From today, Qantas is shifting all its QantasLink flights through Sydney into the single Qantas-only terminal, T3. That’s good news for NSW QantasLink customers who won’t have to change terminals for connecting flights, but bad news for Jetstar flyers.
Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Not having to mess around moving from T2 (which also houses Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Tiger, Rex and some other smaller airlines) to T3 will save time and hassle for anyone flying, say, Armidale-Sydney-Adelaide, since they won’t need to switch terminals. It also gives QantasLink customers a much better lounge that the relatively basic T3 Qantas Club (including the option of the Business Lounge for eligible customers).
However, what this does mean is that Jetstar customers flying from Sydney no longer have any lounge access at all from T2. In every other capital city you can fly on Jetstar and still use the Qantas Club lounge if you have membership (or suitable status), but that’s no longer the case.
Qantas notes that customers are still “welcome to visit Qantas Lounges in T3” if they are flying on Jetstar. However, that’s much less convenient; you have to clear security twice to do so, and if you’re checking luggage, you’ll need to do that in T2, head to T3, and then head back to T2 again. One of the benefits of lounge access is being able to wait in comfort until your flight is called; that simply won’t be possible anymore for Jetstar customers.
While you could argue that if you want lounge convenience you should pay for a Qantas ticket instead, that isn’t always possible. Some destinations (such as Townsville and the Sunshine Coast) only have direct flights on Jetstar.
Comments
4 responses to “What Qantas’ Sydney Terminal Consolidation Means For Passengers”
Too bad if you pay for a Qantas ticket and it ends up being a Jetstar codeshare flight…!
Is this meant to be T2?
Yep! Thanks for the spot, fixed now.
It will provide interesting problems for people travelling, say PER > OOL via Sydney. A large number of the flights to Coolangatta are code share Jetstar. This is just another reason to carefully pick each carrier. I’d hate to have to rush through the terminal, cross the airport and check through security. Hmmm … Where’s my baggage?