Review: Qantas Melbourne Domestic Business Lounge
Central bar inside the Qantas Melbourne domestic business class lounge.
NOTEWORTHY DETAILS
Spacious lounge with abundance of natural light.
High standard of varied all-day dining options.
Expansive views across the tarmac - great for plane watching.
Elevated experience compared to the adjacent Qantas club.
Melbourne airport is one of the busiest by passenger numbers in the country. It is of course a major hub for the national carrier, and is home to one of the longest flights in the world with Melbourne to Dallas Forth Worth coming in around 17 hours and 45 mintues in duration. Naturally, this demands a high standard of lounges both domestically and internationally.
Though the Qantas international lounges are in desperate need of an overhaul which is currently underway at time of writing, the domestic experience is arguably the best in the nation. The Qantas Melbourne lounge precinct underwent a major renovation which was completed back in late 2018, with both the Qantas club and business class lounge overhauled.
Read on for this independent review of one of Qantas’ most strategically important facilities in it’s network.
Lounge Access and General Information
Access Criteria
· Flying Qantas or QantasLink in Business Class.
· Qantas Platinum or Platinum One Frequent Flyer, traveling on any Qantas/QantasLink/Jetstar same-day flight (with up to 2 guests).
· Oneworld Emerald (or Qantas Platinum/Platinum One) flying Qantas/QantasLink.
· Emirates Skywards Platinum+ or China Eastern Eastern Miles Platinum+ flying Qantas/QantasLink.
· Same‑day international flight in Business or First with Qantas, Emirates, or oneworld airline, even if domestic leg is Economy.
· Children under 18 can enter as guests when accompanying an eligible adult.
Please Note Qantas Gold (and oneworld Sapphire) members do NOT get access to the domestic Business Lounge. They are only eligible for Qantas Club lounges.
Operating Hours
· Typically operates from about 1 hour before the first Qantas domestic departure (~5 am) until the last Qantas departure (~9 pm).
Lounge Atmosphere and Layout
The Melbourne domestic business lounge is a giant space with seating for up to 350 guests. Despite the overall footprint being so large, the design breaks the space up into 3 major spaces, with the initial space upon entering being open with plenty of seating in various furnishings, a quench hydration station and multiple large TV screens and flight information monitors
Quench bar near the entrance of the Qantas Melbourne domestic business lounge.
The entire lounge has a slightly different aesthetic to that of the Brisbane domestic lounges which features mid-grey tiling with light timber features and greens. This space features some grey tiling, but more soothing blue furnishings and flooring.
Combined with darker coloured timber cabinetry and metal finishings it provides a slightly darker, yet still very calming feel.
Through these sections is the main dining area and bar. Here you’ll find a mixture of high tables and stools, as well as low chairs and tables. The benches and stools are set with cutlery and cloth napkins for dining, along with menus to choose your made to order items. Of course, there’s also a buffet which does feature a range of freshly made items.
Main dining area, featuring made to order meals and generous buffet selection.
Beyond this dining and bar area which is central in the lounge is yet more seating space, somewhat mirroring the space upon entering the lounge. I have found that this area tends to be quiet in comparison to other zones, so if you’re looking for a less partronaged area to relax, this might be the spot for you.
Looking towards the back of this lounge over the tarmac and runway, I often find this space to be less busy than the space towards the entrance.
Food and Beverage
The food and beverage on offer at this lounge is in my opinion what really sets it apart from the Brisbane domestic business lounge. The Melbourne iteration offers all day dining in terms of made to order meals, where Brisbane, despite having the facilities to do this, have periods of changeover where the buffet is the only thing available.
There is a strong focus on Asian street food stlye menu items here, which is thanks to the partnership Qantas has with Australian chef Neil Perry, and his Spice Bar creation.
I would add that the buffet in Melboure is more impressive as well, with more substantial options. In terms of drinks, the offerings here are similar to the rest of the domestic business lounge network, which is of high standard - offering draught beers, a selection of wines including reds, whites and sparkling, and a broad selection of quality spirits and mixers.
Draught beers include variety’s such as Furphy, Cooper’s Pale Ale and Hahn Super Dry. Of course, Vittoria barista made coffee is also avialable at the bar, and automatic coffee machines are located throughout.
One fantastic thing was the fact that scones with jam and cream were being served in the afternoon!, this is a small touch but everyone loved it - and they were actually very good!.
Scones with jam and cream served in the afternoon!.
I always enjoy the dining options at this lounge, everything has always been fresh and tasty when I’ve travelled through and it’s always nice to see different made to order items on offer.
In terms of facilities, the lounge of course features fast and free wi-fi, and a large work space station with multiple power ports and wireless printing. Showers are also available should you wish to freshen up, and everything was peefectly clean and well maintained.
The Bottom Line
I can confidently say that this lounge is at present the premium domestic business class lounge in the Qantas domestic network. A fresh design in terms of palette, but more importantly the excellent food and beverage on offer sets it apart from other lounges. Service was timely, and I noticed staff seeming to genuinely be having fun with one another which I always love to see.
Thanks very much for reading and I hope this review helps to inform your future travel plans!.
