Concurrent with Qantas’ relaunch of their flagship Sydney-London service, which will operate via Darwin, Qantas will open a pop-up transit lounge at Darwin International Airport. The carrier will lease Darwin’s Catalina Lounge, which can accommodate 100 guests.
On Wednesday (October 27, 2021), Qantas announced the opening of a pop-up lounge at Darwin International Airport from November 1st, 2021. The carrier will lease Darwin’s Catalina lounge, which can accommodate 100 guests using existing furniture and fittings. The opening of the pop-up lounge is concurrent with the relaunch of Qantas’ flagship route between London and Sydney, which will operate via Darwin until at least April 2022, due to Western Australia border closings. Lounge service will be delivered by the Qantas team and will include a signature welcome cocktail (Top End Lemonade), generous lounge and dining areas with a serviced buffet, tailored menus depending on the time of day, and premium Australian wines, beers and non-alcoholic beverages. The lounge also features power points throughout the space for charging personal devices, as well as bathroom facilities.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Qantas Group’s Chief Customer Officer, Stephanie Tully, said,
“We know that spending time in our lounges is one of the most enjoyable parts of the travel experience. We are excited to work with our friends at Darwin Airport to have our lounge facility ready next week in time to welcome our first international customers in 20 months. Given the relatively brief transit time of 90 minutes, our focus will be on offering a comfortable space for customers to stretch their legs, enjoy a brunch or light supper and to refresh before their onward journey. Previously, our direct flight between Australia and London had the highest customer satisfaction rating on our entire network and our plan is to recreate that as we restart.”
Qantas’ Darwin International Airport Lounge will be open to eligible guests including Platinum One, Platinum, Gold Qantas Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members, as well as Business Class guests and eligible oneworld partner members. From November 1st, 2021, Qantas will also reopen their Sydney International Lounge, while London and Los Angeles lounges will reopen in December. During the interim weeks of operation, eligible Qantas guests will be welcome to visit the British Airways T3 lounge at London Heathrow, and the Star Alliance lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal in Los Angeles.
Source: Qantas