Qantas Club Domestic Perth Lounge
The Perth Qantas Club is right in at the top of the Qantas domestic terminal at the Western Australian Capital. To get to the lounge, after security, aim for the middle of the centre circle, and look for the strange wooden archway. Go through this, and to the top of the escalator, to the welcome desk at the top.
At least there are great views of the aircraft (it is just a very short walk down to your plane) and the distant international terminal, shimmering in the WA heat.
Built around a large curve, as you enter the Perth Qantas Club you are in the middle of the lounge. To the left is the bar, at the end the buffet and dining area, and then at the far end the children's play area.
To the right is the most comfortable area in the lounge. There are banks of seats, all overlooking the international terminal. There is another self serve buffet here, while inland for here there are many more seats.
In one of the 'wedges' of the circle there is a small but well functioning business centre.
The quietest time to visit the lounge is early-evening, when the Perth Qantas Club can be deserted without a single customer: flights at this time would arrive on the East coast in the middle of the night, hence there are non. Instead, operations ramp up again from mid-evening when it turns into a bustling Qantaspub, where most of the inhabitants seem to have one sole aim before getting on a flight. If you are there at the lunchtime peak between about noon and 3pm, when all the flights to the East coast leave, and this place gets packed. It may still pay to just sit downstairs in the main departure lounge, which has a couple of good cafes.
If the Perth Qantas Club is packed, don't just stay there - head down again. The Qantas Club has recently undergone a large expansion and redevelopment to provide greater space, and there is now another new extension downstairs, which adds an extra third to the space, on a new level below the existing lounge, between gates 13 and 14 in the domestic terminal. It needed it: At peak periods it used to be rammed, and with no spare seats it was hot and awful.
The new Perth Qantas Club downstairs section has an extra 400 square metre footprint and had 140 more seats, plus a work area, a small bar and a buffet area. It's actually not a bad place to head to, so after you have come up the escalator, immediately duck down the escalator in the 'wiggle' beside the reception desk.
The new downstair section 'mini lounge' is a favourite for platium frequent flyers, and is under the main lounge, spare chairs (spot the novelty) and even an early morning barista service. The best part is the special cheese selection in the food area, and the better wine service with a decent selection, where you can have your wine glass resting on a wine barrel, no less.
Food
At the far end is the long food counter. There is a very good selection particularly late in the evenings, but in effect it is just standard Qantas fare.The salad and cold meat selection is particularly good, and there is a soup of the day.
Hot food is particularly good before midday, and again from about 8pm to midnight, again reflecting the type of flights. There are usually two hot dishes with rice and a veggie option.
Beware that before the short overnight red-eye flights to Sydney and Melbourne, vultures descend on the food area, turning it into a maelstrom, as everyone tries to eat before cramming into the flight and trying to sleep for as long as possible.
At this point you'll see the lounge at its worst.
Bar
The bar in the Perth Qantas Club is on the left. Unusually it opens at 12pm - earlier than most Qantas Pubs - but you have to approach the bar even if you just want a coke. The opening time is curious, as the main West to East coast flight (the only one departing at a good time and arriving before 10pm) leaves at 12:20, boarding dead at midday, just as the bar opens. Accordingly there is almost a rush at 11am as the Qantasclub decamps and everyone heads down to the TwoBrews bar under the lounge for a pre-flight drink. It's pretty much the only airline lounge in the world, where customers know to leave the lounge for a beer. The bar has a good beer selection, including Little Creatures on draft, and in 500ml sized glasses - a rare treat. You can also get Blonde, VB and WA Gage Roads Pils on draft too - the Perth Qantas Pub really shows the delight those in WA take in the their beer.
To the right of the bar is the small wine cooler. Here there are three reds, and four whites, plus a decent Aussie sparkling wine. Condiments for cocktails are on the left of the bar, in a little tray. Juice (Apple, Orange and Tomato) are in the big dispensers on the bar top.
Bathrooms
Plenty of showers available - towels and toiletries are available at the service desk.
Business Facilities
There are two banks of 16 computers (PCs and imacs), and a photocopier. As you enter you also pass the magazine and newspaper rack (on your left).There is a TV located in the bar area as well as thought the lounge area. The bar TV is generally be tuned to sport with others broadcasting Sky news.
Video: Perth Qantas Domestic Qantasclub Lounge
