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After a great time in Gold Coast Australia it was time to head off to Hong Kong. We were utilizing Alaska’s outstanding award chart to fly on Cathay Pacific’s new A350 in business from BNE to HKG, then spend a few days in Hong Kong, and finally continue on to LA in Cathay Pacific’s First Class. This was all booked for 80k points a piece.
I was especially excited to check out CX’s new A350 and was a bit bummed our flight was delayed, but it allowed us to check out two lounges at BNE. This one offered by Qantas, and the Plaza Premium Lounge BNE. One positive note about our BNE to HKG flight departing late was an arrival that facilitated an easy and straight forward check-in at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, along with Prive benefits.
The Deets:
- When: April 2018
- Where: Brisbane, Level 4, Airside
- Access:
- One World Business Class
- Platinum One
- Gold
- Qantas Club
Entrance and check-in
The lounge is up the escalator to level 4. Since our flight was a few hours delayed and I believe the only people in the lounge were from our flight, it was dead city.
First Impression
The lounge is contemporary with a fresh, recently renovated feel. You’ll enter near the bar which leads to the general dining area and expanded seating area. A major plus… Perrier Jouet – an incredible champagne for business class.
Seating:
There is lounge seating, and then there is seating in the terminal. I like lounges that offer the “in terminal” seating vibe. I like hearing the hubbub of the airport while I work, lounge, etc. The Melbourne lounge I visited earlier on this trip has since been updated, but in comparison to it, Brisbane was hands down the winner. In fact, the finishes this lounge made the Qantas First Lounge at LAX feel a bit dated.
Dining:
The food was up to expectation, which for Qantas, is quite high. It was all fresh, hot, and a fine selection considering it was purely open for one delayed flight. Good on ya Qantas.
If need be…a shower:
Overall:
Lounges are getting more and more competitive, and this Qantas lounge is on the better end of business class lounges internationally. Completely on par with the new crop of Flagship lounges that American Airlines is rolling out, Amex Centurion lounges, and better than anything I’ve ever stepped foot in from BA. The colors are fresh, food is contemporary and healthy, seating is varied for leisure/work, spacious showers, and there are ample plugs for charging. Pouring a nice champagne is a great added touch that signifies the distinction that Qantas is looking to make in the market, and one that I believe they’re successful in their execution.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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