Sydney Airport ponders new T2 lounge when Qantas Club closes
By David Flynn, August 6 2013
Sydney Airport could open a private pay-to-enter lounge when the current Qantas Club at Terminal 2 shuts down this month.
Qantas will close its T2 lounge in conjunction with the relocation of all QantasLink regional flights from T2 to the dedicated T3 Qantas Domestic Terminal from August 15, in what the airline has internally tagged as ‘Project Homecoming’.
While most Jetstar flights will continue to operate from T2, a Qantas spokeswoman has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that the Qantas Club will be shut down and not re-open as a Jetstar lounge.
"The T2 Qantas lounge will continue to operate while QantasLink is in the terminal and close thereafter" she said. "Jetstar has no plans to take over the lounge”, adding that the space would be returned to Sydney Airport.
A spokeswoman for Sydney Airport said that while future use of the space was being considered, one possibility is for a user-pays lounge.
Such lounges are typically not associated with any particular airline, but operated by an airport or a third party company on a casual pay-to-enter basis.
“We’re certainly looking at options for the space” she told Australian Business Traveller. “That could be a lounge, or a gate lounge or retail space.”
Although T2 is shared by a half-dozen airlines, only two of these – Virgin Australia and Regional Express – operate their own lounges.
Does Sydney Airport need a user-pays lounge at T2? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comments box below!
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jun 2013
Total posts 8
No. They need a jetstar lounge for JQ club and QF club ppl. I fly jetstar cause of QF club. If no I will think otherwise
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Aug 2013
Total posts 1
Ok as a paid up Qantas Club member and a very frequent flyer, I am locked into some travel with Jetstar. Granted they are not Qantas, but when you join the Qantas Club they state you can use it with Jetstar that's one of the reasons I joined. As a business person based in Geelong I use the Avalon service with Jetstar a lot, whilst I would prefer to use the Qantas service it is not available at my local airport. I will find it very inconvenient to have to use the Sydney T1 terminal club facilities and have to walk across the road to my AVV flights @ T2. I accepted an offer from Qantas as they T2 facilities so I bought the Club service. Now they have removed it I feel like its a breech of contract. Sure the fine print probably says they can do it and its a QANTAS service not a Jetstar, but I am the customer and the fine print does not change my feelings of being cheated of a facility I have paid for.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
So write in to Qantas and complain.
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