September 15, 2023

An Overview: Qantas Lounge Upgrades

If you’ve been considering flying round the world with Qantas, then it might be worth waiting until 2024 or 2025. Announced in February of 2023, Qantas is undertaking a huge $100 million dollar investment to upgrade existing lounges and build new lounges for its loyal passengers.

“Millions of people a year visit our lounges and they are typically our frequent flyers who travel with us the most, so anything we do to improve them is a way of saying thank you to our most loyal customers.” Alan Joyce, Qantas Group CEO.

Keeping in mind their round the world customers, and in addition to the newest Qantas A380, Qantas will roll out its upgrades throughout Australia, London and Hong Kong. They have a huge network of 42 lounges solely within Australia, 12 of which are regional destinations and 9 overseas. Today, we’re giving you everything you need to know so you can book your next Quatas flight in style.

Features: On Ground

The $100 million dollar investment is the largest investment by Qantas in more than a decade. This increase is due to the boost in international and domestic travel after the pandemic. During the pandemic, Qantas was hit with a $1.8 billion dollar loss and is describing these upgrades as giving back to their loyal customers.

“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long term investments for our customers. That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges,” Alan Joyce, Qantas Group CEO.

The upgrades and new builds will take place over the next three years in Australia and around the world.

Lounges

Although each lounge upgrade will be individual with its particular nuances, Qantas is putting a focus on wellbeing and the overall dining experience. Some of these have been rolled out, including a fully edible herb garden wall. Listed below are all the lounges being upgraded, along with the details of each.

London First Class lounge

The most significant lounge of all is the construction of a new First Class lounge at Heathrow Airport. This conveniently helps Qantas increase attraction around ‘Project Sunrise’, which is direct flights between the UK and the east coast of Australia. Ideal for those looking to take a multi-city round the world trip. The lounge is additional and will sit alongside the current international lounge. It’s expected to open in late 2025.

Hong Kong International Lounge

If you’ve ever flown with Qantas to Hong Kong on a round the world trip, you’ll know about the famous yum cha cart. The cart is being brought back with the upgrade. This Hong Kong Lounge closed during the pandemic and has undergone a refresh, which opened in April 2023.

Melbourne International Business Lounge

Qantas has planned to redevelop the existing Qantas Business Class Lounge to increase capacity by up to 30%. This is to accommodate current and future growth for domestic and round the world flights. Construction will begin in late 2023, with the aim of stage one to be opened by mid-2024.

Sydney International Business Lounge

Prior to the pandemic, the Sydney International Business Lounge was said to be under construction; however, it was stopped due to the pandemic. As a result of this, the Sydney lounge is now getting a full redesign and rebuild entirely from scratch. This will increase capacity by 40% to more than 600 seats. In addition to this, a new food and beverage menu will be rolled out. Construction will begin in early 2024, and stage one is aimed to be completed by early 2025.

Hobart Qantas Club

The Hobart Qantas Club lounge will be relocating due to the need for a larger premise. This is in line with the overall terminal redevelopment. There will be a 50% increase in capacity, with seats going from 96 to 150.

Broom Regional Lounge

In 2024, a brand new Broom regional lounge will open, doubling the capacity of the existing lounge. Capacity will go from 49 to 100 seats. Qantas has seen a noticeable increase in the travel destination.

Existing Lounge Upgrades

In addition to all of the new upgrades, Qantas has already committed and begun upgrades to several other lounges. These are listed below.

New Auckland International Lounge, featuring an edible herb garden
New Business Lounge at Adelaide Domestic Airport, opening in varying stages from 2024
Complete upgrade to the Chairmans Lounge at Adelaide Domestic Airport, to begin in 2025
A complete upgrade to Qantas Club at Adelaide Domestic Airport is currently being completed
A brand new Regional Lounge at Rockhampton Airport, work began in 2022, and the lounge is now open
Refurbishment of Regional Lounge at Port Hedland Airport to be completed in 2024

Accessibility and Exclusivity

If you’re taking a Quntas round the world trip, these lounges are easily accessible for those tiered Qantas Frequent Flyers. Those who are Gold and above will have access on their round the world trips. In addition, customers who are travelling in Business Class and First on any Qantas operated flights and eligible OneWorld and partner airlines are eligible to experience the lounges.

Overall Thoughts

In addition to this, if you’re flying in business class for business, then taking a Qantas multi-city flight and subsequently using the lounge allows you to fully immerse yourself in the experience. No matter if you’re simply trying to rack up your points so you can book another Qantas round the world trip, or are just curious about the $100 million dollar investment, these lounges are an exciting upgrade. When you’re ready to book your Qantas round the world trip, get in touch with Airfare Geeks. Our specialised team is here to help you create the trip of a lifetime. In the meantime, if you are in need of some travel inspiration, follow us on social media or read our Geek’s Guide for the latest.