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.
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.
Restrictions on sharing lounge invitations will also come into effect. (Credit: Qantas)
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.
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.
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
Traipse Jurassic cliffs and wander secluded beaches on Australia’s most enchanting walks.
Australia’s landscapes are made for hiking. Take the Red Centre, dusted in shifting sands and dotted with miraculous geological formations. Or our rainforests, left behind as the sole souvenir from continents that no longer exist. Down south, mottled night skies hang above crashing seas and unwavering cliffs. It makes sense, then, that hiking holidays are rising in popularity. No wi fi, no traffic. Just you and the path less travelled on the Great Walks of Australia in remote and iconic destinations.
What are the Great Walks of Australia?
If nature is your happy place, you’ve likely heard of the Great Walks of Australia, part of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences program since 2013 – a curated collection of 15 all-inclusive, eco-luxury journeys showcasing the country’s most spectacular landscapes with expert guides and incredible meals. GWOA launching in 2013 as
From exploring the peaks of a World Heritage listed island, to journeying through the heart of Australia, and the gentle pull of the majestic Murray – there’s a walking holiday to suit walkers of all experience levels (and interests).
Joining a Great Walks of Australia hike means the pressure is off with all meals, guides and eco-luxury accommodation included.
Where can you hike?
1. Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland
Enjoy incredible food along the way.
Around 23 million years ago, volcanoes spewed magma across Queensland’s Scenic Rim. Now, what’s left of the fiery landscape takes the form of the UNESCO-listed Gondwana rainforest.
The Scenic Rim Trail is a four-day guided hike that takes you through the ancient rainforest. You’ll venture out into breathtaking viewpoints across the Main Range National Park. Enjoy a packed lunch, listen out for the duplicitous calls of the lyrebird and enjoy the silence.
You’ll spend your nights in boutique eco-cabins and incredible hospitality.
2. Murray River Walk, South Australia
Walk through vibrant wildflower fields.
Murray River Walk pairs easy hiking with blissful evenings cruising the Murray River. Over four days and nights, you’ll follow kangaroo trails through red dirt dusted with vivid patches of wildflowers.
Each day ends on a solar-powered, custom-built houseboat. Watch towering, red sandstone cliffs float by from the top deck spa. Then, it’s three-course meals sourced from local produce and served alongside the region’s best wines.
The entire region you’ll be traversing is within the Riverland Ramsar site. Watch as spoonbills forage for food in the tranquil wetlands, emus parade through the wildflowers, and regent parrots flit above.
3. Maria Island Walk, Tasmania
Spot adorable locals.
Your Maria Island walk begins with a private boat transfer to an untouched, white sand beach. Barefoot in the sand, you’ll quickly realise – aside from your guide and group – you’re completely alone. Spot countless wombats and hear the distant calls of Tasmanian Devils as you spend four days leisurely traversing the island.
Explore the incredible Lord Howe Island. (Image: Luke Hanson)
Lord Howe Island feels like another world. With its patchwork blue coral lagoons and magma-honed peaks, it’s easy to forget you’re in New South Wales.
This walk has the highest level of elevation in the Great Walks of Australia’s collection. It’s because of this that you’ll witness nature like never before. UNESCO-listed volcanic peaks and coral reefs that grew out of solidified lava will become your daily norm.
Along the way, step onto beaches that lie undisturbed for weeks at a time. Then, snorkel the southernmost reef in the Pacific Ocean.
This five-day, fully guided, premium hiking experience inside Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park was developed in partnership with Aṉangu Traditional Owners. Begin your walk dwarfed by the shade of Kata Tjuṯa’s towering dome formations. Following remote desert trails through the red sands, crest dunes and traverse mulga woodlands as you draw closer to the monolithic walls of Uluṟu.
Each night, dine under the lamp light of the Milky Way in the warm desert air and sleep in new flagship, environmentally sensitive private camps and lodge. This is the first time that travellers have ever been allowed to spend the night inside the national park.
6. The Twelve Apostles Signature Walk, Victoria
See the Twelve Apostles in a new way. (Image: Ken Luke)
The Great Ocean Road’s rugged splendour is best experienced on this signature four-day, 44-kilometre guided walk. You’ll follow the rugged limestone stacks of the shipwreck coastline: wild, crashing waves, curious wildlife, and two national parks.
Finish each day at your luxurious lodge, where you’ll sit with your feet soaking and a glass of wine in hand. You’ll have a single lodge to call home on this walk, meaning you’ll only need to set out with a day pack.
7. Three Capes Signature Walk, Tasmania
Walk along the edge of the world. (Image: Luke Tscharke)
On Tasmania’s Three Capes Signature Walk, you’ll feel like you’re walking along the edge of the world. From your boat landing on a remote beach, climb slowly upward for spectacular views and wildlife encounters with pods of dolphins, fur seals and echidnas. Spend days walking Jurassic dolerite cliffs with the wild Southern Ocean as your only constant.
Stay in architecturally designed eco-lodges nestled at the very edge of the world. Think floor-to-ceiling windows, a plunge pool and even an on-site spa to tend to ailments from the hike.
