Qantas has announced that it’s pouring $100 million into enhancing lounges in Australia and overseas. This means four brand new lounges, as well as renovations to their existing ones.

Here’s a rundown of what’s in store:

• a swanky new First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport
• a refreshed Hong Kong International Lounge
• a complete overhaul of the International Business Lounge in Sydney
• a bigger and better International Business Lounge in Melbourne
• a new Hobart Qantas Club
• a new Broome Regional Lounge.

This is the biggest investment in Qantas’ lounge network in over 10 years, and it comes as the airline expands its domestic and international routes and gets ready for some next-gen aircraft.

London First Lounge

A brand new First Lounge at Heathrow Airport is being built to go along with the launch of Project Sunrise direct flights between the UK and Australia’s east coast (starting with Sydney).

The plan is to open it in late 2025, and it’ll be right next to the current International Lounge, which will become a dedicated Business Lounge.

Some expected highlights of the new First Lounge include direct access to boarding gates, awesome airfield views, a focus on wellbeing features, and top-notch dining.

This will be the fifth Qantas First Lounge, joining the ones in Los Angeles, Melbourne, Singapore, and Sydney.

“London is one of the most important destinations on our network and it’s the perfect location for a First Lounge, especially with our direct Project Sunrise flights on the way. Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so we’re very pleased to be working with them to secure a great space in the terminal for an additional lounge,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

Hong Long International Lounge

Qantas is reopening the Hong Kong International Lounge that closed down during the pandemic. The space is getting a makeover, and it’s set to open in April 2023.

Oh, and the yum cha trolley is making a comeback!

Melbourne International Business Lounge

One of the most underwhelming lounges in Qantas’ network will get a full makeover, with the first stage set to open in mid-2024.

It’ll also be expanded to handle more passengers in the future.

Sydney International Business Lounge

Qantas is planning a total redesign and rebuild of this space, which will increase capacity by 40% to more than 600 seats. They’ll also be introducing a new signature food and beverage concept. Work is expected to start in early 2024 and be completed by early 2025.

Hobart Qantas Club 

Qantas is moving their existing lounge to a new Hobart Qantas Club that’ll have 50% more capacity, going from 96 to about 150 seats. The timeline for this is still up in the air.

Broome Regional Lounge

Qantas is building a brand new Regional Lounge in Broome that’ll open in 2024, doubling the capacity of the existing space to around 100 seats. This is thanks to strong demand from premium leisure travelers.

Previously announced upgrades

This news follows a number of other lounge-related announcements recently, including:

• a new Auckland International Lounge set to open progressively from 2023
• a new Business Lounge at Adelaide Domestic Airport (set to open in stages from 2024) as well as an upgraded Qantas Club (2023) and Chairmans Lounge (2025) at the airport
• the redevelopment of the Regional Lounge at Port Hedland Airport (2024)
• a new Regional Lounge at Rockhampton Airport (recently completed).

To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:

Good news, South Australian travellers!

Adelaide airport finally has an international departure lounge with the opening of the stylish Plaza Premium space today.

The independent facility is expected to be used by several airlines that fly out of Adelaide for their business class passengers and frequent flyers. 

It also welcomes pay-per-use visitors, who can currently purchase entry online for $39 for 1 hour or $71 for 2 hours.

Complimentary access is available to holders of the American Express Platinum Card.

The lounge features an array of seating choices for relaxing, dining and working. 

Guests can enjoy barista coffee, snacks and freshly prepared dishes showcasing local and international cuisine, including vegan options.

There’s also a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.

Amenities include shower facilities, charging stations and fast Wi-Fi.

The lounge is open every day for the morning peak from 7am to 10am.

That currently suits passengers travelling on the morning services of Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Malaysia Airlines, but not those on the overnight Qatar Airways flights, who continue to miss out. Hopefully this will change as more airlines schedule evening services.

For more info and to book, visit Plaza Premium here.

To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:

Victoria is getting another international route thanks to Qantas, which is starting a direct service from Melbourne to Jakarta.

From April 16, 2023, Qantas will fly between Melbourne and Jakarta three times a week using its spacious Airbus A330 planes.

These aircraft have excellent lie-flat seats in business class, arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, while economy class is 2-4-2.

This new route adds to the existing Sydney-Jakarta service, boosting the number of seats to and from Jakarta by over 6,600 per month.

This will help boost business and tourism connections between Australia and Indonesia.

It’s also going to be a hit with people travelling to and from other big Indonesian cities like Surabaya and Medan.

This Melbourne-Jakarta route is the third new international route Qantas has added out of Melbourne since borders opened back up. They’ve also started flying to Delhi and Dallas Fort Worth to keep up with the demand for travel.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the airline was excited to be expanding its international network from Melbourne.

“Victoria is an incredibly important part of our network and we’re seeing strong demand for travel to and from Melbourne,” Mr David said.

“We expect these flights to be popular with Victoria’s large Indonesian expat community wanting to visit family and friends back home as well as offering a new gateway for travellers looking to explore the region.

To celebrate the new route, Qantas is offering a special fare starting from $899 return, available until 7 February 2023, unless sold out prior.

There is also good availability of reward seats in economy and business class, so snap them up!

To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter:

It’s a great day for aviation in Australia.

The new low-cost carrier Bonza took its maiden flight today, flying between the Sunshine Coast and the Whitsundays.

It’s a major milestone for the airline, which is trying to break into a competitive domestic aviation market.

The key to its possible success: the vast majority of its proposed routes are not currently served by any airline.

As part of Bonza’s phased rollout of flight releases, travellers are now able to book flights to 12 destinations on 15 regional routes. 

From the Sunshine Coast, these include:

• Albury: Fares starting from $69 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Avalon: Fares starting from $79 per person one way, 3 flights per week
• Cairns: Fares starting from $79 per person one way, 5 flights per week
• Coffs Harbour: Fares starting from $49 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Mackay: Fares starting from $59 per person one way, 3 flights per week
• Mildura: Fares starting from $79 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Newcastle: Fares starting from $59 per person one way, 4 flights per week
• Port Macquarie: Fares starting from $49 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Rockhampton: Fares starting from $49 per person one way, 3 flights per week
• Townsville: Fares starting from $69 per person one way, 4 flights per week
• Whitsunday Coast: Fares starting from $59 per person one way, 3 flights per week

In addition, travellers can fly between:

• Cairns <> Rockhampton: Fares starting from $59 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Cairns <> Mackay: Fares starting from $49 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Newcastle <> Whitsunday Coast: Fares starting from $79 per person one way, 2 flights per week
• Rockhampton <> Townsville: Fares starting from $49 per person one way, 3 flights per week

Bonza launch routes

Bonza’s fleet comprises Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with an all-economy layout.

The only place to book airfares direct is on the FlyBonza app. This is where customers will also check in and access their boarding passes – eliminating the need for printing and reducing the need to check-in at the airport.

Once onboard, the retail offering, travel information and more will be available exclusively through the app. This includes purchasing food and beverages, which will be delivered directly to customers’ seats.

To get news like this delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter: