One of the things about an airport lounge for a particular carrier is that it evokes a sense of who they are and what they are about. It is no surprise that they use common themes to make you feel a certain way. Cathay use the same warm colours and soft furnishings in The Pier Hong Kong and T3 at Heathrow; BA serve the same cheese and pickle in Aberdeen and Manchester; American have the same rubbish lounges… [OK – they have some amazing ones too!]

On my recent Australian trip, I visited five Qantas Business Lounges. We were flying business on three of the four trips which would have got access, and my oneworld emerald card helped when flying economy.

Cairns

 

We were there at lunchtime, so the ubiquitous toastie machine was helpful. I really liked the runway views and the barista making coffee.

 

Sydney

Given that there was no vegetarian options on the plane, I was glad there was a toastie machine to make something to eat on the layover. We had a good view, and some tasty beer. I was also grateful that the lounge staff on the entrance desk were able to order vegetarian meals for our upcoming flights. There was a decent selection at the bar.

 

Canberra

The flight was about 11am so breakfast coffee was the order of the day. The lounge was small, as is the airport, but it was full without being too busy.

 

Melbourne

The lounge had great apron views and lots of different spaces available.

 

The  other lounge was closed, meaning that oneworld sapphires were able to access the emerald lounge; a good tactic to entice people to step up!

Perth

We were flying Qatar from Perth, but the Qantas lounge was the place to be. This was pretty small and didn’t have much on offer, but there was a barista roaming round offering coffee, and it was delicious! I had a shower to while away the time and was impressed with the quality of the products provided.

Overall

Every single lounge was great – the staff were polite and helpful, the food and drink offerings were exactly what was needed, and the furnishings and layout were very comfortable. As a network, they were consistent which I found helpful in getting to know them whilst traveling. Well done, Qantas!