Qantas announced that it plans to elevate its passengers’ pre-flight experience by upgrading its network of lounges in Australia and at international airports worldwide.
The major lounge enhancement will cost about AU $100M ( $68M), and will consist of the following upgrades and openings:
- New First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Reopening of a refurbished lounge in Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Complete renovation and expansion of International Business Lounge in Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Updated and expanded International Business Lounge in Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- New Qantas Club at Hobart Airport (HBA)
- New regional lounge in Broome Airport (BME) with increased seating capacity
The lounge upgrades and openings will be phased over three years and is included in the Qantas Group’s existing capital expenditure forecast.
The First Lounge at LHR airport will be constructed alongside the launch of Project Sunrise direct flights between the UK and the east coast of Australia.
It will be the fifth destination to offer a Qantas First Lounge, along with Los Angeles, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney.
Qantas currently has a total of 51 airport lounges (42 in Australia, and nine overseas).
“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long term investments for our customers. That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement.
“Millions of people a year visit our lounges and they are typically our frequent flyers who travel with us the most, so anything we do to improve them is a way of saying thank you to our most loyal customers,” Joyce further said.
