The lounges, usually in quiet parts of terminals, are separate from the Qantas Club lounge and Ansett Golden Wing lounge where passengers must pay a joining fee and an annual subscription for membership. At Ansett's Sydney terminal, the lounge is off the main passenger concourse, near the disabled persons' bathroom, about 50m away from the Golden Wing lounge. Qantas has positioned its Chairman's Lounge near the Qantas Club Lounge on the third level of its Sydney terminal. The VIP lounges are open every day except Saturdays and public holidays. Members can help themselves to expensive wines and spirits as well as imported and domestic beers.
Fresh food is made available, mostly in a smorgasbord and finger-food style.
Members can also make free local and interstate telephone calls. In the confidential Members' Handbook for NSW MPs, the Qantas and Ansett passes are listed under a section headed Courtesies Provided To Members. The handbook says the MPs also have automatic access to the two airlines' frequent flyer schemes. Holders of the Qantas and Ansett VIP lounge passes also receive regular upgrades to business and first class seats when they fly economy during private travel. Independent Federal MP Peter Andren said the airlines were trying subtly to influence law and policy makers.