Qantas cuts lounge perks for Jetstar passengers

From 1 July 2026, Qantas lounges are shutting their doors to Platinum, Gold and Qantas Club members travelling on international Jetstar flights.

Long live the exclusivity of the airport lounge, says Qantas . In good news for crowd-averse lounge regulars and bad news for almost everyone else, the national carrier is cutting lounge access to most travellers flying internationally with low-cost subsidiary Jetstar.

If you’ve been lapping up champagne and grazing your way through a Qantas First or Business Lounge before boarding a Jetstar flight overseas, you’re about to be relegated to a seat at the gate.

The rule change will come into effect from 1 July 2026. Qantas Platinum frequent flyers, Gold frequent flyers and Qantas Club members travelling on international Jetstar flights will no longer be able to access Qantas’s international lounges.

Qantas Sydney First Lounge — International Jetstar passengers will no longer be able to enjoy lounge perks. (Credit: Qantas)

However, there are exceptions to the rule – though they come at an extra cost. The change does not apply to Platinum One status holders, the highest publicly available tier of the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme that flyers achieve through earning Qantas points. Further, passengers wishing to continue accessing the Qantas lounge while flying with Jetstar can do so by booking Qantas codeshare flights operated by Jetstar, domestic Jetstar flights or a Jetstar Business Max fare.

There’s another catch: from 1 July 2026, Complimentary Lounge Invitations allowing one-off entry can no longer be used by passengers on international Jetstar flights. This does not apply to Platinum One frequent flyers, and passengers on Qantas-operated flights and Qantas codeshare flights operated by Jetstar.

In addition, Complimentary Lounge Invitations will only be transferable to Qantas Frequent Flyers travelling on the same flight as you (unless you are a Platinum One member) – making it harder to gift lounge passes to family and friends jetting off on their own trips.

In effect, the crackdown will block most Jetstar flyers from entering the international Qantas lounges at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It also shuts down a long-favoured workaround, where savvy flyers can tack on a domestic leg to some international Jetstar trips to spend extra time in Qantas’s premium lounges.

While Qantas hasn’t spelled out its motivations in detail, the decision appears to respond to increasingly crowded lounges – a shift that may delight travellers chasing a quieter pre-flight experience, even if it leaves others stuck outside the velvet rope. The move may also be, in part, an effort to incentivise passengers to reach Platinum One status.

Qantas Perth International Transit Lounge — The rule change applies to domestic and international Qantas lounges. (Credit: Qantas)

The announcement has already sparked debate, signalling a return to lounge exclusivity and widening the status gap between Qantas and Jetstar. For frequent flyers used to a pre-boarding glass of wine and a comfortable seat, the change may sting. But for those inside, the trade-off could mean a little more space and solace.

The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park — Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay — A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento — Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

Playing there

an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse — Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

Eating there

Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.

Qantas cuts lounge perks for Jetstar passengers

From 1 July 2026, Qantas lounges are shutting their doors to Platinum, Gold and Qantas Club members travelling on international Jetstar flights.

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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict

The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Playing there

Eating there