Visitors to the Qantas First Lounge at Sydney Airport will find it easier to snare a table at the acclaimed in-lounge restaurant, with the airline boosting dining room seating.
An additional 'bay' of the lounge has been converted from general seating to dining tables, adding around 30% more capacity.
The move is geared to cope with peak travel periods in the early morning, lunchtime and early afternoon when Qantas' most popular Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 flights are scheduled.
And anything which allows more passengers to sample the lounge's seasonal menu, prepared by Neil Perry's Rockpool Group, has got to be A Good Thing.
Last year saw Qantas introduce a series of shorter treatments at the lounge's day spa, trimmed from as high as 50 minutes down to just 20 minutes, so that more travellers could enjoy a chance to unwind before jetting off.
Also read: Expert tips to make the most of the Qantas first class lounge
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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.
30 Aug 2013
Total posts 440
Good idea - even when there's a wait for dining table there's always loads of general seating free - it should be 50/50!
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
06 May 2015
Total posts 54
Fantastic. I have enjoyed a few meals at the general seating areas in the lounge, however the lower more relaxed seating isnt congenial to dining and now the staff wont have to come and find you!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Sep 2011
Total posts 181
If people would vacate the dining area when they finish eating instead of pulling out their lapstops and working they would probably not need to increase the capacity.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Trust me, the dining room is packed during peak times but I agree with you about the courtesy of moving on once the eating's done, Woganfan. I make a point of this during busy periods, in fact I'll usually vacate the table and shift to one of the other bays and take my second coffee there instead of in the dining area.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2013
Total posts 204
Yes I agree with you Woganfan, its impolite to whip out your laptop or linger over your newspaper/magazine/book after you've finished your meal when there are plenty of other spaces in the lounge you could do so. Perhaps the wait staff should "invite" guests to relax or work elswehere once the last of their dishes are cleared away.
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