The Qantas Perth International Lounge, I finally get to experience you. I have been so intrigued by this makeshift lounge (an international lounge in the domestic terminal) that I thought I have to experience it. This lounge has been developed to serve the Perth-London flights (see my review) which leave from the domestic terminal (T3/4) at Perth Airport, not the main international terminal (T1). This is because many people actually connect to this flight from the east coast of Australia (e.g. Sydney, Melbourne etc) and so instead of having to change terminals at Perth Airport, Qantas has a special (and controversial) agreement to be able to have the international flights leave from/arrive into what is otherwise a domestic terminal. But this leaves a bit of a quandary – a lounge that only touches the walkways people on QF 9/10 touch and that is of international standards, not the Qantas domestic lounge that is already at Perth domestic terminal. Note this lounge is not available for Oneworld passengers not travelling on Qantas international metal as all other partner/Oneworld flights leave from the international terminal. Similarly if you are on a Qantas domestic flight within Australia you are also not able to access this lounge. So as I was flying from London Heathrow to Melbourne via Perth and on the ‘international’ connecting flight from Perth to Melbourne I was able to access this lounge and experience what it is like transiting through Perth instead of Asia or the Middle East to the UK.
Qantas Perth International Lounge Menu
And all day dining menu was being served when I visited the Qantas Perth International Lounge at around lunchtime. There was a small buffet inside serving a selection of cold foods and a hot dish, and also a BBQ area outside which had 2 choices of sandwiches which could be ordered. The staff also prepared some dishes on the BBQ such as prawn skewers which were available just off the BBQ area.



What’s healthy?
- In true Qantas lounge style there were a few appetising salads available on the buffet. I do find Qantas gets quite imaginative with their salads which is really nice to see. The range of colourful vegetables used is outstanding, and the inclusion of some high fibre, high protein vegetables is also commendable. On the day I visited the lounge they had a sweetcorn slaw salad, roasted potato salad with green goddess sauce, and a chilled soba noodle salad with beans and cucumber. Delicious! While the soba noodle salad, and roasted potato salad do risk being overloaded with carbohydrates and not many colourful vegetables, Qantas does seem to keep the vegetable ratio up. Always try and add as many colourful vegetables as you can so if you just chose the potato salad then grab some of the green mixed leaves and slaw too.

- A range of nuts and seeds were available for snacks or to add to your meals including almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Nuts and seeds are little nutrition powerhouses. A good source of protein and fibre makes them great for when travelling, especially if your body thinks it is night time. Also don’t just choose one type – mix it up and have a variety. This is because different types of nuts and seeds can be superstar stand outs in a couple of vitamins and minerals e.g. pepitas are known for being a source of iron, almonds a source of calcium and walnuts a source of omega 3s. While nuts are really nutritious they can be dangerous for people with nut allergies while on planes so please be mindful of not taking any of the nuts on your following flight and make sure you wash your hands well after eating the nuts in the lounge. This helps people with nut allergies travel more safely.

- I am always happy to see a vegetable and fruit platter – no matter the time of day. Look at all those colours – brimming with antioxidants and other bioactives.

- Not a pretty picture of the cheese platter – I certainly got to it towards the end of its life. But it has some nutritious foods on it none the less. Cheese and olives are nutritious foods that are great snacks. Olives are a good source of monounsaturated fats (one of the good fats) and polyphenols, while cheese is high in protein and contains a range of vitamins such as B2. Trick here is to not overdo the snacks if you plan on having a main meal too.

- These prawn skewers came off the BBQ in the little outdoor section of the lounge with staff offering them to people through out the lounge. Lovely being served with a squeeze of lemon and tartare sauce. Once vilified for their cholesterol content, prawns (or shrimp) can be enjoyed as part of a nutritious diet.

Not so great. Caution.
- There was no sign on these little creamy toasts and I actually didn’t get a chance to try them before flying back out. I popped them here in the caution section mainly because I am unsure what they are and they don’t seem to have much topping on them other than the cheese and some sort of herbs (spring onion or chives perhaps?).

- Are you even in a Qantas lounge if there are no toasted sandwiches trying to bulk out the lounge offerings. Instead of making your own (like in the domestic lounges) here they were already made up. Ham and cheese, or ham, cheese and tomato were the two options – unfortunately the creativity seen in the salads does not extend to the sandwiches. Gosh so sick of ham, cheese and tomato toasties in the Qantas lounges – this is the last food I want to see on an international flight.

- So much bread in this roll! I chose to try the peri-peri grilled chicken roll from the BBQ but it came on a hot dog type roll without much filling. Having just flown from the UK my body clock was still thinking it was night and so I didn’t want a huge amount of refined carbohydrate, especially when it tasted average.


- Corn chips and wraps without much to put in the middle. While jalapenos and some salsa was available in small bowls there wasn’t a lot available, which encourages more of carbs and less of the vegetables.

- While I love a lamington (a classic Aussie flavour), just be careful you choose mindfully when deciding to eat sweets before a flight. It can be tempting to eat sweet cakes and muffins such as these, however they don’t hold a lot of nutritional benefit for flying. Ask yourself if you really want them or if you just want them because you can see them on the buffet.

- Bar snacks such as these pretzels and chips are moorish and very easy to overeat, especially if you are sitting at the bar like you can in this lounge. These snacks don’t hold a lot of nutritional benefit. The two varieties of nuts are a more nutritious offering, however be careful not to take these on the plane.

- Jjimdjak (Korean braised chicken) with steamed rice was available as the only ‘hot dish’ on the buffet. First of all I do love there are carrots and potatoes in this dish, however before a 16 hour flight having a dish doubling up on carbohydrates (white rice and potatoes) isn’t great. Sitting for 16 hours doesn’t expend much energy and has the potential to raise blood sugar levels and keep them elevated. If you would like to eat this – have just 1 spoon of rice.

Wellness Inititatives
There were a number of wellness initiatives available in the Qantas Perth International Lounge including a stretching room, and a skincare hydration routine. My skin just loved the routine after getting off a 16 hour flight – it felt so nice. I didn’t get a chance to use the stretching room – I really wanted too but with only a very short connection (and Qantas not having the boarding time advertised) I was not able to.



- Qantas’ Quench station was also available encouraging people to stay hydrated

Last word on Qantas Perth International Lounge
To be honest I was not loving the Qantas Perth International Lounge – don’t get me wrong there was nothing wrong with it, but there just wasn’t anything amazing about it. For a flagship route and ‘gateway’ for their Australia direct-to-Europe flights, it felt like a slightly more upmarket domestic lounge, rather than a flagship lounge. And it was packed – I found it hard to get a seat. While the Qantas International Business Lounge in Sydney is also in desperate need of a makeover and so nothing to write home about, I had thought with this lounge being newer, there was an opportunity to make it more stand out. For me I would preference flying through Asia or Middle East and have access to a range other standout lounges, rather than fly 3-4 hours across Australia to still have to stop in Perth and feel like I am in a domestic lounge. Flying International long-haul should still have some magic to it I think and I had hoped the Qantas Perth International lounge would have reflected that in the food – but for me I didn’t feel it unfortunately.

Qantas International Business Lounge, Sydney Food and Nutrition Review
The Qantas International Business Lounge in Sydney offers a range of healthy and less nutritious food options, with highlights including a vibrant fruit salad and plain yogurt with mango coulis on the side. However, the overall food quality is disappointing, lacking variety and creativity, particularly in the hot buffet selections.
NOTE: All pictures of the Qantas Perth International Lounge are my own and I review the food from the foods available at the time I visited the lounge. There may be different options available at other times.