Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. The Qantas Chairman’s Lounge is not one particular lounge, but a network of them in every mainland state capital and in Canberra. These vast, hidden, hushed spaces allow members to relax, graze, work and network in privacy and luxury before their domestic flights.
Behind the black sliding doors, simply marked “Private”, the chosen elite can order from the à la carte restaurant menu, partake of bottomless premium wines and spirits, recline on designer armchairs and read the daily newspapers (except, in 2023, The Australian Financial Review , which then CEO Alan Joyce had banished from Qantas lounges in response to my columns criticising the airline and his leadership). When a member’s flight commences boarding, a lounge attendant personally comes and informs them. This offering was established in the 1980s by Australian Airlines, before its 1993 merger with Qantas, and was a facsimile of Ansett’s exclusive Managers Lounge.
It was (and remains) a globally unique offering. While the US and some European carriers have invitation-only tiers in their frequent-flyer programs that come with worthy perks, none of them operates dedicated lounges for those customers. Members of the Chairman’s Lounge receive those same perks, such as complimentary upgrades to business class (subject to availability), or to first class on international flights, and a dedicated VIP service line, the value .