Review: Qantas domestic business class lounge, Perth Airport
By Chris C., August 31 2015
Country
Australia
City
Perth
Airport
Perth
Alliance
oneworld
Airline
Qantas
Cabin-class
Business
Notes
The Good
- 'International' feel in a domestic lounge
- Separate zones for dining, working and relaxing
- Plentiful AC and USB power outlets
The Bad
- WiFi moves at a glacial pace
X-Factor
- Pizza Bar with live pizza chefs
Introduction
As Qantas ramps up the competition on the lucrative east-west market against rival Virgin Australia, passengers travelling through Perth Airport can now relax in an all-new Qantas domestic business class lounge.
It's a significant step above the nearby Qantas Club, which until now housed business class passengers plus Gold, Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers, and was often bursting at the seams during peak times.
The new Perth Business Lounge comes with over 350 seats, a new Pizza Bar, cocktail hour and more, while also easing the squeeze for guests continuing to visit the Qantas Club.
Location & Impressions
After clearing security, follow the signs as though you're headed to the older Qantas Club – but rather than taking the escalator up to reception, look to your right for clear "Business Lounge" signage.
The Business Lounge borrows some of its design cues from Qantas' newer international lounges in Singapore, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, with guests greeted by staff manning podiums rather than a reception desk...
... joined by a handy table and chair at the entrance if you're searching for your boarding pass or are waiting for somebody to guest you in:
Once inside, you'll notice a variety of zones and seating options that are broken up into smaller areas to create a more 'cosy' vibe...
... with many seats also boasting tarmac views and with plenty of natural light:
Access
- Passengers with an onward Qantas business class flight
- Travellers connecting to or from an international business or first class flight with Qantas, Emirates or a Oneworld airline, even if the domestic leg is booked in economy
- Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers before or after a same-day Qantas, QantasLink, Emirates, Jetstar or Oneworld flight
- Other Oneworld Emerald members when their next onward flight that day is with Qantas or QantasLink and carries a QF or other Oneworld flight number (no access when flying Jetstar)
- Emirates Skywards Platinum cardholders where their next onward flight that day carries a QF or EK flight number and is operated by Qantas or QantasLink
There's also a separate Qantas Club lounge for Gold frequent flyers, Oneworld Sapphire cardholders and paid-up Qantas Club members: if that's you, you'll find it atop the terminal's central escalators.
Chairman's Lounge facilities remain adjacent to the Qantas Club.
Dining
Making this lounge stand out among the rest is an all-new Italian Pizza Bar concept, where trained chefs pump out yummy pizza from noon using dough that's made in-house...
... with two options provided at a time: above is salami, mozzarella and basil, with the alternate, a 'quattro formaggi' (four cheeses) pizza, also proving delicious.
There's a dedicated station serving up espresso coffee throughout the day and wine from noon...
... with a sample wine list as follows, where you'll also spy some of the other pizzas that will appear throughout the day:
For further tipple such as beer, cider and spirits, head to the full bar in the far corner...
... where 4-5pm on weekdays is cocktail hour with a daily special:
During our visit the Rockpool Mixologists put together a sweet, vodka-based Pomegranate Spritz (below), while a gin-based Black Swan also proved very drinkable and popular with many guests.
If your visit is an early one, perch yourself at the high dining tables to enjoy a 'plate of the day' delivered by waiters – such as baked eggs with chorizo and feta...
... or graze at the buffet with a variety of healthy and fresh options available...
... joined by a spread of tasty snacks...
... and tea-making facilities to shortcut the coffee line in the morning:
You'll find a number of dining tables throughout the lounge...
... most of which fortunately come with easy access to both AC and USB power.
That's always been a gripe of mine in airport lounges: power points are plentiful in the business zones but are seldom found near dining facilities, which is a very welcome feature of the Perth Business Lounge.
Work
Speaking of power points, you'll also find them tucked away next to the cocktail chairs that line the walls...
... and built into the long laptop benches adjacent to the dining areas.
Those benches provide both ample space for laptop work and also a little privacy...
... with one boasting two iMac computers and printing/photocopying facilities for travellers without their own tech.
Guests with access to the Business Lounge can also make use of a meeting room near reception – currently available free-of-charge and with presentation and conferencing facilities:
Something we love about this new lounge is that the TVs and bar facilities are mostly kept on one side, while the business and working zone is on the other.
That allows footy fans to kick back with a beer and cheer for their team without disturbing other travellers who may wish to get some work done.
Less impressive was the lounge's WiFi connection, which struggled to pull down the Australian Business Traveller homepage in under five minutes.
We reported the issue to lounge management who were unable to offer an immediate fix, but noted the glitch with the IT team as we switched to our backup 4G mobile hotspot for the remainder of our visit.
Relax
Speaking of sports, the TVs nearest the bar show three different channels at a time...
... while there's a separate 'viewing area' screening Sky News throughout the day and major sporting events when they occur:
Duos and small groups can take to a variety of seats, from the more formal...
... through to the more relaxed:
Solo travellers aren't forgotten either with a number of single seats lining the walls, each with their own cocktail table.
That's a stark and very noticeable difference to what used to happen in Perth's Qantas Club lounge, where solo travellers would frequently find themselves forced to socialise as every single available seat became occupied during peak times.
Also an improvement over the Qantas Club lounge are new, modern and private shower suites with en suite bathrooms...
... and Aspar amenities at the ready.
While the Perth Qantas Club certainly has shower suites of its own, they're not nearly as nice or spacious as those in the Business Lounge.
(The Qantas Club showers also offer just one 'all-purpose' and no-name liquid via a soap dispenser, as opposed to the separate and Aspar-labelled shampoo, conditioner and shower gel products in the Business Lounge.)
Rounding out the Business Lounge amenities are two reading shelves with the day's newspapers and a selection of magazines to pass the time.
All things considered, Qantas' new Business Lounge in Perth is easily Australia's best domestic airport lounge – there's practically everything for everybody in a space that feels more 'international' than 'domestic'.
Certainly the WiFi needs fixing, but small teething issues like this are to be expected when lounges open their doors to travellers for the very first time.
More photos: First look: Qantas Business Lounge, Perth
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Perth as a guest of Qantas.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
22 Jul 2014
Total posts 8
sorry to be picky, hate seeing utensils/tongs seeting on the food! (see image 15).
They deserve an indivual plate sit right by the dish.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3018
Thank you Chris! Looks good!
04 Nov 2012
Total posts 217
Looking forward to sampling this Perth busness lounge on the 30th Sept for breakfast.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2015
Total posts 57
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
It's been Qantas policy for some time – Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers can visit domestic lounges both before and after their flight.
(The same privilege isn't offered to business class guests unless also holding Platinum/Platinum One status, and also isn't offered to Oneworld Emeralds or Skywards Platinums – it's just a P/P1 thing.)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2015
Total posts 57
Thanks, Chris. Good to know. I suppose if Qantas explicitly stated this every P/P1 and his dog would turn up after flights.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
It can be a little unclear, granted – the wording Qantas uses in the access policy is 'same day boarding pass' for Platinum and Platinum One, rather than 'next onward flight that day' for the other methods.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 704
This just blows Brisbane's International's Lounge out the water and for that matter most of the QF Int and Domestic Lounges around Australia except for SYD and MEL First
British Airways Executive Club Gold
25 Jun 2015
Total posts 21
I know that QF Plat / P1s can bring a guest into domestic lounges who isn't traveling but I was wondering if as a BA Gold I could bring in a guest who isn't traveling?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
Hi GLAaussie, Qantas Platinum/Platinum Ones can bring in two guests who don't need to be travelling, while other Oneworld Emerald members (such as BA Gold) can bring one guest who also doesn't need to be travelling.
You'll find more detail and confirmation on the Qantas website.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
My goodness! This looks almost as good as some international business class lounges, if not better than others.
Qantas seriously do amazing things with their lounges - I just wish they kept pace with global standards on First class seats - unless they're thinking of getting rid of them eventually?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2012
Total posts 137
Looks like Qantas have got this exactly right. Thanks for the review. The lounge does look great. I take 4 early bird flights P.A through Perth to connect with QF11 from Sydney to Dallas; so I'm overjoyed to hear that they're now doing a decent breakfast in the new lounge. Fantastic.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Nov 2015
Total posts 2
Hi there, I am wondering if I have a flight into Perth that arrives around midnight and the connecting flight leaving at 6 in the morning, can I use the domestic lounge for the night?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2482
Hi Lea, welcome to AusBT! The lounge closes once the last flight of the day boards – it doesn't remain open overnight. During opening hours, your access would also depend on the type of ticket you hold and/or your frequent flyer status. For a full list of eligible guests, please visit the Qantas website, and if there's any uncertainty, that page also has a direct phone number for the lounge if you'd like to call them to discuss your access.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Nov 2015
Total posts 2
Thanks Chris, I was thinking of using points and get a first class flight across to London, and then paying for premium economy and applying for a business upgrade on points. I am a platinum member. Thanks heaps for your help!!
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