Qantas Club Lounge at Canberra Airport

Canberra Airport is a modern and well-organised airport located in the city’s east. While it’s not as large as Sydney or Melbourne, it offers a smooth travel experience with minimal congestion. The airport has a few fast food outlets and cafés, but the highlight for many travellers is access to the Qantas and Virgin Lounges.

During my visit, I had the chance to experience the Qantas Lounge using one of my lounge passes. While the lounge was spacious and comfortable, I found certain amenities lacking, particularly compared to other Qantas Lounges in Australia.

Lounge Access & Layout

One of the main differences between Qantas and Virgin Lounges at Canberra Airport is their accessibility to different travellers.

Virgin Lounge: Open to all classes of travellers, with a one-off entry fee of $65.
Qantas Lounge: Access is restricted to Business Class passengers, eligible frequent flyers, or those with a lounge pass.

I personally prefer the Brisbane Qantas Lounge setup, where all lounge holders enter through the same entrance, with the Business Class Lounge located in the rear. In Canberra, however, the Qantas Club Lounge has a separate entrance from the Business Class Lounge and Chairman’s Lounge, which felt unnecessarily segmented.

Once inside, the lounge itself was spacious, with plenty of areas to sit and relax. However, I was disappointed to find no shower facilities and no dedicated rest areas for travellers looking to lie down between flights.

Food & Drinks

The food selection at the lounge was basic but decent. On the day of my visit, the offerings included:

Wraps & sandwiches
Two salad options – Tabouli and broccoli salad
Chicken and potato soup
Burrito filling and wraps (later in the day)

While the food was fresh, the variety was underwhelming compared to other lounges. A hot meal option would have been a welcome addition.

For drinks, the lounge provided:

A bar with a limited selection of alcoholic beverages
Coffee and tea
Soft drink dispensers and mixed cordials

While these options were sufficient for a short stay, the limited bar selection and lack of premium beverages left something to be desired.

Final Thoughts

Pros:

✔ Spacious lounge with plenty of seating
✔ Decent food selection (but limited variety)
✔ Good drink options, including coffee and soft drinks

Cons:

❌ No shower facilities
❌ No proper rest areas
❌ Limited bar selection
❌ Food options could be improved

Overall, the Qantas Lounge at Canberra Airport is a comfortable space to wait for a flight, but it lacks some of the premium amenities offered at other Qantas Lounges. While it’s a great place to relax and grab a quick bite, I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit unless I already had access.

Would I use it again? Yes, but with managed expectations.

Please support the website by liking the article or subscribing to the mailing list. The review and the experience above are based on my own views. No commission, freebies or payments have been received.

Here are some of my recent articles: