To get home for our trip to Australia and New Zealand my girlfriend and I decided to fly directly from Auckland to Los Angeles. This meant we wouldn’t get to go back to the incredible Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney, but we did get a great price on an economy ticket (which we later upgraded) and it shortened our overall travel time.
Flying directly from Auckland also meant that we effectively had an extra day in Auckland as our flight back to the US didn’t depart until the late afternoon. We ended up spending much of the morning exploring the city, but eventually had to head back to the hotel, pack up, and head to the airport.
Although tried to maximize our time in Auckland before heading home we ended up arriving at the airport just a bit earlier than expected. After checking in and clearing security we still had about an hour until our schedule boarding time. So, we wandered around the airport for a bit, but eventually decided to quickly visit the Qantas Business Class Lounge in Auckland.
Getting To The Qantas Business/First Class Lounge Auckland
After passing security and looking around the duty free area of the terminal we decided to visit the Qantas lounge. To access the lounge we rode the escalator upstairs to the “Other Premium lounges” area of the airport.
Once upstairs we quickly found the underwhelming entrance to the Qantas business class lounge. You’ll notice on the door there is a separate sign for Qantas First passengers. That’s because this area houses a separate First Class lounge. I wish I knew that at the time, but unfortunately I didn’t and no one told me. So, for now, I’ll only be reviewing the Business Class area of the lounge.
Just inside the lounge entrance was a small seating area which felt like an homage to the Finnair Lounge in Helsinki.
A little further in the lounge was a large area perhaps a bit confused by its identity. It was setup like a strange lounge room / media room hybrid. It was unclear if anyone was expected to watch the televisions given the strange arrangement.
A little further back in the lounge we found a very large, very crowded, seating area.
This seating area market the end of what is essentially the first half of the entire business class lounge.
Qantas Business Class Lounge Dining Area
As you move toward the rear of the lounge you’ll find the entire lounge is divided in half by the “dining area” of the lounge. Essentially, this is nothing more than a buffet line which sits awkwardly in the middle of the lounge.
This area is home to the various sodas, beers, wines, liquor, and coffee often found in business class lounges.
There was also a buffet setup in the middle of this area which was home to a nacho station…
… as well as some salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Nothing found in this buffet area was particularly appetizing.
Just next to the buffet line was a dining area for those daring enough to eat any of the food on offer in the lounge.
If you pass on the in lounge dining, you can find another area to sit and relax toward the rear of the lounge.
Qantas Business Class Lounge Rear Seating Area
This second sitting area of the lounge was again a bit overcrowded, but featured large windows which let in ample light when compared to the front half of the lounge.
Even with the lounge near capacity we were able to find two seats together, but this is definitely not the lounge to visit if you hope to escape the crowds often found in the terminal.
After a short stay in the lounge we opted to head back downstairs and further explain the terminal.
Final Thoughts
I was actually quite disappointed by the Qantas Business Class lounge in Auckland. Until this point I had only ever been to the two incredible Qantas lounges in Los Angeles and Sydney so I just assumed that all Qantas lounges were similar. Unfortunately this one was not. The seating and decor were quite dated and overall very boring. Qantas lounges tend to be visually appealing, but this one felt like a bank branch over an airline lounge.
On top of the dated and boring decor the food in the lounge was also quite disappointing. There really wasn’t anything available that was appealing before hopping on a 12 hour flight. Normally I’m happy to eat anything before getting on an American Airlines flight, but in this case I hoped for a better meal on board.
Overall, this lounge is a nice place to sit down for a few minutes before a long flight, but is absolutely not a destination. If you have access, I’d recommend stopping by for a drink before the flight, but otherwise, don’t feel bad if you skip it all together.
