.
Longer benches are ideal if you’re looking to collaborate with multiple visitors or simply prefer a higher perch.
The longer upright benches have double power outlets at either end.
Power points are rather scarce though, mostly found at the dedicated desks and sporadically along the bench seats lining the walls.
While not a major issue, it would be appreciated if there were more outlets, particularly as travellers have become accustomed to relying on their own devices for entertainment.
Some of the older lounges could do with a refresh.
Elsewhere in the lounge are cafe-style lounges and bench seats, plus additional workspaces with central powerpoints – the latter feature both USB and AC ports.
News is screened in a seating area behind reception.
Rounding out the amenities, guests can stay connected with fast and free Wi-Fi internet access. Speeds hit 31Mbps download and 55Mbps upload during my visit.
Verdict
A decent business lounge to spend a couple of hours in, and one significantly better than its soon-to-be-renovated Sydney T1 international counterpart, but it’s not without issues.
The space is showing its age and could really do with a refresh in some areas, particularly the bathrooms.
Revamp the amenities, install some additional power points, and whack in some USB outlets while you’re at it, and you'd have a solid improvement.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Aug 2012
Total posts 14
It really is a lame lounge. Those pathetic food options are the same as the Qantas Club.
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 67
two negs from people who have never been to both clearly
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 4
Lack of competition is the only reason I can think of that allows Qantas to get away with this sub par effort; it’s embarrassingly poor. When American Airlines does a lounge better (and has been improving), while Qantas is going backwards, it’s saying something. The standard of wine at this ‘business’ lounge is about what you get at the standard Qantas Club and is shockingly cheap.
Years ago, the high standard of Qantas’ lounges was the main reason I flew with them to get status sufficient enough to access them. Not so any more.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
19 Jun 2019
Total posts 22
I am going to be controversial here but what is it with Australian airlines and passengers accepting toasted cheese sandwiches in a lounge is acceptable? I find the food in Qantas lounges mediocre at best. My favourite lounge for food is the Darwin Qantas club and in a business lounge you cannot go past the Melbourne spice bar.
The Sydney lounge should be a three star at best.
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 67
you are being generous at 3 stars, I would have said at best 2.
The Lounge food I had at a star alliance airline in Africa was of a better standard than Qantas offers
Virgins lounge food makes a mockery out of Qantas.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 May 2018
Total posts 74
I have been there multiple times.. this review is pretty accurate. The front desk staff are great and very efficient if you have problems. Cleaning staff are good. I agree with buckburn above regarding Melbourne's Spice bar.. it's time that Sydney had a signature food offering!
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 67
The food offered at qantas domestic lounges in sydney and brisbane is a bloody embarrassment. When I went to the business one in melbs it was the same as the spice bar was closed.
woooo make your own ham cheese tomato sandwiches, that's pretty flash for a business class lounge, really top shelf right there.
qantas club should be ranked 0 / 5 and business class longue 1 / 5
31 May 2013
Total posts 27
Hopefully SYD lounge precinct is next to be refurbed - I rather like the MEL one! Everywhere else has had a refurb- and with MEL/SYD international next, SYD seems the last one left.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 73
I have used this lounge many times over the years and have always found it to satisfy my needs as a place to work and grab a coffee and snack before a flight, nothing else. Same goes for most other domestic lounges in the Qantas network whether they be a business or Qantas Club. The only advantage I see for the business lounges is that they may be a little quieter than the Qantas Club next door, any lounge is better than none. For me, my Platinum status is about to end dropping back to my Lifetime Gold after many years of leaning towards Qantas when they were competitive on international long haul, which they are not now. I think that there will be many in my position so I suspect that domestic business lounges will become just a little bit quieter and a little more exclusive for the remaining loyal few.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
13 Jun 2019
Total posts 10
The Sydney Business class lounge is disgraceful. Despite recently replacing the chairs, it is old and tired and does not cut it for Qantas busiest port. The carpet is filthy and threadbare. The bathrooms dirty. Whatever is underneath the carpet has causes lumps under the carpet when you walk around the lounge (you can see in the photos above). The buffet is located immediately in the entrance to the lounge which causes congestion between those trying to enter and exit the lounge, and people standing in front of the buffet completely oblivious they are blocking the lounge entrance. The other issue Qantas needs to address is lounge access for babies and children. The business lounge is no place for screaming babies and children running around like its a play ground, while their parents sit there oblivious or not caring about the ther people having to put up with uncontrollable children.
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