Country
Australia
City
Darwin
Airport
Darwin
Alliance
Oneworld
Airline
Qantas
Cabin-class
Business
Notes
The Good
- A large footprint divides the space into numerous zones, with a separate Joey Club
The Bad
- Opening hours don’t cater to all Jetstar flights, even to destinations where Qantas doesn’t fly
X-Factor
- With Virgin’s lounge axed, it’s now Darwin Airport’s only lounge for domestic travellers
Introduction
Lounging at Darwin Airport has been in-focus over the past year, with Virgin Australia shuttering its own Top End lounge, and Qantas in talks to use Darwin as a hub for London flights.
For now, however, the Darwin Qantas Club sits as the airport’s only lounge for domestic flyers: here’s what awaits inside.
Location & Impressions
Located after security screening, the Darwin Qantas Club sits along the departures concourse, opposite gate 4.
It’s a little tricky to spot at first – and after arriving on a connecting flight, I initially walked straight past it – but after a quick boarding pass scan (and an obligatory NT venue check-in via The Territory app), stepping inside was a breeze.
As there’s no separate Qantas Business Lounge here, the Darwin Qantas Club is a catch-all space for every lounge-eligible traveller.
This sees the atmosphere elevated slightly over some of the busier east coast Qantas Clubs, with the Darwin lounge being light and bright.
That’s courtesy of floor-to-near-ceiling windows wrapping most of the way around.
From the far corner of the lounge, airport views can be had. On the day of this visit, that provided a chance to spot a rare Qantas Boeing 787 flight taking off, running non-stop from Darwin to Los Angeles.
In a similar fashion to airports in Adelaide, Canberra and the Gold Coast, domestic and international flights depart from a single terminal here in Darwin.
Should Qantas reroute its London flights via Darwin Airport as recently mooted, the Darwin Qantas Club would be the pre-flight destination of those…