Construction of the new Darwin Qantas Club, that will see the lounge doubled in size, is now in its final stages and is due to open to customers in late September.

Qantas Domestic Head of Customer Strategy Philip Capps said expanding the lounge and upgrading its facilities to cater for business and premium leisure travel is part of the airline’s ongoing investment in customer experience.

“Earlier this year we expanded our flying schedule to give our Darwin customers more choice at peak times. The next step is to expand our ground facilities to cater for growth and ensure our customers get the best experience on offer.

“Our Darwin lounge has been very popular but we are conscious that our customers wanted more space and seating. The new lounge will deliver on this and more.

“At over 1500 square metres, the new lounge will include seating for over 350 guests, a business centre with Apple iMac computers and a meeting room, new bathroom and shower facilities,a barista service and a dedicated family zone featuring kids work stations, toys, books, games and movies as well as a Sony Playstation.”

Other features of the lounge include new furniture, wireless internet, newspapers, magazines, Foxtel and a full service bar and buffet offering a selection of food and beverages.

The opening of the new Qantas Club coincides with Darwin Airport’s renovations. The terminal overhaul is set to vastly improve the travel experience for customers of all airlines, including other Qantas Group airlines, QantasLink and Jetstar.

Qantas customers already enjoy the use of its Faster, Smarter Check-In experience which substantially reduces check-in times and enables customers to avoid unnecessary queues.

From 17 August, part of the Qantas Club will be temporarily moved into an exclusive section of the brand new terminal space to enable further construction of the Darwin Airport Terminal expansion. From this time, eligible members and guests will continue to access the lounge via the current Qantas Club entry location until the new lounge opens.

The Qantas Group operates around 80 per cent of all domestic flights to and within the Northern Territory. Jetstar has international services from Darwin to Singapore, Bali, Tokyo and Manila.