Qantas fast-tracks Tamworth lounge upgrade
The new lounge will be open before Christmas.
Well, that happened quickly. Back in August, Qantas announced plans to upgrade six of its airport lounges, including the small-but-well-executed Tamworth Regional Lounge. In a commendable example of not faffing about, development on the new lounge is due to start next week.
The existing lounge will be shut from 3 December for the revamp. Assuming the builders don't lose control of the schedule, the new lounge will open on 22 December, which means it will be in place when Tamworth gets flooded with cowboy-hat-toting types for the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. (During the three weeks the old lounge is shut, Qantas will be offering food vouchers for use in the airport cafe to eligible members.)
What's going to be on offer once the revamp finishes? According to Qantas, the new lounge will "feature tarmac views, contemporary furnishings, complimentary refreshments and beverages, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating". That means relocating the existing lounge, which currently doesn't look onto the tarmac.
I checked out the Tamworth lounge just before the rebuild was announced. One of my key criticisms of the current lounge was the lack of any tarmac vistas, so it's good to see that being addressed.
Beyond that, the new facility sounds like it will stick to the familiar Qantas Regional Lounge template: not as elaborate as a full Qantas Club, especially in terms of food choices, but with enough options to make it more appealing than just hanging by the gate.
I'll be keen to check out the new lounge when it opens (confession: yes, I'm already looking up flights). That will make it the first airport lounge location I've reviewed twice for Finder. However, given the ongoing lounge renovations announced, it won't be the last.
Angus Kidman's Findings column looks at new developments and research that help you save money, make wise decisions and enjoy your life more. It appears regularly on finder.com.au.
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Picture: Angus Kidman
