QANTAS: New lounge in Rockhampton
UPDATE:
Since I posted this, several articles have appeared, most notably one in the AFR’s Chanticleer column. Try and read it, although it is behind a paywall. Here is a tantalising quote about the current sky-high prices’ contribution to today’s notification of even higher half-year earnings for Qantas:
‘Government data suggests fares for the cheapest seats haven’t been as high as they are now since September 2007; by way of example, a quick scan of the Qantas website suggests the cheapest flights from Sydney to Melbourne and back in a week’s time is about $885.’
Chanticleer, AFR
PREVIOUSLY:
Rockhampton, claiming to be the beef capital of Australia, now has its own Qantas Club lounge, doubling the capacity of the previous lounge, now with seating for 65 guests in a 200 sqm space.
Situated on Darumbal Country, the new lounge features artwork by local indigenous artist Brandon Butler.
“The space has been designed with business and leisure travellers in mind. While we expect the lounge will be well utilised by business travellers, it’s also opening just in time for the peak Christmas travel period for our leisure Qantas Club members and tiered frequent flyers.”
QantasLink CEO John Gissing
The previous club closed during the pandemic in 2020. The new club, open to eligible Qantas Club, Gold, and above frequent flyer members is also open to qualifying OneWorld frequent flyers.
Guests can enjoy high tables, WiFi, Australian beers and wines and sweet and savoury snacks.
Opening hours run from an hour before the first flight, through to the last Qantas departure. Qantas runs 48 weekly services from Rockhampton to Brisbane and MacKay mainly with Bombardier Q400 and Boeing 717s.
2PAXfly Takeout
This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.
The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.
If you are off to Beef week (January 27 to February 3, 2023), then you will now have a place to down a few more bevvies before your flight home.
What did you say?