Qantas to reopen domestic lounges as travel restrictions ease

Forget the famous buffet and self-serve beverage station, because the new-look Qantas lounge is going to be very different to how it was.

As flights across the country gear up for an influx of domestic travel, Qantas has announced it will be reopening the doors to some of its lounges.

After closing all domestic and international lounges on March 23 following government enforced restrictions and the shutdown of both local and international travel, the airline will open 11 of its 35 Australian domestic lounges from July 1.

The snacking station will be manned by Qantas staff.

As part of the Qantas Group’s ‘Fly Well’ program – which was launched in mid-June – a number of measures will be put in place across the lounge network to promote the health and wellbeing of passengers and staff.

But if you’re a fan of the Qantas self-serve buffet and DIY drinks station, you’re going to be a little disappointed.

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Qantas will open a number of lounges from July 1 across the country. Picture: Qantas

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Instead, a hosted ‘All-Day Snacking Station’ will replace the buffet, offering a capped number of guests a “selection of bespoke dishes” throughout the day.

The new staffed snacking station will provide Frequent Flyer guests with individually plated menu items which will change daily. Some of the scaled-back dishes include roast field mushrooms, kale and cheese tarts with tomato relish, and bacon and egg rolls. In addition, guests will be able to indulge in bacon, chilli and parmesan frittatas, blackberry cheesecakes, and carrot and pecan cakes. Melbourne’s Spice Bar and Perth’s Pizza bar will also be in operation.

Coffee, juice, beer and wine will also be available through service from a barperson and barista.

The Qantas buffet will no longer be in operation across its lounge network. Picture: Qantas

The tray service and snacking station will replace the buffet inside Qantas lounges.

Qantas chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said the changes to lounges have been specifically prepared to comply with new state and travel regulations.

“This is a new world for everyone as we introduce and evolve our services to the new travel climate, but we’re very confident that we can make this work well for our people and our customers,” she said.

“Some initiatives will become the norm while others such as capacity restrictions will ease as time goes on. We haven’t ruled out a return of the buffet, toastie and pancake maker in the future or the reintroduction of self-serve beverage stations when restrictions ease. In the meantime, we are hopeful Qantas customers will enjoy the extra personalised offering.”

Expect changes to the Qantas lounge food service. Picture: Qantas

The new snacking station will look something like this.

From July 1, Sydney business lounge, Perth business lounge, Adelaide Qantas Club and Canberra business lounge will be open in addition to a number or regional lounges across the country.