The 10 worst airport lounges in Australia and New Zealand: 2026

This list comes from Lounge Frog's own ratings.

First, some perspective. No New Zealand lounge made it: the lowest-rated one, the Qantas Auckland International Lounge, scores 4.5 but has no metric below 4, so the tie-break kept it off.

Perth: four of the ten#

Perth is the weak spot in the region, and the reason is mostly the airport itself. Qantas runs out of Terminals 3 and 4, and everyone else flies from Terminal 1. That splits the lounges into small, separate clusters.

#1, Qantas Club, Perth (3.8). It's the lowest-rated lounge in the region with enough ratings to judge. If you're flying Qantas internationally out of Terminal 3, skip it for the Qantas International Transit Lounge (4.7), which takes Qantas Club members and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald. The Domestic Business Lounge in Terminal 4 is for Platinum, oneworld Emerald and business passengers, and it has only one rating so far, so I can't tell you whether it's actually better.

#2, Air New Zealand Lounge, Perth (3.8). It ties with the Qantas Club on score but has fewer weak marks: coffee 3 and exclusivity 3, with everything else at 4. There are no showers on record, and its hours depend on Air New Zealand's departures. If you hold Priority Pass or DragonPass, the Aspire Lounge (4.5) is in the same Terminal 1 international area. Star Alliance Gold members can also use the SilverKris Lounge (4.3).

#4, Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, Perth (4.3). The food, coffee, service, wifi and workspace all score 5. Views drag it down at 2, and it opens only in three windows around Singapore Airlines departures. Otherwise the Aspire Lounge near gate 54 (4.5) is two gates away for Priority Pass holders.

#7, Aspire Lounge, Perth (4.5). It scores 1 for exclusivity, which is what you get when a lounge sells entry through Priority Pass, DragonPass and at the door. Qantas passengers flying internationally should use the International Transit Lounge in Terminal 3 instead. It's in a different terminal, so this only applies if your flight leaves from there.

Sydney: two near-ties in Terminal 1#

#5, The House (4.4) and #6, SkyTeam Lounge (4.4) have exactly the same average, so this order is close to a coin toss. Among the card networks, The House takes only Priority Pass, and showers, premium drinks and the à la carte menu cost an AUD 20 upgrade.

My take: For both, the better choice is the Plaza Premium Lounge (International Departures) (4.6) opposite gates 25 and 26. SkyTeam elites have no other SkyTeam lounge at Sydney, so Plaza Premium is a paid upgrade for them, not a free swap. One more thing for Amex holders: the nearby Centurion Lounge is closed from October 6 to 19.

Adelaide: good rooms, low marks for who gets in#

#3, Plaza Premium Lounge (Domestic) (4.3). This one sits low for one reason. Even so, an airline lounge is the better room if you can get in: the Qantas Club (4.7) with Qantas Club membership, Qantas Gold or oneworld status, or the Virgin Australia Lounge (4.6) with Virgin lounge access. Priority Pass holders flying internationally should wait for the Plaza Premium International lounge (4.7) after immigration.

#8, Qantas Domestic Business Lounge, Adelaide (4.5). It's new as of 2025 and has no score below 3 (exclusivity). Seating, quiet, drinks and crowding are 4. Strangely, the ordinary Qantas Club opposite gate 22 rates higher at 4.7, and Platinum members can use either.

Brisbane and Canberra: the tie-break picks#

#9, Qantas Club, Brisbane (4.5) scores 3 for exclusivity and 4 for coffee, drinks and showers. It's tied exactly with Adelaide's business lounge. Qantas flyers have nowhere better to go at the domestic terminal, because the business lounge next door rates 4.3. Virgin flyers get the Virgin Australia Lounge (4.6).

#10, Virgin Australia Lounge, Canberra (4.5) won a three-way tie for the last spot. It has the same average as Canberra's Qantas Club and the Gold Coast Qantas Club, and I picked it because its 4s are for coffee, drinks and seating. Qantas Platinum, oneworld Emerald and business passengers can use the Domestic Business Lounge (4.6).

Also low, but not on the list#

The Darwin Qantas Club (3.9) would be #3, with 3s for cleanliness, coffee, service and workspace. It has no photos yet, and it is also the only Darwin lounge on the site. The Brisbane Qantas Domestic Business Lounge (4.3) also has no photos. Brisbane's international Plaza Premium Lounge (4.3) is closed for refurbishment and due to reopen on December 1. The Rex lounge in Adelaide and Sydney's Plaza Premium arrivals lounge score lower still, but each has only one or two ratings, which isn't enough to judge them.

For the other side of the ledger, see the 12 best airport lounges in Australia and every Qantas lounge ranked. The neighboring regions are covered in the Asia and Southeast Asia editions. You can read how the scores work on the methodology page.