It’s hard not to be biased when it comes to Australia and our national carrier, Qantas. But an hour in their First Lounge had me thinking: Do we have the best airline lounge in our own backyard?
Access to the Qantas First Lounge doesn’t come easily. You’ll need to be flying First Class or hold Platinum or Platinum One status with Qantas, which usually means a couple of business class return flights to Europe each year, or around $20,000 in spend with the Flying Kangaroo and their code share partners like Emirates or within the Oneworld network.
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Qantas’ First Lounge at Sydney Airport Could is Among the Best In the World
But if you do make it through those hallowed frosted-glass doors, you’ll enter the inner sanctum of premium travel. The Sydney First Lounge may be a little dated compared to some of its international rivals, but it delivers something most other lounges don’t. It’s not just a place to dump your bag and smash a warm Heineken. It’s somewhere you genuinely look forward to spending time.
Some will argue Emirates’ sprawling First Lounge in Dubai takes the cake, or that Singapore Airlines’ The Private Room is the pinnacle. But having experienced both, they weirdly lack the warm-and-fuzzies you get from Qantas First in Melbourne and Sydney.
The secret? It’s not the Eames chairs. Not the David Caon designed cutlery. Not even the curated wine list. It’s the food.
Qantas’ Partnership with Neil Perry Sets it Apart
Qantas’ long-running partnership with Neil Perry has been nothing short of genius. The man with the ponytail that could rival Steven Seagal’s has stamped his signature across the entire offering, from the iconic salt and pepper squid or Pavlova to rotating seasonal dishes you’d happily pay for in a proper restaurant.
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That’s the thing with Qantas’ First Class Lounge: it feels like a restaurant. A very good Australian one, serving premium produce in the middle of an airport.
Most competitor airlines fall short with buffet-style service and mediocre dining. Even Emirates, with its vast footprint and solid comfort levels, delivers food that feels more functional than memorable. You’re full, sure but it’s forgettable.
Cathay Pacific’s Wing and Pier lounges in Hong Kong are an exception. Thanks to partnerships with some of the city’s best chefs and hatted restaurants, they’ve created something that rivals Qantas in the food department. Hong Kong, after all, is a global food capital.
We’ve sampled the best (and worst) lounges across Europe, the Middle East, and the US. And while it’s easy to criticise Qantas, almost a national sport at this point, sometimes we forget just how good we’ve got it.
