My lounge experience really started the night before my flight, when I had read on FlyerTalk that it was possible to pre-book a spa treatment in the Qantas lounge as a first class passenger. While OneWorld Emerald members also have access to the first class lounge, they can only book treatments day-of on a standby…
Continue reading: Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas First Class Lounge Melbourne
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Wow, that QF MEL 1st Lounge does look pretty incred. It's funny Aussies complain about the deteriating quality of Qantas, yet I still think it is way up there in terms of product and service.
The decor is just perfect.
And yes, the duty free shops in Aussie airports. I was so used to them then when I moved to the US was so weird to not have to walk through a mile of duty free to get to your flight.
Now I kinda miss them!
Great report Ben.
Awesome report! We will have the same experience coming up this November when flying back to LAX. I wonder how far advanced you can make the spa treatment. 1 month? Because we will also have the similar situation that we won't have a workable cell phone with us and would like to take the opportunity to use the spa.
I'm now looking forward your next report on the 8-courses tasting menu on board!
Wow! We loved Qantas First class lounge in Sydney (our #1 but we haven't experienced all the best alternatives) and I totally thought that you were writing about the Sydney lounge. So many details look very similar.
Nice to see such a lounge in Melbourne as well and a great service from Qantas!
Such an incredible difference compared to the Melbourne FIrst Class lounge before the redo (which was when I was there last..)
In my opinion the First Class lounge in Mel is better than the Syd counterpart. The only pain is navigating through the airport and duty free shops (as you experienced yourself)! The service is great overall and indeed, I do get a call a day ahead from the consierge to check me in and book spa treatments, great touch. Too bad you did not sample more of the menu (I can understand though that you wanted to sample the food onboard, although the quality is better on the ground in my opinion). I had some delicious food last Wednesday in SydFirst Class lounge, their Neil Perry ground experience is outstanding. Looking forward to your next installment.
Small world eh, I had one friend on facebook who just checked into the First lounge, and Ben adding a twitter post, glad you could both catch up. And yeah the Melbourne First Lounge is pretty good, although I prefer the Sydney First Lounge as I can usually enjoy it with a well timed day trip without leaving Australia, as there are a select few international flights that travel between the Australian cities.
MEL is a better airport...but the SYD F lounge is a bit more dramatic.
Are you a golfer? There is an airport-run country club on the grounds of MEL, too!
Now I'm annoyed at Qantas. I flew QF1 SYD-BKK a few weeks ago in F and was unable to book a massage when I arrived at the lounge 3.5 hours before my flight. Qantas had my local phone number but did not elect to give me a call. Nonetheless, the F Lounge in Sydney was superb, even if I didn't get a massage 😀
Be quiet about the lounge access rules, because it's some of the best fun the Aussie Frequent Flyers have.
In Australia, there's occasionally domestic flights that depart from Interntional terminals so it's a favorite weekend past time to organise a weekend gathering with a bunch of QF Platinums and we go have three hours or so in the Lounge before a short flight.
The great thing is the Lounge dragons know exactly what we're doing, and they don't mind it one bit even going out of their way to make the experience as great as they can.
Great report - and photographs. I like the Sydney flounge a little more, as the view is so much more dramatic and it's got even cooler design, being purpose built. But like you, in Melbourne I enjoyed looking out directly at the A380 that was taking me to London. Just walk downstairs and straight onto the plane The restaurant is really worth more than a nibble. The meals are exquisitely presented and inventive. My favorite was the pavlova in a glass.
I missed out on a massage - I was traveling with my wife and there was only one slot available. That's a no-brainer!
The real danger about these superb Qantas lounges is that you'll get so blissed out on massage, excellent meals and constantly-flowing champagne that you'll miss your flight. And have to spend another 24 hours there.