Qantas Club Melbourne – Access Restrictions

The Bad News

Qantas is restricting entry for guests of Gold Members and greater, to the Club Lounge in Melbourne during peak periods (5-9am and 3-7pm) from mid-November – probably through to the second half of 2018.

Capacity restrictions due to the planned renovations are the reason.

The Good News

Well about time, I say. The Melbourne Qantas Club has been looking like the hand-me-downs that the runt of the family gets for quite some time.

Watch out if you have one of those consolation prize guest passes as a Silver Member too. You will be denied entry as well.

So bring your hard-hats if you can get in, for the next 8 or more months while refurbishments are underway. It’s also likely that catering will also be restricted, so don’t bank on the party pies (which I haven’t seen for some time anyway) or the chicken wings (I last made those as munchie/party fodder for my uni mates back in the late 70’s!)

Demand a food voucher if you can’t get anything! (yeahr, that will go down well) Be nice to the staff – cos they have the power, remember.

The ‘Meh’ News

There are also reports that due to the reconfiguration of the Business and Club Lounges (separate – not one inside the other), the Club will lose its tarmac views, which will be a pity. Somehow the views over the concourse are just not as fascinating.

According to the August media release:

The combined footprint of the lounges will remain the same but space will be used more effectively to deliver a Business Lounge with 40 per cent more capacity (with room for approximately 350 people) and a Qantas Club with 10 per cent more capacity (with room for approximately 530 people). Combined, the lounges will be able to accommodate around 130 more people compared with the current configuration.

And to lift your spirits – some renderings of new Melbourne Qantas Club lounge . . . I see crates of glasses and cups being transported too and from that island bar.

Thanks to AFF Gazette for the tip