Review: Qantas Sydney Airport domestic business lounge

Introduction

Access to the VIP lounge is one of the benefits most appreciated by frequent and business class travelers. In Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport, the Qantas Domestic Business Lounge is where many flock: a sanctuary above the hustle and bustle below.

Whether you’re traveling for work or a well-deserved vacation, the lounge has you covered with a variety of seating areas to suit your needs, plus buffet meals and, of course, showers.

Location and impressions

After passing security, equipped with upgraded baggage scanners, turn left and continue walking. You will soon see the glass door entrance to the Qantas Business Lounge opposite Gates 4 and 5.

Continue through them and take the escalator upstairs where you will be greeted by the reception staff.

Beyond the entrance is a conveniently located buffet area, with business seating to your right, dining rooms to your left, and comfortable lounges with views of the hangar ahead.

Sporting a varied mix of seating options, liberal use of wood and marble-look benches, as well as a recurring monochromatic indigenous wall motif, the expansive hall wraps around a central core, accessible from all sides. Inside you will find bathrooms and showers.

Screens displaying arrival and departure information are dotted throughout the lounge, with useful information including the weather at the destination and the time required to walk to the gate.

It’s a cozy space, one you could happily spend a couple of hours or more in before a flight.

Access

• Passengers ahead Qantas Business Class or QantasLink flight
  
• Travelers connecting to or from a international business or first class flight with Qantas, Emirates or a Oneworld airline, even if the domestic leg is booked in economy class
• Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers before or after a same-day Qantas, QantasLink, Emirates, Jetstar* or Oneworld flight
• Other emerald of a world members when your next flight that day is on Qantas or QantasLink and you have a QF or other Oneworld flight number (no access when flying on Jetstar)
• Emirates Skywards Platinum cardholders whose next flight that day has a QF or EK flight number and is operated by Qantas or QantasLink

Gold frequent flyers, Oneworld Sapphire members and Qantas Club cardholders can use the nearby Qantas Club lounge when traveling economy class.

*Jetstar flights depart from Terminal 2, rather than Terminal 3. Jetstar passengers should have enough time to check-in at T2, walk to T3, go through security and access the VIP lounge before returning to T2 in time for boarding.

Food

On our mid-afternoon or late-afternoon visit a variety of self-service dishes were offered: a tight menu of antipasto, salads and fillings for sandwiches, and a variety of pastries and fresh fruit.

Hearty minestrone soup with rolls and butter chicken with steamed rice were the two hot options. It would have been nice to have some additional options.

Added to that were self-service juices and soft drinks, complemented by coffee prepared by baristas.

Starting at noon, the drinks counter turns into a bar, with self-service white, red and sparkling wine, along with a good selection of beers, spirits and mixed drinks available from the staff.

Near the entrance is a second barista station, although it was closed during our visit.

A self-service coffee machine and snack counter are also available. Since the lounge itself is quite large, these are a great addition for travelers with limited time but still in need of that morning hit, or for when the “normal” coffee line is quite long.

The nearby island dining room was a popular spot for diners, with stools and ample space to relax, although it did get quite busy as the afternoon progressed.

To work

Clearly designed with the business traveler in mind, here you’ll find everything from group seating to jet setting colleagues…

… to armchairs for solos and duos, as well as work desks for those who brought their laptop.

Longer benches are ideal if you’re looking to collaborate with multiple visitors or simply prefer a higher position.

Power points are pretty sparse, however, with most found at the dedicated laptop desks and sporadically along the benches that line the walls. There are also no USB ports, just AC outlets.

While not a major issue, more power outlets would be appreciated, especially as travelers have grown accustomed to relying on their own devices for entertainment.

Elsewhere in the hall are cafeteria-style lounges and benches, plus additional workspaces with central power outlets.

Completing the amenities, guests can enjoy fast and free Wi-Fi Internet access.

Speaking of the Internet, visitors can also enjoy free digital access to The Australian, Financial Review and The Monthly by connecting to the Wi-Fi room and browsing to each site. Those who prefer physical magazines are also in luck, with a multi-tiered stand near the main entrance.

Verdict

A decent business lounge, and a significantly better one than its international counterpart Sydney T1, but it’s showing its age and could do with an update. Although limited, the quality of the food was good, as was the selection of drinks.

Install a few more AC power points and plug in a few USB outlets while you’re at it and you’ve got a solid upgrade.