- Introduction: Around The World With Dad
- Review: Etihad First Class Boeing 787 (IAD-AUH)
- Review: Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Boeing 737 MAX First Class (AUH-DOH)
- Review: Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, Qatar
- Review: Katara Hills Doha, A Hilton LXR Property
- Review: St. Regis Doha Marsa Arabia Island, Qatar
- Review: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Garden Business Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Platinum & Gold Lounge North Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Platinum & Gold Lounge South Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways First Class Airbus A380 (DOH-PER)
- Review: Ritz-Carlton Perth, Australia
- Review: Virgin Australia Lounge Perth Airport (PER)
- Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Boeing 737 (PER-SYD)
- Review: Holiday Inn Express Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Review: Qantas First Lounge Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Review: Qantas First Class Airbus A380 (SYD-LAX)
For the last portion of my round the world trip with dad, we flew Qantas’ Airbus A380 first class from Sydney to Los Angeles. Prior to our flight, we spent several hours in the Qantas First Lounge Sydney, which I’ll be reviewing in this installment
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney is spectacular — it has fun decor, gorgeous views with lots of natural light, delicious food and drinks, and even a spa with complimentary treatments. This is among my favorite first class lounges in the world, and also one of the best oneworld Emerald lounges in the world.
In this post:
Qantas First Lounge Sydney location
Even though our flight from Sydney to Los Angeles only departed at 10:20AM, we got to the airport way early (at around 4:30AM), as I always prefer to review lounges right when they open. We had checked in online, as the first class check-in area was still closed at the time. However, Qantas does have a nice dedicated first class facility, which you can see below.
We cleared security through the first and business class lane, and then followed the signage in the direction of lounges.
Once you walk past many of the duty free shops, you’ll see the escalator leading up to Qantas’ lounges (both for first and business class passengers), just near the sign pointing in the direction of gates 8-10.
At the top of the escalator is the entrance to the Qantas First Lounge.
There’s someone at the door who scans you in, and then you walk down a long hallway, and then take an escalator up yet another level, which is where the lounge is located.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney hours
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney is currently open daily from 5AM until the last Qantas departure of the night. So if you’re traveling on an eligible oneworld flight, you should find that this lounge is open.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney entry requirements
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney is a standard oneworld Emerald and oneworld first class lounge. In line with oneworld lounge access policies:
- The lounge can be accessed by oneworld Emerald members traveling in any cabin on a oneworld flight
- The lounge can be accessed by any same day oneworld international first class passenger, not only on Qantas, but also on airlines like American, British Airways, etc.
It’s such a treat how oneworld Emerald members get access to Qantas’ incredible selection of first class lounges, not only in Sydney, but also abroad, in places like Los Angeles and Singapore.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney layout & seating
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney is roughly 2,000 square meters (~21,500 square feet), so it’s one of the bigger first class lounges out there. This isn’t just your typical airport lounge that consists of one big rectangular room, but rather the lounge has a fun layout.
When you enter the lounge, you’ll see the escalator, which is visually pretty cool, as you enter through a circular opening.
Also right near the entrance is a split flap departures board, which I love to see.
The entire lounge is then along one long hallway, which curves slightly. Once you’re inside the lounge and facing the windows, you’ll find that the dining area is to the left, while most of the area for relaxing is to the right (well, except for the spa).
The area for relaxing is broken up into several different zones, each of which is separated by a big wooden beam, of sorts.
There are several areas with leather couches and chairs, in a variety of configurations.
At the very end of the lounge there’s a library area. It’s not entirely clear to me what purpose this area serves (are you supposed to pick out a book, start reading it, and then leave it there, or…?), but I don’t often see people hanging out here, unless the lounge is really busy.
For those looking to get some work done, there’s an area with three workstations. I appreciate when lounges have proper desks, since it can be hard to work on a laptop in a typical lounging chair without slouching over.
Also on this side of the lounge are two private rooms (well, sort of private, as the windows are only partially frosted), each with a desk and a living room area. These are intended as VIP rooms, though if they’re not reserved for that particular purpose on a given day, they’re available on a first come, first served basis. Just ask someone at reception about it, and they can set you up.
Inside the entrance to the lounge and to the left is the dining area, which is also huge. This consists of several different areas, each of which has a bit over a dozen tables.
There’s also a bar area, with some high-top seating, which looks directly at the open kitchen.
When you go deep into the lounge you’ll see a dining area that’s roped off. This is reserved for Qantas first class passengers, I suppose to create some exclusivity for those passengers who are in first class, rather than oneworld Emerald members. Then again, it seems more about feeling special by sitting behind a rope, rather than anything else.
At the very end of the lounge is one more room with seating for relaxing, just to break things up a bit.
The lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, and my gosh, I don’t know if there’s a lounge in the world with better views. Not only do you have amazing views of the apron and runway, but you even get views of the Sydney skyline. Watching the sunrise from the lounge was simply magical.
However, worry not, the view was pretty great later on as well.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney food & drinks
One of the things the Qantas First Lounge is best known for is its a la carte dining, designed by Neil Perry. The only thing I was sad about with this visit is that our flight was in the morning, so we “only” got to try the breakfast menu, and not the lunch or dinner menu.
You can find the breakfast menu below.
When we first arrived in the lounge, we of course needed our caffeine hit. I ordered a flat white, and then eventually a latte, and both were excellent. Talk about 36 hours of amazing coffee!
Eventually we sat down for breakfast. To start, I ordered the house toasted muesli, and my dad ordered the buttermilk pancakes with whipped macadamias and Qantas raw honey. Okay, I don’t want to totally throw my dad under the bus, I didn’t mind helping him with those. 😉
For those wondering about “Qantas raw honey,” this is actually honey from beehives at Qantas’ headquarters in Sydney… hah.
Then for our mains, I ordered the zucchini and soba noodles with sesame, tamari, and grilled enoki mushrooms, and my dad ordered eggs prepared to his liking, with some accompaniments.
The food quality was excellent. As I said above, it’s just a shame that we were only there for breakfast.
Note that service throughout the lounge is from servers, as there are very limited options to help yourself. The only self-serve options are one drink station with soft drinks, water, and beer, plus a few jars with candy and nuts.
Definitely come to this lounge hungry, as you won’t be disappointed.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney spa
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney has its own spa, which nowadays I’d consider to offer the best complimentary airport spa treatment. If you’re traveling in Qantas first class, you’ll receive an email from a concierge the day before departure, and can make an appointment in advance for a treatment.
Meanwhile if you’re not traveling in Qantas first class but still have access to the lounge, appointments are available on a first come, first served basis at the entrance.
Below you can find the Qantas First Lounge Sydney spa menu. As you can see, each treatment is 20 minutes, and you can choose from any of the following four options:
- A facial
- A neck, shoulder, and scalp massage
- A hot stone back massage
- A foot massage
You can decide which treatment you want when you arrive for your appointment, because the same therapist performs all of them.
To find the spa, enter the lounge and turn left, and you’ll see the entrance to the spa at the very back left of the lounge.
This spa isn’t just some afterthought, but is quite a beautifully designed space, with a plant wall to give it a proper spa-like feeling.
Upon arriving I was shown to my treatment room. I had booked the hot stone massage, so was just asked to take my shirt off and get on the massage table.
The treatment was very good, and my dad enjoyed his as well. What a treat!
Qantas First Lounge Sydney bathrooms & showers
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney has a couple of sets of bathrooms.
I like how each bathroom stall is basically private, with a toilet and a sink, so it’s more dignified than your typical airport lounge bathroom setup.
The lounge also has several shower suites, which are well appointed. Each shower suite has a walk-in shower, a sink, and a toilet.
Toiletries were from LaGaia UNEDITED, the same company behind the spa.
Qantas First Lounge Sydney service
I found the staff in the Qantas First Lounge Sydney to be incredibly friendly across the board. Whether it was the Qantas staff at the front desk, or the restaurant servers, you definitely get the sense that people take pride in working in the lounge.
Bottom line
The Qantas First Lounge Sydney is an incredible lounge, and I’m so happy to have visited it for the first time in years. There’s so much to love about the lounge, from the design, to the views, to the a la carte dining, to the spa. This lounge really is a treat to visit, and this is one of the best lounges in the world that you can access on account of elite status.
While I’m not otherwise the world’s biggest Qantas fanboy, I do love Qantas First Lounges, and consistently enjoy my visits to them. Heck, these types of lounges are one of my main motivations for maintaining oneworld Emerald status (though that wasn’t needed in this case, since we were flying first class).
What’s your take on the Qantas First Lounge Sydney?
I recently achieved Platinum status does that give me access to this lounge with a +1? As my wife is still gold status. We will be travelling business class on a QF flight to LAX.
Great article i shall be reading the whole thing now !! Well done :)
Is QF enforcing access only within 3-4 hours of your departure time? I have a 10hr layover in Melbourne in April (arriving on domestic flight / departing on an Intl flight).
I flew around the world first class with Qantas and BA in 2015, in 2019, and then four weeks ago. I have to confess, I found the Qantas 1st lounge at Sydney (international/terminal 1) a little disappointing, mostly because it hasn't had an upgrade during COVID. For an airline that got a lot of government subsidy money during COVID, and has been making money hand over fist since reopening, you would think some of that...
I flew around the world first class with Qantas and BA in 2015, in 2019, and then four weeks ago. I have to confess, I found the Qantas 1st lounge at Sydney (international/terminal 1) a little disappointing, mostly because it hasn't had an upgrade during COVID. For an airline that got a lot of government subsidy money during COVID, and has been making money hand over fist since reopening, you would think some of that would find it's way to their "flagship" 1st class lounge. The 1st class lounges in LA and especially in Singapore are far superior. I hate to say this, but even the BA Concorde Lounge at Heathrow is better than the 1st Class lounge in Sydney.
Additional to above: I have always found the QF first class ground staff and cabin staff exceptional: when I arrived in Sydney on this trip I needed a wheelchair, thanks to recent knee surgery. Two QF ground staff whisked me off the plane, through immigration and customs and onto the shuttle to domestic in no time. Two weeks later, when it was time to leave OZ, they wheeled me through immigration and security, over to...
Additional to above: I have always found the QF first class ground staff and cabin staff exceptional: when I arrived in Sydney on this trip I needed a wheelchair, thanks to recent knee surgery. Two QF ground staff whisked me off the plane, through immigration and customs and onto the shuttle to domestic in no time. Two weeks later, when it was time to leave OZ, they wheeled me through immigration and security, over to the VAT refund area, and up to the aforementioned lounge. The cabin crews on all the A380 flights, as usual, were attentive without being obsequious (take note, BA) and no request was too much.
But the review was about the Sydney FC lounge, and that needs an overhaul.
Last time I flew DFW to Sydney, I had a 2 hour connection on a regional airline to Melbourne. After that 15 hour flight in coach, I needed a shower to perk me up. No first class lounge for me! My travel companion and I asked around and found clean showers for use in the business offices of SYD airport--a little bit of a walk, and certainly an adventure through the labrynths of hallways. The...
Last time I flew DFW to Sydney, I had a 2 hour connection on a regional airline to Melbourne. After that 15 hour flight in coach, I needed a shower to perk me up. No first class lounge for me! My travel companion and I asked around and found clean showers for use in the business offices of SYD airport--a little bit of a walk, and certainly an adventure through the labrynths of hallways. The showers were not as spiffy as those in the First class, but it did the trick waking us up for the rest of the day's travels.
Haven't visited this lounge since a few years ago when I was travelling with my family and got access as dad is platinum and they always let all 5 of us in which is nice as your technically not allowed that many guests.
Admittedly I’ve not visited it so perhaps it looks better in person but I can’t say I love the decor from what I’ve seen in pictures. I find the QF business lounge in Sydney is run down to the point of feeling shabby and it will soon be getting a much-needed refresh I believe; I wonder if they’ll do anything to the First lounge as part of the broader lounge upgrades.
It is indeed spectacular on every level (well, except the carpet which makes me nauseous, though it's the same they install globally).
Melbourne is the exact same, though smaller... which I prefer. Awesome ramp views, but usually only have views of smaller aircraft on the intersecting runway.
What has never been mentioned is Brisbane. No international terminal F lounge as they don't fly F class from there (so the offering is very basic)..but the Domestic...
It is indeed spectacular on every level (well, except the carpet which makes me nauseous, though it's the same they install globally).
Melbourne is the exact same, though smaller... which I prefer. Awesome ramp views, but usually only have views of smaller aircraft on the intersecting runway.
What has never been mentioned is Brisbane. No international terminal F lounge as they don't fly F class from there (so the offering is very basic)..but the Domestic F lounge is the best in the world, and FAR outclasses both SYD and MEL equivalents by a million miles...it might as well be an international lounge. It's outstanding.
I would say the Perth one equals if not surpasses it.
Yeah, forgot about Perth. I don't remember the domestic F lounge, but the international F is unique amongst the QF lounge network...great airy design and offerings...to sure howe they were able to carry off such a great design being below the ramp level
So much nicer than the pre-oneworld tiny first class lounge from the mid-90’s that was down at ground level
Usually that roped off area is where they put Qantas First Class passengers, so they can easily locate them for personal boarding alerts. Last time (pre-COVID) I travelled First Class on the Qantas A380 to London via Singapore, they asked us during the whole greeting process when we wanted to board - first, last, or anytime in between. They placed us in the roped off area, and alerted us when boarding was delayed by 15...
Usually that roped off area is where they put Qantas First Class passengers, so they can easily locate them for personal boarding alerts. Last time (pre-COVID) I travelled First Class on the Qantas A380 to London via Singapore, they asked us during the whole greeting process when we wanted to board - first, last, or anytime in between. They placed us in the roped off area, and alerted us when boarding was delayed by 15 minutes, and then came and got us when boarding started.
While onboard QF isn’t as good as pre covid, the F lounges are still great and the service is generally very good.
I prefer the smaller MEL lounge as I find the service more attentive and more peaceful than the SYD equivalent
Agree! But the view does compensate.
Usually Qantas have a choice of 3 champagnes listed as well (prior to covid it was often 4!) surprise these aren't listed now seeing as bubbles with breakfast is more common than a full-bodied shiraz? There no doubt were several passengers wanting to have some Perrier-Jouet even at 9am.
One only need ask and the champagne is popped at any hour of the day in the F Lounges in both Melbourne and Sydney ...... and once one bottle is popped, it is extraordinary the number of other breakfast guests who are suddenly requesting a flute of bubbles. The other small hack is to ask what red has been decanted as it is often a superior offering.
I guess I'm in the minority as the curved area of the lounge is giving me 90s cruise ship realness. And that isn't a compliment.
@Ben where does this now rank on your top 10 First Lounges?
@Ben the roped off area for dining is to ensure there is always a table for First passengers
You need to score an invite to the domestic Chairman's lounge. This licorice allsorts would be neatly placed in the jar!
What does "fun decor" and "fun layout" mean? It's not a child's bedroom. As to the library, what's a library normally? It's a quiet place. The roped off area is also for Qantas platinum one members. And what's the obsession with pictures of urinals and toilets? Not necessary mate.
Boy, you must be a lot of “fun”….
I’ve accessed this beautiful lounge twice flying Qatar First to Doha. Evening flyers are out of luck on the spa. Although my massage at the Al Safwa lounge in Doha was worth the wait
Qatar sends people to the packed New Zealand lounge probably cause it’s close to the Gate.
Next SYD trip is the Private Room B4 Suites to Singapore
It's not as good as the Private room in Singapore, but it's not bad!
Yes, that's just weird that QR sends pax to the NZ lounge. I read it's because QR & QF don't get along, but not sure how true that is...
But a Qatar passenger could still use this lounge if they wanted to, no?
@Julia - yes.
Malaysian sends its passengers to the no name lounge. I asked why not Qantas biz lounge and they said to go there. So weird.
Malaysia, not Malaysian. It’s Malaysia Airlines.
I found TPR a real let down on my visit last month; it was the first time I have been there since the refurbishment and it felt quite sterile.
The food menu was very contrived - for example I ordered the dumplings (as I always do in TPR) and the old presentation was perfect. Steamer basket, sauces and chopsticks. Now, there is an oblong plate with a giant swoosh of nondescript sauce on the...
I found TPR a real let down on my visit last month; it was the first time I have been there since the refurbishment and it felt quite sterile.
The food menu was very contrived - for example I ordered the dumplings (as I always do in TPR) and the old presentation was perfect. Steamer basket, sauces and chopsticks. Now, there is an oblong plate with a giant swoosh of nondescript sauce on the plate. The dumplings are on the cold plate (so get kind of sweaty) ... really average.
This is just one example of how I think it has gone downhill. Other examples - there is now no view of the planes, just of the interior of the airport. There is no spa, only a shower suite. The whole thing felt like a giant missed opportunity.
Qantas First Lounge might be a bit dated, but makes up for it in every other way.
Do you have an guidelines about tipping the staff in the spa?
Tipping in Australia isn’t expected as everyone is paid a fair wage.
There is no tipping in the spa. Don't degrade things.
It is available upon arrival? I'm flying LAX-SYD in F on Qantas.
No unless transiting to another international flight.
Only if you have a connecting international flight as arrivals into Sydney have to go out through customs and immigration.
The wooden “beams” are designed to theme that part of the lounge as though it were the inside of a wing from the Short Empire flying boats QANTAS used on their Empire Service flights from Australia to Britain in the 1930s. The wood accents are designed to look like the wing ribs that would have been present inside those aircraft’s very thick wing.
It's a beautiful lounge. Accessed it on QR F earlier this year. A couple of note:
- That self-serve drinks area does have wine/champagne was well later in the day (post noon, I presume).
- You did miss the best meals! The famous Salt & Pepper squid. The breakfast looked good, though.
- The entire layout is modelled off the wing of a plane, as if you are "in" it.
-...
It's a beautiful lounge. Accessed it on QR F earlier this year. A couple of note:
- That self-serve drinks area does have wine/champagne was well later in the day (post noon, I presume).
- You did miss the best meals! The famous Salt & Pepper squid. The breakfast looked good, though.
- The entire layout is modelled off the wing of a plane, as if you are "in" it.
- Service can be a mixed bag but is generally good.
I do love the lounge. No super fancy high end liquor or wines but a functional, beautiful, bright lounge with a full restaurant and plenty of space. I look forward to returning!
Love the departure board, the lounge overall and your dad's breakfast choices throughout the trip. Super job, Lucky.
Can’t believe you didn’t order the eggs Benedict. That eggs plate you got looked like something out of a priority pass lounge.
The spa is fake news. Every time I’ve been there for the AA flight to LAX all appointments were booked up the night before by Qantas first class passengers.
I’m a fairly regular flier out of SYD - generally flying economy, and 75% of the time I can get a spa treatment. Might just depend on time of day and how much time you have in the lounge. If you’re rocking up with only an hr to spare you’d probably struggle to get in.
“The spa is fake news.”
2019 called, it wants its moronic phrase back.
Yep, that's right. Qantas First Class passengers get priority. As they should.
Love that classic old school departures board
It says 5.09am! @lucky, sleep in?
I love those boards too. I also love the old school boards they used to have at Sydney train stations up until 2000ish. Manually rolled by the station managers.
A favorite of mine as well. To be pedantic, in the day most people would refer to them as ‘Solari Boards” after the inventor/company. One of my favorite jobs as a student summer worker for LH in JFK was to update the board. The controller was a physical model of the big board and you had to turn little wheels for each individual letter (late 80s).
I miss the clackity-clack sound and every head...
A favorite of mine as well. To be pedantic, in the day most people would refer to them as ‘Solari Boards” after the inventor/company. One of my favorite jobs as a student summer worker for LH in JFK was to update the board. The controller was a physical model of the big board and you had to turn little wheels for each individual letter (late 80s).
I miss the clackity-clack sound and every head in the ticketing/departures hall swinging around at the same time to see the updates!
Did you by chance ask if you could try any of the items on the lunch/dinner menu? Just curious if they'd make an exception for first class passengers. I'll also be departing on a morning flight in first class and was hoping to try some of the non-breakfast items during my visit. Thanks!
Good luck - doubtful.
They said no when I asked last month.
It doesn't hurt to ask, but keep in mind they have to prepare everything for the Lunch/Dinner menu (incuding prepping ingredients, changing the flow of the kitchen, etc.), which may not be ready if you are there in the morning.