Qantas will (finally) upgrade its Sydney and Auckland lounges

Qantas is moving into gear with the long-planned upgrades for its international lounges in Sydney and Auckland. Announced as far back as 2018, the Roo is finally set to begin construction on both spaces this year.

Of the two lounges, Qantas now expects Auckland will be the first cab off the rank. If all now goes to plan, the new Auckland space will welcome travellers from early 2026. Sydney’s International Business Lounge will follow, although a firm opening date is yet to be confirmed.

In Auckland, Qantas plans to amalgamate the current (separate) Business Lounge and First Lounge. Over in Sydney, Qantas had been waiting for the airport authority to iron out its terminal expansion plans. The thinking being to possibly relocate the Qantas lounge to a new pier. But it seems, the lounge will stay put and the existing space will be refurbished.

Speaking to media at the announcement of the Qantas Group’s half-year financial results, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson shares more.

Qantas Premier Platinum

Apply Now Read the guide

• Sign-up Bonus: Up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points
• Rewards Earn Rate: 1 Qantas Point per whole AU$1 on Domestic Spend up to $10,000 per statement period and 0.5 thereafter. 1.5 Qantas Points per whole AU$1 equivalent on international spend plus 1 additional Qantas Point per whole AU$1 on selected Qantas spend. 
• Annual Fee: $349 for the first year and $399 p.a. ongoing

The Qantas Premier Platinum card offers 50,000 bonus Qantas Points for new cardholders who spend $5,000 or more on eligible purchases within 3 months from approval, and an additional 40,000 bonus Qantas Points for those who haven’t earned Qantas Points with a credit or charge card in the last 12 months. The card also includes a discounted first-year annual fee, two complimentary airport lounge passes, and 0% p.a. interest for 6 months on Balance Transfers (a 2% Balance Transfer fee applies).

Upgrade plans for Qantas’ Auckland lounge

‘Our services across the Tasman are doing really well,’ Hudson shares. ‘But also, we’ve got the New York service out of Auckland that continues to perform really well. Auckland as a hub for us is going to be important on an ongoing basis.’

Between Sydney and Auckland, ‘Auckland will be the first lounge that opens,’ Hudson confirms. ‘That lounge is going to come on at the beginning of 2026. It’s going to be fantastic. It’s going to be much larger (and) it’s going to have a new food experience.’

As part of the upgrade in Auckland, Qantas will reduce its number of own-brand lounges from two to one. That’s due to the closure of the dedicated First Lounge. Which, in the absence of any Qantas or oneworld First Class flights from Auckland, is largely now the domain of Platinum-grade frequent flyers. Plus, any Emirates First Class passengers bound for Dubai who choose to wander across.

Certainly, some top-tier travellers might be disappointed with the loss of this quieter space. But it’ll make way for a larger combined lounge, open to all eligible travellers. Far from just a few extra seats, the precinct is in for a complete redesign. It’ll go from a style that currently reflects Qantas’ former Brisbane international lounges of yesteryear, to one that embodies the design elements that travellers have come to expect from the Roo’s newer lounges elsewhere.

slide 2 of 4

Sure, the Auckland First Lounge will close. But the new Business-level lounge will be even better.

Qantas’ new Auckland lounge will feature a grander entrance than at present.

The lounge is set to adopt the more modern stylings of the Roo’s international counterparts.

Initial plans for the Auckland lounge include a living wall with herbs ripe for the picking.

Sure, the Auckland First Lounge will close. But the new Business-level lounge will be even better.

Qantas’ new Auckland lounge will feature a grander entrance than at present.

Hudson adds that ‘we want to bring that lounge on as quickly as possible. To do that, we are going to close the lounge,’ while the refurbishment works take place. During the closure, ‘we will be using our partner Emirates’ lounge, to make sure that there’s not going to be any change in the experience that customers will have in that interim period.’

This suggests that arrangements are being made to accommodate paying Qantas Club members at Emirates’ lounge. Usually, these flyers would only qualify for the Qantas-operated lounge in Auckland. Most other travellers eligible for Qantas lounge access can already use Emirates’ lounge when flying with Qantas.

A new look for Sydney, too

Qantas’ International First Lounge in Sydney is highly regarded. But among frequent flyers, its International Business Lounge in the same city doesn’t share the same acclaim. Upgrades to Qantas’ Business Class lounge had been due for completion in early 2025. But we now know that construction will only begin later this year.

Not long after Auckland’s debut in early 2026, ‘we’re going to see the Qantas International Business Class lounge completely refurbished,’ Hudson says of Sydney. (Woohoo, we hear you say!) The airline had previously said its plans were for a ‘full redesign and rebuild from scratch,’ to boost capacity to over 600 seats. Imagery of this lounge is not yet available.

Hudson shares that ‘it’s going to have modern furniture, but also (modern) design features. We’re going to be using the designers that we’ve had across our lounges to help us do that. There are going to be some really unique things about this Business Lounge. I think, as a complement to our world-leading First Class Lounge in Sydney International, it’s going to create a precinct of lounges maybe second-to-none out of Sydney.’

Qantas had been holding off its plans to renovate the lounge as it awaited an update from Sydney Airport. There had been talks of Qantas moving to a new pier that’s planned for development at the airport. The question had been whether to stay put and upgrade the existing space, or simply build a brand-new lounge in a new location. It seems, staying put is the order of the day.

The same conundrum is behind Emirates’ delays to making similar upgrades to its own lounge at Sydney Airport. Emirates’ position remains to be seen – as the airline had been tossing up between upgrading its current lounge or building a brand new one elsewhere.

On the plus side, Qantas’ commitment to the existing Business Lounge space signals that the First Lounge will be staying put for many years to come. Now, please pass that salt and pepper squid…

Also read: Qantas plans ‘major cabin overhaul’ for Boeing 737 fleet

Imagery courtesy of Qantas.