Qantas Business Class Domestic Melbourne Lounge
One of Australia's best business class airport lounges for domestic travellers, the Australia's best airport lounge for domestic travellers, the Melbourne Qantas Business Class Lounge Domestic has undergone a complete revamp, significantly expanding the lounge footprint, with exterior windows running all the way along one wall.
There is the new Neil Perry Asian Spice Bar, a large and very busy central cocktail bar, plus a small coffee servery, and amazing terminal views.
NEWS: Qantas Melbourne Business Class Lounge opens. There is a large new bar, with a dedicated cocktail hour. Food is good, with a unique dining option in the form of a Spice Bar serving Asian street food and freshly-made noodles.
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Melbourne Qantas Business Class - Domestic lounge review
Designed with elements that are based on 'dark luxurious tones and sophisticated finishes' the general feel of the new Qantas Business Class Domestic Melbourne Lounge
by Woods Bagot 'Symbolises the chic, urban feel of Melbourne'.
There is a light and airy feel, with floor to ceiling windows. Large circular benches, similar to those in the Los Angeles lounge, look trendy, although in practice tend to emphasise elbow room over comfort. However, the views are spectacular, overlooking the main apron of the airfield, and the hills north of Melbourne.
The new Qantas Melbourne Domestic Business Class Lounge is beside the older Qantas Club in Melbourne, up the escalators in the middle of the terminal. Entry is via the same soaring escalator in the middle of the Qantas domestic terminal (Terminal 1) but you then walk around the hoy-palloy to get to the desk marked Business, which adds to the feel of exclusivity within the lounge.
Access is given to business class passengers and Platinum frequent flyers; everyone else turns left (contrary to normal practice of course).
The Lounge now offers seats for up to 350 business class passengers, reflecting the way that the Melbourne to Sydney is not only one of the world's busiest, but if measured in terms of premium traffic, is right up there at the top of the scale.
Compared to the old dingy Business Class lounge, it has an upmarket air, including Nero Marquina marble from Northern Spain, brass and black metal fittings plus natural timber floors.
Once you walk in there is a large library area with newspapers and magazine, and then a 'work' zone, with a long bench and plenty of power outlets.
Past here are four service desks, and then a large square area with great views of the gates.
Carry on, as past here is the main standout feature of the lounge: the new centrally-located bar serving cocktails, beer and wine, and
Here, there's all-day barista coffee, joined by beer, wine and spirits from noon and signature cocktails in the afternoon and evenings,
Further inland from here is the main food area, with one serving area, and the famous Spice Bar, which has a menu including sichuan eggplant with rice and stir fried gai lan, beef brisket noodle soup with salted chili and bok choy, and char sui pork with rice and stir fried choy sum.
Right at the far end of the lounge is the 'relaxation' zone, with two round circular bench seating areas, inspired by trees, a false wall, and a quiet area beyond.
Food
The fine dining available all day is one of the outstanding features of the new Qantas Business Class Domestic Melbourne Lounge.
Neil Perry's new Asian Spice Bar, offers a range of fresh dishes prepared to order, inspired by Perry's Spice Temple restaurant, one of Australia's most awarded Chinese restaurants, on the south bank of the Yarra.
Of course you can go to the buffet if you prefer, where the Melbourne Qantas Business Class Lounge domestic food offering is similar to all other Qantas lounges, but again with a bit of an Asian twist. It's all cooked to order, with a menu on a little stand, and where you can add to the flavour with spiced condiments on a small shelf.
If you like noodles, Singapore spinach soup, stir-fried Chinese cabbage with bok choy and Chinese broccoli, or fried broccoli, shitake mushrooms, you'll be in luck.
The long low white refrigerated benches with the usual Qantas salad mix; leaves, pasta, ham and cheese. Oddly, there is sometimes better salad outside in the main Qantas Club.
There is always hot soup, and at lunch and dinner times there are two hot dishes with rice and pasta. There is also a toasted sandwich machine.
At breakfast time, there isn't quite so much - just rolls, croissants, and an automatic pancake maker. However at this time there is a coffee barista in attendance.
Bar
As good indeed as the rest of the lounge is, one of the most eye-catching features of the lounge is the new bar area, and this area becomes very sociable in the evenings.
The Qantas Business Class Lounge in Melbourne has a full complementary bar from midday. You can serve yourself wine, or ask at the bar for beer and cocktails. The bar at the front has the usual Qantas array of three wines in a trough, and three reds above it. These are self-serve, and are usually identical to those on the QantasPub through the wall. Next to this area, there are three juice containers and a soft drinks fountain.
There is beer, but only in bottles, and you have to ask for it. Mind you, there is a vast array of choice.
Shots and cocktails are made up by the barstaff.
Both at the front of the lounge, and back towards the lounge entrance, there is what is called 'a Quench hydration station' where you can mix up sparkling water and several non-alcoholic flavours.
Business Facilities
There is one long low benches for working, and a couple of strategically placed iMacs, which is a distinct cut back from the original eight in the older Business lounge. However, there now seems to be an assumption that many will bring their own device, and indeed even workspace for that has been reduced.Next to the main workbench is a mobile phone charging station.
Wifi in the lounge is free, and astounding fast; even at peak times in the evenings it is rare for it to slow down.
There are newspapers and magazines in the lounge, and with a big array of magazines; everything from Vogue to Country Living magazine.
Bathrooms
There are showers in the lounge, and shower kits are available from reception.
Access
There is only access if you have a Qantas business class boarding card for a departing flight, or after arriving in business class on the overnight flight from Perth.However Platinum members still gain access on arrival.
Indeed there is also access for Qantas Platinum members in economy if departing, along with Oneworld Emerald members on Qantas or Jetstar, and Emirates Skywards Platinum.
There is absolutely no access to Qantas Club members, and no paid access.
Video: Qantas Business Class Domestic Lounge
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Melbourne Airport Guide
| Qantas Business Class Domestic Melbourne Lounge | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating |
Video walkthrough and Image gallery by Loungeindex.com
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| Location | Airside, entry beside Qantasclub | |
| Terminal | 1 | |
| Opening hours | 0630 to 2300 | |
| Phone: | +61 3 8336 4640 | |
| Lounge for: | Qantas | |
| Access | Business & First Class, Platinum FrequentFlyer members and oneworld Emerald | |