Qantas Unveils Its New International Transit Lounge In Perth

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Qantas will be starting up the first non-stop service between Australia and Europe when it starts up its Perth – London route tomorrow (24 March 2018). So far we know all about the Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner that the airline will be operating on the route, we’ve been given an insight into the food Qantas will be serving on the ultra long-haul flight and  we know that the new international lounge in Perth will be very exclusive….but we haven’t really had a real idea of what the lounge will look like.

With the launch of Qantas’ new route less than 24 hours away the airline has now revealed what passengers can expect in it’s new Perth International Transit Lounge.

The lounge is located in the new T3/T4 “integrated domestic and international passenger hub at Perth Airport” where the international section houses its own customs and immigration areas.

Who Gets Access?

For the time being entrance to the new International Transit Lounge is only open to eligible customers transiting Perth when traveling on flights QF9 or QF10 and to customers starting their journey to London from Perth.

As Qantas expands its ultra long-haul operations out of Perth (it it is rumored to be doing later this year) eligible passengers from those flights will get access too.

Eligible customers include:

• Passengers travelling in Business Class
• Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One Frequent Flyers
• Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire card holders
• Qantas Club members
• Eligible customers can guest one person into the lounge

What’s The Lounge Like?

Qantas says that emphasis was been placed on wellness when the lounge was being designed which goes some way to explaining the “light therapy” in the shower suites which are designed to help passengers’ body clocks adjust to the flight ahead of them.

It also explains the studio offering stretching classes and a “refresh area” which offers hydrating face products.

There’s an open-air terrace complete with one of the most Aussie things you’ll find – a BBQ – which will serve “gourmet dishes” by Neil Perry.

Here’s what the lounge offers according to Qantas:

General:

• Seating for 141 customers

• Multiple USB and charging ports, wireless printing, Wi-Fi and TV screens
• 15 shower suites
• Sofitel service (as found in the Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney)

Dining:

• Seasonal menus by Neil Perry from Rockpool (as found in a number of other Qantas lounges)
• Outdoor BBQ with chefs cooking gourmet sausages from local Perth butcher Princi Smallgoods, and vegetables such as grilled mushrooms and corn on the cob
• Premium hot and cold buffet serving light dishes including soups with homemade damper, healthy salad bowls, crudité and dips

• Full service bar with premium wine and beer from Australia, including the Margaret River region
• Hydration station – Quench – serving drinks including fruit-infused water, sparkling water and tisane (herbal tea)

• Barista coffee (like you’ll find in the Qantas First Class lounge at LAX)

Wellness:

• The bathrooms feature ‘light therapy’ in the shower suites to help adjust the body clock – customers can activate bright light via a switch for 15 minute sessions. The light therapy is intended to accelerate the adjustment of the body clock to the destination time zone, increase alertness and combat the effects of jetlag

• A wellbeing studio offering stretching and breathing classes focusing on mindfulness and getting the body moving. They will be held every 15 minutes pre and post flight with a yoga teacher from Perth’s leading eco-luxe day spa group, Bodhi J Wellness Spa Retreats

• Classes will be based on customers’ needs such as calming and grounding sequences for those departing on the flight to London and stretches to loosen and invigorate muscles for those arriving in Perth.
• A refresh area with luxury Aurora Spa products specially made for Qantas including a face cleanser, hydrating face mist and moisturiser
• Outdoor open-air terrace with natural light, boosting vitamin D and aiding sleep.

Quite a lot of thought and science appears to have gone into this lounge as Peter Cistulli, Professor of Sleep Medicine at the Charles Perkins Centre, explains:

We’ve worked with the University of Sydney’s School of Physics to create an airline-first bespoke body clock intervention using bright light to help kick start the adjustment of customers’ body clocks. Applying light at appropriate times helps reduce the effects of jet lag

The lounge is just one aspect of our partnership with Qantas to improve the wellbeing of travellers. We’ve also worked together to influence the menu and timing of the food and drinks service on the Perth to London route, cabin lighting design and temperature in the 787 and we are interested in seeing how customers will respond.

I’ll be interested to see how customers respond too. The most interesting subjects will be those who get access to the lounge but are traveling in Economy Class – will anything the lounge offers help offset 17+ hours at the back of the 787?

If you’d like to know more about the lounge here’s a video Qantas has uploaded to YouTube (you may notice where some of the images in this post came from!)

Bottom Line

When Qantas puts its mind to doing a lounge properly things normally work out pretty well (the international lounges in Sydney, London and Los Angeles are testament to that) so I expect this to be a very nice place to relax before your next flight…as long as it’s QF9 or QF10.

Of course we won’t know how beneficial all the extra trimmings that science has suggested will be until we start hearing back from passengers who have actually flown on the Perth – London route and, as that information should start coming through from Sunday onwards, we don’t have long to wait.