The Chairman's Lounge: Inside the secretive, controversial Qantas lounge

By Maani Truu for the ABC

For three and a half decades, Qantas' invite-only lounge has existed only for the already initiated.

Even finding the unmarked entrances requires knowing exactly what you are looking for - and unless you're a politician, judge, business heavyweight or an A-lister, you probably don't.

Recently, however, the secretive and exclusive Chairman's Lounge has come under unfamiliar public scrutiny.

It all began when it was revealed that Anthony Albanese's adult son had been granted access, a decision that requires the sign-off from senior Qantas leadership.

That sparked a rumbling debate about political conflict of interests, against the backdrop of a controversial couple of weeks for the national carrier.

Questioned on the events that led to Nathan Albanese's membership during a Senate hearing, outgoing Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce remained predictably tight-lipped. "I'm not going to comment on Chairman's Club membership," he said. "I've got privacy issues where we will not comment on who's in, who's been offered it, or why they're there."

(Five of seven senators involved in the committee hearing have declared their own Chairman's Lounge membership.)

Even when ABC News asked Qantas for details of the eligibility process - without identifying any individual member - and the facilities within the lounges, the response was a hard no. "We don't have anything to say as we don't comment on the Chairman's Lounge," a spokesperson said.

Behind the wood-panelled doors

Alan Joyce has reportedly described the Chairman's Lounge as "probably the most exclusive club in the country".

There are six of them in total, located in the domestic airports of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. It's possible you've walked right past them, as there's no sign marking the entrance.

"It's very secret, to find it you have to go through what looks like a wall," a previous visitor to the Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra lounges told ABC News. "I would have never found it if I wasn't shown where it was."

Inside, they have all the trimmings you would expect from a first-class lounge. The Sydney, Melbourne and Perth locations were created by Sébastien Segers and famed Australian designer Marc Newson, who was also behind the Qantas first-class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Sydney and Canberra, black marble is contrasted against Shrek-green chairs, counters and basins. In Melbourne, a divider made up of rainbow cubes is the focal point.

The Brisbane lounge is the newest and most modern of the six, and features a more neutral palette - think wood panelling, beige lounges and grey wool carpet.

But the real difference between the Chairman's Lounge and those available to the general public is in the service. "The Qantas Club resembles a bit of a zoo, whereas the Chairman's Lounge is very quiet and very discreet," another guest of the Sydney and Canberra lounges says.

Once inside, there's no need to keep an eye on the departure board - if there are any changes to your flight, staff will let you know. If you need to change your seat for any reason, where possible, the staff will happily oblige. When it's time to board, you'll receive a tap on the shoulder, timed to ensure there's no waiting around at the gate.

"In the normal Qantas Club, of which I am a member, we've been reduced to do-it-yourself toasties. There's none of that in the Chairman's Lounge," a former guest said.

What is on offer is an a la carte menu, along with the more standard buffet.

"You can get anything you want, at any time of day. You can get an amazing, medium-rare steak at 3pm, or you can get it at 11pm, " says a Chairman's Lounge regular, who's visited the lounges hundreds of times.

"The oysters were genuinely life-changing.

"If you walk up to the bar, there would have to be 30 upmarket wines and every spirit you can think of," he says. "You're not getting Smirnoff, you're getting Grey Goose or better."

Beyond the dining, there are private meeting rooms, complete with video conferencing set-ups. The ample private bathrooms resemble those you would find in a classy hotel, according to past visitors, and come stocked with towels, shampoo, and appropriately fancy soap.

"The thing that always struck me the most is that you were always waited on hand and foot by really attentive hospitality staff," the regular says.

"Basically, it's a bunch of elite people getting exactly what they want."

Who's in the club?

The first thing people who have been inside the Chairman's Lounge typically remark on is how hushed and quiet it is. It's spacious by airport standards, with plenty of places to sit and discuss sensitive matters out of the earshot of fellow travellers.

"I am quite sure that it's exactly the point of it," says ABC presenter Virginia Trioli, who has also visited the Chairman's Lounge as a guest. "It's got exactly what C-suite people would be after - exclusivity, privacy, and quiet."

Unlike Qantas' other clubs, you can't buy your way into the Chairman's Lounge - no amount of money or frequent flyer miles will get you in. Typically, however, those hand-picked to join have a lot of both.

Stephanie Tully, the former head of airline loyalty at Qantas, has previously told Executive Traveller that members typically fall into three categories: "decision-makers, CEOs, and celebrities".

All federal politicians are invited to join, as well as the top executives of Qantas' biggest corporate customers. Members are permitted to bring their partners, or another guest, with them.

"You would walk past John Howard, and you wouldn't even acknowledge it," says the regular, who has also spotted elite sporting stars making use of the facilities.

Ultimately "it's a very easy way for really rich people to network," he says. "It felt to me like it was a bit of an 'in' club."

While Qantas is famously coy about its member list, the register of parliamentary interests provides a guide to which MPs and senators have accepted the invitation.

Albanese is a member, as is opposition leader Peter Dutton and Greens' leader Adam Bandt. So too are Labor ministers Jim Chalmers, Richard Marles, Penny Wong and Linda Burney, just to name a few. In fact, politicians from all the major parties, as well as independents, are on the list.

In 2021, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe posted a selfie from inside the Melbourne Chairman's Lounge, with the distinctive rainbow wall visible in the background. According to her most recent parliamentary interests declaration, she remains a member.

Many politicians have also declared membership to Virgin's equivalent of the Chairman's Lounge, the by-invitation and equally secret group known as The Club.

Membership lasts for two years, at the end of which it is either renewed or revoked at the discretion of the airline. For example, earlier this year it was reported that former shock jock Alan Jones had been bumped from the club, before Joyce personally intervened to ensure his membership was reinstated.

Shortly after it was revealed that Albanese's son had access, the Daily Telegraph reported that it appeared Qantas was cracking down on membership, citing emails between a member and Qantas manager that referenced a "new criteria".

Why so secretive?

Why Qantas is so opposed to spruiking its top lounge.

Aside from avoiding potentially uncomfortable questions about political influence, marketing expert Professor Chris Baumann from Macquarie University suspects the secrecy might also be a calculated marketing strategy.

Airlines typically reward loyalty with their memberships, and this case is no different, only with an added layer of exclusivity.

"If you feel rewarded, because you get access to a business-class lounge, first-class lounge or Chairman's Lounge, of course, you feel a bit special - and that's really the incentive," Professor Baumann says.

"It seems to me it has nearly the notion of these old British clubs, where you had to be introduced by somebody else ... that gives you an exclusive, noble feel.

"In the UK you go to Buckingham Palace and King Charles knights you. In Australia, once you're invited by Qantas to join the Chairman's Lounge, maybe that's our knighthood."

For Qantas, there's also another benefit from a marketing perspective: the more secretive something is, the more people want to talk about it. Professor Baumann says it's a very effective marketing tool.

"Why are we talking about a lounge? Because it's kind of like a dark room - you don't really know what goes on in there, because very few people have actually been and the ones that have don't want to talk about it."

- This story was first published by the ABC