Qantas's single Adelaide lounge boasts plenty of space and some handy touches, Angus Kidman discovers.
★★★★★☆
Qantas only has a single general-access lounge in Adelaide Airport; there's no separate business or international lounge. (OK, there's a Chairman's Lounge, but we're not going there, let's face it.)
That restriction is actually good news for most passengers, since it means the standard of food and wine is higher here than in regular capital city Qantas Clubs. While you'll still see the regular options such as the ubiquitous toasted sandwich presses, there's more hot food on offer and a better selection of wines.
I've visited Adelaide's Qantas lounge literally dozens of times (for family and work visits). For this review, I dropped in on Saturday 26 May 2018. I was on a lunchtime flight, so I didn't get to take advantage of the bar (dammit!).
What I liked
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Loads of space. There's heaps of room here, with options ranging from individual lounges to cubicles and dining tables over a large L-shaped area. Even during peak periods, you can usually find a seat and a power outlet. If you're travelling with family, there are also plenty of areas to sit as a group. (It's much bigger than the rival Virgin Adelaide lounge). That even extends to two sets of bathrooms: one in the centre near the bar, and the other adjacent to the desk area.
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Broader food and wine offerings. To pacify the regular Qantas fliers hoping for a business lounge, there are usually more hot meals on offer here than in most other capital city Qantas lounges.
I visited for this review just prior to lunch so didn't get to take full advantage this time around, but it's definitely a welcome benefit.
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The best desk options of any Qantas Club in Australia. Yep, I'm calling it. When you enter the lounge, you'll see around half-a-dozen desks, arranged with privacy screens so three people can use them. (Not that long ago, each desk had a PC and a printer on it.)
That gives you far more working space than in any other regular Qantas lounge I know. On top of that, there are benches with power outlets lining either side of that area.
- Centrally located. It's a very short walk from the lounge to any of the gates Qantas uses, and there are no lift/escalator dramas as the lounge is on the same level. Indeed, the only capital city Qantas lounges I can think of in Australia that are closer (for some flights) are Perth and Brisbane.
INSIDER TIP
Unlike Sydney or Melbourne, Jetstar flights use the same terminal as Qantas in Adelaide, so you can make use of the lounge if you're eligible (via membership or status). Jetstar flights are called in the lounge, but unlike Qantas flights, there will only be a single announcement. The Jetstar gates are at the far (southern) end of the terminal, not a ridiculous walk but I wouldn't advise hanging around after your flight is called. Also remember you'll need your membership card to get in (you can take advantage of the digital card built into the Qantas app).What I didn't like
There's really not much to complain about here, but these issues might niggle a bit:
- No international lounge. International flights at Adelaide all depart from Gate 17, and you need to clear customs and security to access it. That means you can't just stroll from the lounge to your gate. This isn't a Qantas-only problem, but it's a minor nuisance for the handful of international flights offered from Adelaide.
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No tarmac view. The main concourse at Adelaide offers one of the best plane-spotting set-ups in Australia, but you can't see any of that from the lounge. The only window looks over a parking area for smaller craft.
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The family area isn't separated. The play area is adjacent to the food, so if the kids get noisy, they can be hard to avoid. (Cairns domestic sets the gold standard for family play rooms in Qantas lounges, incidentally.)
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The printer often isn't working. Ironically for an airport that once boasted a printer at every desk, the last two times I've been here the printers have been out of order.
Points Finder Lounge Rating: ★★★★★☆
THE POINTS FINDER TAKE
Plenty of space and enhanced food offerings make this one of the more pleasant Qantas Clubs you'll encounter. Easy access for Jetstar passengers is a bonus, especially given how many routes from Adelaide are covered by Jetstar rather than Qantas.THE FINDER LOUNGE REVIEW PROMISE: Our lounge reviews are based on a visit to the actual lounge during normal operation. We offer an honest and open critique from one of our frequent flyer experts, and update with any relevant news as it comes to hand. Being in a lounge should always be more pleasant than just being stuck with waiting at the gate, but we won't shy away from highlighting issues. Learn more about how our scoring works.
Qantas Club Adelaide details
Location: Airside, opposite Gate 21
Opening hours: From 1 hour before the first flight until the last flight.
Who can get in? Fliers on a Qantas-operated service with Gold or Platinum status (or equivalent with oneworld partners) or a current Qantas Club membership. You generally have to be booked on a Qantas flight that day, but some eligible international passengers (including Emirates and Air New Zealand) are allowed in.
How many Qantas Points can you earn flying from Adelaide?
Qantas offers direct flights from Adelaide to the following cities. Next to each destination, we've noted the minimum number of points and status credits you'll earn on a discount economy fare from that destination:
- Alice Springs (800 points, 15 status credits)
- Brisbane (800 points, 15 status credits)
- Canberra (800 points, 10 status credits)
- Darwin (1,450 points, 20 status credits)
- Kingscote (800 points, 10 status credits)
- Melbourne (800 points, 10 status credits)
- Perth (800 points, 15 status credits)
- Port Lincoln (800 points, 10 status credits)
- Sydney (800 points, 10 status credits)
- Whyalla (800 points, 10 status credits)
Our complete Adelaide destination guide
Qantas subsidiary Jetstar flies to the following additional destinations. You won't earn points on these flights unless you've paid for a Plus or Max bundle, but you can make use of the lounge if you meet the access requirements described above.
- Avalon
- Cairns
- Denpasar
- Gold Coast
- Hobart
- Sunshine Coast
