Qantas has opened its expanded Brisbane international lounge in time for Easter with a new ground-level area providing seating for an additional 100 customers.
The addition expands the lounge, opened in 2016, by 25 percent and from two levels to three. The new area will open daily from 7:30 am to 11 am to cater for the airline’s morning peak.
Qantas operates 58 direct international services each week from Brisbane to Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Noumea, Port Moresby, Singapore and Tokyo.
READ: Head of Qantas International in abrupt departure.
The Queensland capital is seen as one of its key markets.
“With the majority of our international flights from Brisbane departing in the morning, the expanded space will give our customers a more relaxed lounge experience,’’ Qantas Group chief customer officer Vanessa Hudson said.
“We’ve taken over previously underutilized airport space to create an additional lounge area that accommodates more customers with comfortable seats, great food and given we go through five kilograms of coffee a day, a stylish barista-station with the latest coffee-making technology.”
The additional space aims to reflect Queensland’s relaxed approach to living and features traditional white wood paneling on the walls, subtle lighting, curved ceiling and bright timber finishes.
The airline says the furniture is inspired by the tropical north with timber café seating and low slung lounges while rugs “bring color and texture reminiscent of the reef, sandbars and waterways of Queensland’s coast and inlets”.
The lounge features a buffet on the ground and main level and a breakfast hatch on the mezzanine serving cooked-to-order dishes available customers seated anywhere in the lounge.
The bar on the main level and new ground level serves craft beer, premium wine and barista coffee.
Other features of the international lounge – which is open to business class customers, eligible Qantas frequent flyers and oneworld members – include a business center, shower suites and Sofitel service.
The airline also announced Thursday it would launch new direct seasonal flights between Sydney and Japanese skiing hotspot Sapporo to meet the growing demand for travel from Australia
Qantas will fly three times weekly to Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport between December 16, 2019, and March 28, 2020, using upgraded Airbus A330 aircraft.
The airline said the new service would offer more than 10,000 seats on the route.
