Qantas (QF)
- Class: Business
- Access:
- OneWorld First and Business Class Passengers
- Oneworld Emerald status holders
After a slightly embarrassing detour, where we accidentally followed a gentleman into a black walled lounge, through a door marked “PRIVATE” I was kindly pointed across the hallway to the Qantas club. The room we had wandered into is the super exclusive Chairman’s Lounge which you can read about in this very interesting article over on Australian Business Traveller.
Our lounge was perfectly serviceable but not quite on the same level!
Qantas Business Lounge – Melbourne – entrance.
The Qantas Club (Sapphire) and Business Lounge (Emerald) share an entrance and much like TPR in Singapore, on lounge is actually nested within the other.
We first made our way through the Qantas Club...
Qantas Business Lounge – Melbourne – entrance.
…and then through the sliding glass door into the Business Lounge.
Qantas Business Lounge – Melbourne.
The business lounge is bright and spacious feeling, despite the low ceiling. The centrepiece is the main buffet station.
As with most Qantas lounges I’ve visited, there was a wide selection of food including a variety of healthy choices. Personally I always prefer to save unhealthy eating for special meals that really deserve it, when I’m in a lounge I’m happy if I can grab some salad, fruit and protein. This can be so hard on other airlines but Qantas always deliver!
Similarly, as a big time coffee drinker I feel that having a barista in the lounge is a huge upgrade over having a DIY bean to cup machine. I can forgive a lot else in a lounge as long as the coffee is better than what is available at Starbuck in the main terminal…
Casual, airy seats. This area had the most turnover
A darker area with large chairs for relaxing and maybe a quick nap
A harshly lit business area, with PCs and printersThe lounge is broken up into a series of different seating areas, broadly divided into: relaxing, working and socialising spaces.
However, the clear standout for me was the row of seats adjacent to the windows. These provide an abundance of natural light as well as beautiful views of green rolling hills, blue sky and of course: fantastic plane spotting opportunities!
Conclusion
With barista made coffee, plenty of sunlight, beautiful views and varied healthy eating options this lounge really ticks a lot of boxes. It isn’t in the same league as the top tier of international business lounges like the Star Alliance Lounge in LA but for a domestic terminal it is pretty hard to beat.
Australia Hotel Reviews
Here is a selection of our most recent Australia hotel reviews:
- Part 1:
- Qatar Airways: Business Class – B787 – Oslo to Doha
- Part 2:
- Qatar Airways: Business Class – A380 – Doha to Sydney
- Part 3:
- Shangrila Sydney : Deluxe Grand Harbour View Room
- Part 4:
- Park Hyatt Sydney : Opera Deluxe Room
- Part 5:
- Qantas Domestic Lounge : Sydney
- Part 6:
- Qantas : Business Class – A332 – Sydney to Melbourne
- Part 7:
- Grand Hyatt Melbourne : Grand Suite
- Part 8:
- Sights and food in Melbourne
- Part 9:
- Qantas Domestic Lounge : Melbourne
- Part 10:
- Qantas First Class Lounge : Sydney
- Part 11:
- Qatar Airways : First Class – A380 – Sydney to Doha
- Part 12:
- Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge : Doha
2 Comments
This is quite an old review, because this lounge has been heavily renovated and is now definitely at the same Standard of international business lounges
I always put the date at the top of all my reviews (no matter how old!) so that you know exactly what you’re seeing.
Glad to hear that the lounge has improved since my visit!