The Qantas First Class Lounge in Sydney is considered to be one of the best airline lounges in the world. It’s the darling of many Qantas Platinum (WP) travellers and for a very good reason.
Be sure to check out our review of the brand new Qantas First Class Lounge Singapore!
If you’ve never visited, it should be on your list! The lounge is a great first class experience with a la Carta dining and table service, a fully stocked bar and complimentary spa treatments.
Check out my Qantas A380 First Class review!
In this post:
Who Can Access The Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney?
Access to the QF First class lounge is restricted to those holding Qantas Platinum (minimum requirement) and members of other One World frequent flyer programs who hold Emerald status.
Of course, the lounge is also accessible by those travelling first class on either an award ticket or one paid for with cold hard cash. Your first class ticket can be on either Qantas metal (obviously) or aboard one of the other One World Airlines (in first class) such as Malaysia Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways (check out my first class review here) and American Airlines.
Since Emirates and Qantas have a unique partnership, passengers departing on Emirates in first-class also have access to the Qantas First Class lounge (keep in mind that Emirates staff will always direct you to their own mediocre lounge. Ignore their advice and head up the escalators to the QF first lounge instead).
QF Sydney First Class Lounge Location
If you’re flying Qantas first class, you can take advantage of the curb-side meet and greet service to help with luggage. After visiting the private and dedicated first class counters, you will be sent on your way through the Express Path security clearance.
After a short stroll through the duty-free area, keep heading straight and up the escalator (there’s a sign there).
The Qantas First Class lounge entry in Sydney is on the same level as the business class lounge after which you head up another set of escalators to arrive at the reception desk of the first class lounge.
Qantas Lounge Design
The majority of the Qantas First Class lounge is clad in white marble, offset by brown wooden accents and the beautiful vintage style mechanical departure boards which make a distinctive “tak tak tak” noise as the flights get updated.
The brightness of the white marble is further enhanced by the huge angled windows overlooking the tarmac. The only thing breaking up the white glare is the honeycomb-shaped black carpet in the seating area.
The lounge isn’t as big as the Emirates First Class lounge in Dubai, but it’s spacious by any standards and feels very private. The furniture in the lounge is both comfortable and on trend with the overall retro design of the lounge.
On the far right of the lounge, you will find a secluded library section with some books and magazines.
To the left side is the spa entry which can be booked by all lounge guests.
The Qantas First Class lounge restaurant area is located in the centre of the space with plenty of seating available in 2 different sections.
In front of the dining space is a bar; also clad in the same white marble. Dining at the bar is also an option in front of the open kitchen.
Towards the library end of the lounge are 2 dedicated office spaces which anyone can use, but they can also be reserved before departure if you require that extra level of privacy.
On the opposite side of the lounge are more work desks but they’re more “open-plan” if that’s your thing.
Qantas First Class Lounge Dining
The QF lounge restaurant is managed by Neil Perry’s Rockpool team which is serving much better quality food compared to some of the stuff Qantas tries to feed its business class passengers.
You’ve probably heard people rave about the salt and pepper squid; I can confirm it’s good…because…well it’s deep-fried battered squid.
Different menus are on offer depending on the time you visit with an excellent breakfast one on offer for those early departures.
Qantas First Class Spa
The Spa inside the Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney is bookable by all guests but passengers travelling with Qantas in First Class will get first dibs. When you’re flying Qantas first class, the concierge will call you a day prior to departure to lock in your spa appointment.
Complimentary appointments are limited to 20 minutes and totally worth it. It’s also important to note that the Spa closes at 4 PM so if you’re on an Emirates flight departing in the evening, you will probably miss out.
Inside the spa, the green oasis found at the lounge entry continues with plants covering the walls offering an extra sense of serenity inside what is otherwise a busy international airport.
Qantas First Class Lounge Conclusion
I’ve visited the lounge a couple of times now and always really enjoy the experience. The design of the space is unique and beautiful with AV geek worthy views over the tarmac. You can easily spend 4h in this lounge before your flight without getting bored. After all the Qantas A380’s have departed for the day, the lounge quietens down significantly and makes for an excellent place to relax before your flight.
If there’s one thing I dislike about the lounge, it would be the terrible vintage aeroplane cutlery used in the restaurant (and onboard QF premium cabins). Yes, I get it, it’s cool to be retro, but it’s so impractical.
The other thing that could do with an improvement is the selection of champagnes. Although what’s on offer is far from terrible, there should be a bottle of vintage something to match what’s on offer at other first class lounges around the world.
For more first class lounge reviews, check out the Etihad first class lounge and the Qatar Airways Al Safwa lounge.
