Bringing guests into Qantas' first class, business class and Qantas Club lounges should be simple, but the rules for that +1 aren't always straightforward – and, to add to the confusion, can vary significantly between lounges.
Don't be caught out when travelling with colleagues, friends or family members. Here's what you need to know to share your lounge experience with them, whether you're heading to Qantas' international first class and business class lounges, or the domestic business class and Qantas Club lounges.
Bringing guests into Qantas First Lounges
Currently found in Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and Singapore – and in Auckland for the time being – here's how many guests each eligible passenger can bring into a Qantas First Lounge, and what type of boarding pass they need to have.
Access entitlement |
Guests allowed |
Guest restrictions |
Qantas Chairman's Lounge |
Guests can be travelling on any Qantas, Emirates, |
|
Qantas first class |
Must be travelling on the same flight as the host. |
|
Oneworld Emerald^ |
Guest can be travelling on any Oneworld |
*Excludes the Qantas First Lounge in Los Angeles, which these travellers cannot access.
^Excludes Qantas first class passengers and Qantas frequent flyers, which are covered separately.
Guest allowances aren't cumulative, so if you're a Qantas Platinum member and are also flying first class, you're only allowed one guest in total: not one guest via your Platinum status plus another guest as a first class passenger.
As you'd also expect, guests are only permitted when the host is entitled to lounge access themselves, so all the usual caveats about travelling on an eligible flight or partner airline remain in place.
We won't list those other rules here – this article assumes the host already meets the access requirements for the lounge they plan to visit – and as is also true of the other lounges covered here, passengers with any one-off lounge invitations cannot bring guests.
Bringing guests into Qantas International Business Lounges
A broader list of travellers can access Qantas' international business class lounges with a guest or even two in tow, as follows:
Access entitlement |
Guests allowed |
Guest restrictions |
Qantas Chairman's Lounge |
Guests can be travelling on any Qantas, Emirates, |
|
Qantas first class |
Must be travelling on the same flight as the host. |
|
Oneworld Emerald^ |
Guest can be travelling on any Oneworld |
|
Qantas Club Annual Guest Card |
Guest must be travelling with the member |
|
American Airlines Admirals Club |
or immediate family |
Guests must be travelling with the member. |
Emirates business class |
N/A |
^Excludes Qantas first and business class passengers and Qantas frequent flyers, which are covered separately.
Again, the host needs to be eligible for lounge access at their departure airport in order to bring in a guest.
For example, Eastern Miles Gold and Platinum members only receive Qantas lounge access when flying between Australia and Mainland China, not in other cities or when travelling on other routes. The table above merely shows how many guests are permitted when the host is eligible for access.
Bringing guests into Qantas Domestic Business Lounges
As you don't need a boarding pass to clear security at Australian domestic airports, in many cases, guests don't need to be travelling (or flying with Qantas) to accompany eligible members into the Qantas Business Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth:
Access entitlement |
Guests allowed |
Guest restrictions |
Qantas Chairman's Lounge |
Guests do not need to be travelling. |
|
Qantas domestic business class |
Guest does not need to be travelling. |
|
Emirates Skywards Platinum |
Must be travelling on the same flight. |
|
Connecting to/from a Oneworld international |
N/A |
^Excludes Qantas frequent flyers, which are covered separately.
Bringing guests into domestic Qantas Club lounges
When it comes to domestic Qantas Clubs – both in airports that also have Business Lounges, and where the Qantas Club is the only lounge available – the broader access list makes the guesting rules more complex, but as a general rule, guests who can bring guests into Business Lounges can bring the same number and type of guests into domestic Qantas Clubs:
Access entitlement |
Guests allowed |
Guest restrictions |
Qantas Chairman's Lounge |
Guests do not need to be travelling. |
|
Qantas domestic business class |
Guest does not need to be travelling. |
|
Emirates Skywards Platinum |
Must be travelling on the same flight. |
|
Qantas Club Annual Guest Card |
Guest must be travelling with the member. |
|
American Airlines Admirals Club |
or immediate family |
Guests must be travelling with the member. |
Connecting to/from a Oneworld international |
N/A |
^Excludes Qantas' Emerald-grade frequent flyers, which are covered separately.
Bringing children into Qantas-operated lounges
Whether you're flying within Australia or overseas, all Qantas-operated lounges adopt the same access policies for travelling with children, except in Los Angeles where different rules apply.
Beyond the number of adult guests each passenger is allowed to bring – based on frequent flyer status, ticket type or membership, as above – those same travellers can also be accompanied in most lounges by up to two children aged 4-17.
Children aged three and under are also permitted without quota, except at the Qantas-operated Oneworld Business Lounge in Los Angeles, where travellers can enter with a maximum of two children aged under 18 years.
Qantas also says that if you're travelling with more than two children and are visiting any of Qantas' other lounges, "the Qantas lounge manager will try to accommodate them, subject to reviewing the space available."
Child access policies vary in lounges operated by other airlines, and at Qantas 'associated lounges' in cities where Qantas doesn't operate its own lounge.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Jul 2018
Total posts 3
Good timing with this article. I have an upcoming F flight with EK417 (rewards) to Dubai on 26/03 looks like I can guest one person who is also on the same flight as I am Gold FF, so if any members out there travelling on this same flight there is an open offer available
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2013
Total posts 2
Chris, at the Sydney First lounge last July I tried to bring in my wife and two children. I am QF Platinum and we were all flying on MH122 up to KL in Economy. I was told the kids counted as guests as we were on MH and I could only bring one guest in. If we were on a QF flight, I was told it would have been different and the kids would have been allowed entry. Does that sound right to you?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2018
Total posts 2
I've had this experience when flying Qatar. The 'family' policy apparently only applies to QF and JQ.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Nov 2016
Total posts 130
same happened to me when I was flying Cathay. Was told by the Qantas agent at reception in the lounge that flying on a oneworld partner airline only allows you one guest. Kids are counted as a guest as well unlike when you fly Qantas.
09 Mar 2015
Total posts 34
Thanks Chris, Qantas lounge guesting rules have always struck me as very hard to follow especially when it comes to passengers on OneWorld airlines. I'm going to bookmark this article and also share it with a lot of my colleagues!
01 Sep 2018
Total posts 28
If I read these tables correctly, there is actually more flexibility for international F/J lounge access for oneworld pax with status than if you are using the equivalent status with QF.
20 Apr 2015
Total posts 15
Qantas has clarified that the least restrictive policy will apply (Via an AFF post a while back). So if you are flying EK the other has to be on your flight, however when flying QF they can apply the Oneworld rules
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Mar 2017
Total posts 20
Why not just remove the stupid restrictive rule for Qantas Platinums and ONLY apply the OW Emerald rule for guests. I bet a ton of staff would not know their co-called right to apply the least restrictive rule, so it would be so inconsistent as to when guests would and wouldn't be granted access.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Mar 2013
Total posts 174
An Important Article. Too often I'm close by when someone is throwing a 'tantee', or two, about the entry. Understanding the game is important. Yes, I've been caught with my own family in QF First (SYD). Me, + Wife + Kids (22yrs & 20yrs) - the latter got the boot to 'fend for yourselves'. At least the Mrs. and I enjoyed a quiet Champers!
08 Jul 2017
Total posts 31
Chris, I believe you are incorrect regarding 'covered separately' for Qantas .
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
I agree with Serfty assessment. This was debated on another forum and ended up being resolved via written correspondence from QF confirming the above.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jul 2017
Total posts 15
A pity I can't bring my pensioner mother as well as my wife :) I believe she is probably at least as well behaved as a 10 year old :)
28 Mar 2018
Total posts 32
19 Jun 2018
Total posts 1
Was going to say the same thing - I've flown out of SIN on QF and guested a friend flying AY. Although the stated rules are confusing, if I'm not mistaken the more lenient rule (i.e., guest just has to be on OW) should, or at least usually is, applied.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Mar 2017
Total posts 20
This is correct and imo a huge disadvantage. I travel a lot for business as a Qantas Platinum and my business partner and I often travel to different destinations on the same day internationally. Dumb that I can't access him to the Qantas F lounge in such cases, but a OW Emerald member from another airline (not Qantas) could.
31 Mar 2017
Total posts 2
Later in the year I fly with my son (8) and stepson (17) from BNE to LAX with Qantas. I have 2 Qantas lounge passes with my credit card to use. Should I put one in my name and one in my stepsons (17) name. And my younger son should have access accompanying me?
03 Feb 2018
Total posts 3
But QF Platinum is simultaneously OW Emerald??
CX
23 Sep 2014
Total posts 9
Interesting topic. I am a CX Diamond and I just received my new card and the literature included says that I am allowed 2 guests in the FC lounges world wide which is at odds with what is noted here.
23 Aug 2012
Total posts 30
There is an odd rule in Adelaide: While there is no international lounge, if flying internationally, the domestic business lounge access rules are replaced with these for international flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jul 2017
Total posts 29
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Mar 2017
Total posts 20
I can't see how as a Qantas Platinum member I'm restricted to one guest who MUST travel on the SAME flight, yet a Oneworld Emerald member from another airline has more flexibility to bring a guest traveling on ANY Oneworld flight. Doesn't seem fair or even sensible for the airline I'm the actual member of?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jul 2015
Total posts 27
2 of us travelling to NAN (Business) shortly on same flights as daughter and son-in-law (cattle) with 5 kids.
Qantas Gold
07 Jun 2016
Total posts 8
I’ve been into the Chairman’s Lounge a number of times with someone who had access and she seemed to be pretty free to bring in a number of guests.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2521
Officially, the limit is two guests for both domestic and international, so that's what we've reported, but if staff members apply discretion to go above and beyond, then that's the 'exception' rather than the rule (even though for come Chairman's Lounge members, it could well be a recurring exception).
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 386
05 Aug 2017
Total posts 16
Question: OWE (QF WP) travelling on AA from LAX T4 - I assume I would have access to the QF FCL at LAX TBIT. Can I bring a +1 who travels on QF flight that evening (not same flight as I)?
08 Jul 2017
Total posts 31
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Oct 2018
Total posts 5
For Qantas platinum, can I guest 2 pax into domestic business lounge and other 2 pax into Qantas club lounge at the same time? 4 guests in total?
CX
23 Sep 2014
Total posts 9
I am a CX Diamond member and I often have a issue at QF lounges. Last time I was traveling economy domestically with 2 colleagues and went to go into the business class lounge at BNE. I was stopped and old only one guest but I was able to extract my letter from CX saying I have the ability to bring two guest at any Oneworld lounge globally. We were allowed in.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2521
Hi Trevor, the lounge staff were correct to stop you with two guests, because Oneworld lounge rules only provide for one complimentary guest on partner airlines, and that letter you're carrying around would appear to contain a typo.
From the Cathay Pacific MPC Diamond page: "Diamond members may bring two guests to the Cathay Pacific lounge when they are travelling together on Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon or a oneworld airline.
For partner airline lounges, Diamond members may bring one guest."
(Qantas domestic lounges are 'partner airline lounges'. The only exception is when flying internationally with Cathay Pacific from Australia and you're issued with lounge invitations for up to two guests, which could be for the local Qantas lounge: but in all other cases, it's one guest only.)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Mar 2017
Total posts 20
I'm travelling on Qatar (business ticket) but am a QF platinum. In ADL qatar use the domestic qantas club as there is no one world international lounge.
08 Jul 2017
Total posts 31
@ChrisCH "The information we've published is based on Qantas' own published lounge access policies, which have long applied more restrictive guesting rules for Qantas' own members than for other Oneworld frequent flyers."
Qantas must have realised their mistake and have now updated their guest access policy to reflect reality (as per my post on March 13).
Note the difference between footnotes 1 and 2 (I have highlighted 1).
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