Qantas is really a premium airline. It might be losing money, it might be facing ruthless competition from low-cost carriers, but even among all the difficult times, Qantas has retained its aura of exclusivity, class and - in its premium cabin - luxury.
My long journey back home started with an Auckland - Melbourne flight in business class, which gave me the chance to savor what was going to come up the day after on my Trans-Pacific flight on Qantas First Class.
Since Qantas joined forces with Emirates, the company started offering complimentary limo service to its First Class customers to/from the airport. As I had an overnight connection in Melbourne, I got three free pick-ups with my itinerary: from Auckland to the airport; from Melbourne's airport to the Grand Hyatt; and to my hotel back to the airport again.
I booked my transfer online, making sure I left enough time to visit the lounge in both Auckland and Melbourne. I received no call or email confirmation, but sure enough my driver was in front of the Hilton at 4pm sharp.
Great limo ride
The driver was friendly and polite - certainly professional. Within 45 minutes we were dropped off at the airport, and I proceeded to the dedicated Qantas premium cabin check-in area. I was not expecting a separate area for Qantas premium passenger, but it was certainly welcome. Also, immigration is cleared right there inside this check-in lounge, which makes going through immigration a breeze. Well done QF!
After going through security I headed to the Qantas lounge. It was fairly crowded, but I was still able to snag a seat and get some (decent tasting) food and a beer. Overall, the lounge was good and the food selection not bad at all - definitely better than many Aadmirals Clubs I have been throughout the US and comparable to some BA Galleries I had visited before.
