Review: Qantas international lounge, Perth T3

Introduction

When you scan the list of features within the Qantas Perth International Lounge – a wellness studio, ‘body clock intervention’ light therapy and an outdoor patio – it’s immediately clear it isn’t your typical airport lounge. But there’s a very good reason.

This West Aussie retreat was designed for those 17+ hour marathons to London, with the above-listed additions all carefully selected to help travellers feel energised before, or indeed after, their lengthy non-stop flight.

The lounge is tucked away beneath security and immigration at T3.

Among its other enhancements are healthy meals and drinks (think kombucha and coconut water) plus a large number of showers and an open ‘Refresh Zone’ stocked with skincare.

Louvred roof panels allow fresh air into the courtyard.

However, while created for non-stop to Europe, it’s now Perth’s only Qantas international lounge, with its now-shuttered sibling at T1 – on the other side of the airport and long used only by partner airlines – reopening as a KrisFlyer lounge in early 2024.

Location & Impressions

The entrance is conveniently just after immigration and a secondary security check, with a timber-lined staircase and elevator leading you down to the lounge proper.

Coffees, cocktails and self-service wine is available at the bar, or via table service.

Opened in 2018, decor is unlike any other in the network, with the 141-seater hangout sporting a palette “inspired by the white sands of the WA coastline” (though, in truth, few visitors would likely make that connection).

Regardless of its inspiration, it’s warm and inviting – enhanced by large golden pendants, blonde vertical timber and wall lamps and a lean but welcome mix of potted plants.

The lounge has a warm, inviting feel.

Moss and forest green armchairs, burgundy and sand bench seats, sapphire lounges and timber dining chairs, plus a few high stools, round out the internal seating options. Power points line the kickboards of the benches.

Power outlets are located along the kickboard.

Out in the courtyard – beneath an automatic louvre roof allowing filtered natural light in – are grey and white garden chairs, more bench seats and a handful of stools by the bar.

Garden furniture adds to the courtyard's outdoor vibe.

Sadly there’s no view, but that’s not entirely unexpected, given the lounge is located on the ground floor, meaning baggage and pushback vehicles would be the only view anyway.

Access

A severely underutilised asset for the airline, the Perth international lounge unlocks its doors just twice a day between 9.25am and 1.55pm, and once again at 4.20pm until 7.20pm.

Why such limited hours? Because there are only three flights a day, at present. These are:

• QF71 to Singapore (Airbus A330)
• QF9 to London-Heathrow (Boeing 787-9)
• QF10 to Melbourne (Boeing 787-9)

(That last one will be coming to an end in July 2024, with the airline calling time on its domestic Dreamliner hop to Melbourne in readiness for non-stop flights from Perth to Paris.)

Seasonal Perth to Rome departures also make use of the lounge, with those Boeing 787 flights bouncing back and forth to Europe between June and October.

When the international lounge does open it welcomes business class passengers, plus Gold, Platinum and Platinum One Qantas frequent flyers, and Oneworld Emerald status holders.

Dining

Peckish travellers are given two dining options:

• a buffet where you’ll find an all-day menu of salads and fresh fruit, sweet treats such as housemade lamingtons, and varied dips and crudités. Hot options are quite limited.
• a courtyard BBQ grill with a chef making the likes of fresh crispy pork bao buns with pickled cucumber, and grilled mushroom with balsamic dressing and rocket.

As seen in the domestic business lounge in T4, there’s a Quench hydration station housing a trio of fruit-infused waters, together with tea, sparkling and still water.

Self-service fruit-infused waters, tea and kombucha.

In addition is an ice bucket stocked with organic kombucha and coconut water.

Add to that barista coffee and a tended bar pouring beers, Australian wines and spirits (plus a self-service selection of wines) and you have everything needed for a pre-flight chill.

The bar is stocked with all the usual spirit suspects.

White, red and sparkling wine, at the ready.

Champagne is available on request for Platinum and Chairman’s members.

Work

Somewhat surprisingly, dedicated workspaces are not provided within the lounge, making dining tables or upright benches near the buffet your sole options for work.

Complimentary WiFi speeds reach a solid 80Mbps download and 100Mbps upload.

Relax

All of the above is great, but relaxation is where the Perth international lounge truly comes into its own – mindfulness and stretching classes, anyone?

Travellers can limber up before or after the flight.

Freshen up with a cold towel.

Here, visitors can enjoy a 15-minute session of simple stretching and breathing exercises, developed by local spa group Bodhi Wellness Spa Retreats (the same team behind the day spa at The Westin Perth).

A total of 15 shower suites are also available, each stocked with fragrant Li’Tya amenities and fitted with blue ‘body clock intervention’ lights, which are said to combat the effects of jetlag. You can switch between normal and blue light with a simple press of a button.

Lighting can be adjusted to your preference.

All showers are thoroughly cleaned between uses – bookings can be made at reception.

Members of Qantas’ invite-only Chairman’s Lounge also have a dedicated shower suite. The only real difference is space, with the suite fitted with all the same amenities.

A VIP shower suite is reserved for Chairman’s Lounge members.

Continuing the wellness theme is the ‘Refresh Zone’: a communal space with mirrors, basins and an assortment of LaGaia UNEDITED skin care products, including a hand wash, micellar water cleanser, a hydrate recovery gel and rose quartz cream.

The 'Refresh Zone'.

It’s very luxe, and if you’re inclined to partake in a skin care regime, worth checking out.

Verdict

Given the limited number of flights utilising it each day, the wellness features and appreciated additions such as table service, this is arguably the most relaxing lounge in the Qantas network.

With the Red Roo expected to increase international flights from T3 before switching across to its new terminal (when it’s built, that is) it will be interesting to see if the feeling of calmness remains. But for now, it’s definitely a lounge worth visiting.