Qantas is to open a new Qantas Business Lounge at Brisbane airport, said to be taking a diversion from the traditional corporate design of its Sydney and Melbourne counterparts, instead sporting a contemporary theme. Eligible travellers will also benefit from Premium Lounge Entry, opening alongside the new lounge in March, which will offer a fast-track experience complete with a dedicated airport drop-off point, check-in area with baggage drop, security screening and an escalator providing direct access to all the Qantas domestic lounges.
In addition to the development at Brisbane, Qantas will be opening the airline's first dedicated lounge at London's Heathrow airport this year, too. Capable of accommodating 230 passengers, the split-level lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 will serve food according to seasonal menus, potentially changing throughout the day to reflect the lunch and dinner departures of Qantas' Airbus A380 flights to Melbourne and Sydney. In addition, there will be wine and cocktail bars on both levels.
Also at Heathrow, over in Terminal 5, British Airways is to open the Heathrow First Wing in April. An expanded private check-in area for top-tier BA and Oneworld flyers will lead through to two First Wing-only security lanes, exiting straight into BA's Galleries First and Concorde Room lounges. Also opening new lounges are Air New Zealand, which says the new Star Alliance facility in Melbourne airport will open in March, and Singapore Airlines, which will renovate its lounge at Bangkok, also by March.
Further developments are also rumoured, including a brand new Perth International Lounge in Terminal 3 from Qantas to cater for the non-stop Perth to London route launching in March 2018, along with the standard flights to Singapore and Auckland.
Undoubtedly, many more lounges will join the list as the year goes on, but it's safe to say there are already plenty of developments underway.
