Qantas business class flyer’s harsh review of exclusive lounge at Sydney airport

A Qantas frequent flyer has shared a scathing video of his “disappointing” business class lounge experience.

TikTok and YouTube creator @pointyendsecrets – otherwise known as Kale – promises he will “uncover all the secrets so that you can sip champagne at the front of the plane for the price of the seats at the back”.

An audio engineer and international tour manager of metal bands, he started the account just last month but said he is well-equipped to share the secrets after travelling a lot for work.

In a TikTok video viewed by 14.5K people, Kale provides a tour of the Qantas Business Lounge at Sydney Airport which he described as “disappointing”.

The buffet food and beverage offering was on par with that of other lounges he had visited.

However, he said the bar was set up like a “budget hotel” with self-serve wine bottles and glasses on display.

He then moved into the bathrooms which he said looked like something out of a “shopping centre” with toilet cubicles lining the wall.

The private shower suites complete with toilet, basin, and a floor-length mirror all behind locked doors were also not to his taste, describing them as “old and dirty”.

Another pain point for the TikToker was the lack of hot meal options for vegetarians which he described as “unacceptable”.

People piled into the comments to add to their own critique of the lounge.

“I agree, the lounge is tired and needs a renovation,” one person wrote.

“OMG that glass is vile,” said another.

“Last time I flew QF business there was someone else’s crusty old napkins stuffed down the side of my seat.”

“With their pricing for business class, they better serve some Dom in the lounge instead of $10 cheap sparkling wine,” a third said.

One person suggested the airline could “learn” from international competitors like Qatar and Emirates.

Meanwhile, some people were less impressed by the review which they suggested was a bit rich considering the price of accessing the lounge.

“[First] world problems mate. No one cares,” they wrote.

The review comes as Qantas dodges a raft of criticism from delays over flight cancellations, delays, lost bags and overall reduced service quality compared to the previously sparkling reputation of the national carrier.

The airline announced last month the single biggest investment in the Qantas lounge network in more than a decade.

“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long term investments for our customers,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.

“That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges.”

The $100-million investment includes a complete refurbishment and expansion of the International Business Lounge at Sydney airport and an updated and expanded International Business Lounge in Melbourne

New lounges will also be built in Hobart and Broome.