Review: Qantas Club domestic, international lounge, Adelaide Airport
By Chris C., September 7 2016
Country
Australia
City
Adelaide
Airport
Adelaide
Alliance
oneworld
Airline
Qantas
Cabin-class
Any
Notes
The Good
- All-day barista coffee
- Private shower suites
- Decent WiFi speeds
The Bad
- Limited buffet selection for international flyers
- No separate Qantas Business Lounge
X-Factor
- Office-like workspaces for serious productivity
Introduction
Adelaide Airport's Qantas Club lounge is somewhat unique for Australia in that it doesn't just serve domestic passengers: it also welcomes international flyers, who depart from the same shared terminal.
That means you'd use this same lounge whether flying with Qantas from Adelaide to Sydney, or with Qantas' web of partners abroad including Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.
By special agreement, this domestic Qantas lounge also rolls out the red carpet for selected Air New Zealand international passengers, so wherever you're headed, come take a look at what's inside.
Location & Impressions
After clearing the main security check, you'll find the Adelaide Qantas Club in the terminal's 'domestic zone', directly opposite from gate 21.
It's a good place for the lounge to be, easily accessible by all domestic travellers but also used by those flying internationally from Adelaide, thanks to the design of the airport.
You're greeted by a large business and working zone, and as you go exploring, you'll uncover the buffet, barista station and a tended bar tucked around the corner.
Just be mindful of the time if travelling overseas as you'll need to clear a liquid check and outbound passport control after leaving the lounge but before boarding your flight.
Access
- Business and first class passengers of Qantas, Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways
- Travellers connecting to or from an international business or first class flight with Qantas, Emirates or a Oneworld airline, even if booked in economy on the domestic leg
- Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers travelling with any Oneworld airline; with a QF flight number on their ticket; or with Emirates or Jetstar
- Other Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members travelling with any Oneworld airline, including Qantas
- Qantas Club members booked on a Qantas or Jetstar flight number with any airline, including Emirates
- Qantas Silver frequent flyers and eligible credit card customers presenting a single-use Qantas lounge pass and flying with Qantas or Jetstar
- Air New Zealand Koru, Gold and Elite members and other Star Alliance Gold frequent flyers prior to Air New Zealand flights only
- American Airlines Admirals Club members travelling with Qantas on a QF or AA flight number
- Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum cardholders booked on a Qantas or Emirates flight with a QF or EK flight number
- Passengers with Jetstar Business Max tickets
- Qantas travellers who are invited to pre-purchase access for $49 during off-peak periods only
Virgin Australia Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyers travelling in economy with Air New Zealand can instead visit the nearby Virgin Australia Lounge, also located before passport control.
Dining
Serving primarily as a domestic lounge, the food and beverage selections here mirror what you'd expect of other domestic Qantas Clubs around the country as opposed to international Qantas business class lounges.
That means there's no 'plate of the day' or table service, instead with regular buffet fare such as the usual breads and spreads, individually-plated Mex beans with steam rice...
... cheese cubes and nibbles, an Indian style potato salad, rocket leaves, honey mustard and balsamic dressings...
... and other fresh salads and ingredients for toasted sandwiches with a sandwich press nearby:
Across the room, a snack and beverage hub with tasty treats like liquorice allsorts, fresh juices, soft drinks, chilled water, teas and machine-made coffee...
... while you'll find proper barista-made coffee available throughout the day just around the corner...
... and from the same counter, beer, wine and spirits from noon:
For domestic flyers, that's on-par with the usual Qantas Club offerings – but for those bound for foreign lands, it's a step below what you'd find in most dedicated international lounges.
Work
The 'working' area of this lounge usually proves the quietest, with long benches featuring Apple iMac computers stretched along the sides...
... which also run Windows for those not familiar with Apple software, and with space in between for travellers to set up their own laptops and tablets:
Yet when using your own tech, we much prefer these office-like workspaces which not only give you room for your gadgets and power outlets to charge them, but also extra bench space that's 'yours' for things like bags, documents and books if you've a serious task ahead:
Wireless Internet blankets the lounge and proved adequate during our visit with download speeds of 11.26Mbps, uploads of 12.57Mbps and ping speeds of 29ms, although power points are seldom found outside of the business and working areas.
We'd also like to see USB power outlets making an appearance – particularly handy for international travellers as they're practically universal... and for that matter, some universal AC power outlets wouldn't go astray either.
Relax
Beyond the impossible-to-miss work zone at the front, the rest of the lounge caters more towards a relaxing stay, with flexible seating to suit solo flyers, duos and groups...
... individualised seats, again suitable for groups as well...
... and, not surprisingly, more group seating:
It's a great layout when the lounge is quiet as it gives you the feeling of more personal space, but when the lounge fills up, sharing cocktail tables and seating nooks with strangers isn't ideal.
Nonetheless, there's a good selection of reading material here with thousands of extra titles available via the PressReader app when connected to the lounge's WiFi network...
... and particularly appreciated by international travellers, private shower suites with attached bathrooms and vanity units:
As we've found in other domestic Qantas Clubs, the shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are merged into one all-purpose liquid, so you'll want to either bring your own conditioner or ask the staff if they have any at hand:
All things considered, this lounge is adequate for domestic flyers and has an overall vibe that – in our books, at least – ranks it ahead of many other Qantas Club lounges across Australia.
But for domestic business class passengers and also international flyers, it's realistically not what you'd usually expect: but in the same token, it's not a disappointment, either.
Also read: Qatar Airways A350 business class review, Adelaide-Doha
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
28 May 2016
Total posts 127
Suprising that NZ doesn't funnel all passengers into the VA lounge, shows how highly NZ must think of the VA lounge.
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