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Home » Qantas » Review: Qantas International First Lounge Sydney (SYD)
Lounge ReviewsQantas

Review: Qantas International First Lounge Sydney (SYD)

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 9, 2023December 9, 2023 9 Comments

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

The Qantas International First Lounge in Sydney (SYD) is one of my favorite lounges in the entire world, with a delicious menu of food and drinks, excellent service, and a tranquil spa.

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

As the largest Qantas hub, Sydney features an expansive first class lounge that is both timeless and comfortable. It has not changed a bit since I first set foot in the lounge a decade ago and I herald that as a very good thing.

This is the sort of lounge that would wed me to oneworld and Qantas if I lived in Sydney.

Access + Hours + Location

This lounge is located in the international departures area of Terminal 1 at Sydney Kingsford International Airport (beyond passport control) and one level above the main shopping concourse. Look for a set of glass doors frosted in a honeycomb pattern.

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a sign on an escalator

a glass door with a sign on it

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

It is open daily from 5:00 am until the last Qantas departure.

Access is granted to passengers traveling same-day in first class on Qantas or another oneworld carrier as well as oneworld Emerald status members traveling same-day on a oneworld carrier in any class of service.

Through the doors you will come to a mezzanine level with a “live” wall filled with green plants. Take the escalator or elevator up to the lounge level, where agents will be seated at a desk should you require lounge assistance or a spa reservation.

a room with plants and a large window

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a room with a wall of plants

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a escalator in a building

Seating

At over 21,000 square feet, it is a large lounge with seating all on one level. The lounge is divided into dining and seating sections by wing-like wooden partitions. The honeycomb carpet, leather seats, and floor-to-ceiling windows create a very familiar and inviting environment.

a room with a large window and a couch

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a room with a round table and chairs

a room with red couches and shelves

a room with a red wall and a white couch

a room with a couch and a table

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a room with a large window

a table and chairs in a room with windows and planes in the background

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a room with a red counter and a red desk

a red counter in a room with windows and a plane in the background

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a room with red chairs and a red wall

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

There is also a small work area including an all-in-one printer, scanner, and fax machine plus private meeting rooms.

a desk with chairs and a phone on it

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

Food + Drink

The heart of this lounge is the restaurant, with a la carte dining available throughout the day. The menus change seasonably, but stapes remain…the breakfast I had was nearly indentical to hte breakfast I had a decade ago. The coffee, sourced by Vittoria, is excellent. I enjoyed a few flat whites over my three hour stay as well as a breakfast including a flaky croissant, bircher muesli, fresh fruit, an egg white omelet, and of course, corn fritters.

a hand holding a piece of paper

The food came out quickly and was delicious.

Qantas International First Lounge Sydney Review

a plate of food and a cup of coffee

a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and a cup of coffee

a table with food on it

a plate of toast and asparagus on top

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of fruit on a plate

a cup of coffee with a heart shaped foam in it

Here’s a children’s menu:

a hand holding a menu

And an all-day dining menu:

a piece of paper with writing on it

The bar includes an assortment of wine, Champagne, and spirits, with cocktails made to order.

a marble counter with people behind it

a counter with chairs in a room

a counter with a woman behind it

There was not much historically in terms of self-serve food and all that remains a self-serve beverage station (automatic coffee machine = coffee machine to avoid).

Review Qantas International First Lounge Sydney

Another coffee station in the far corner of the lounge was not in use.

a coffee machine on a counter

While seated, except a white-coated attendant to approach you and ask if you would like a beverage.

I love the retro flight departure boards!

a large display board in a building

a sign on a wall

Spa

One of my favorite features of this lounge is the spa, with complimentary 20-minute treatments available to first class passengers (facial, neck – shoulder – scalp massage, hot stone back massage, foot massage). Other passengers can also claim a free spa treatment, but on a space-available basis. I chose a facial and had a very nice treatment…wish I could do those every day.

a hand holding a paper with text

Review Qantas International First Lounge Sydney

a glass door with hexagons on it

a white door with a green sign on it

a room with two doors and a urn

Review Qantas International First Lounge Sydney

a group of white bottles on a towel

On past first class trips I have received a call the day before my flight asking me if I wanted to schedule a treatment, but did not receive such a call this time. However, I had no trouble scheduling a treatment upon my arrival to the lounge.

Restroom + Showers

Individual restrooms and shower suites are available. Shower products are by Australian Unedited Beauty.

a hallway with doors and a toilet

a sign on a wall

Review Qantas International First Lounge Sydney

CONCLUSION

Here, the status quo is a good thing. The Qantas International First lounge in Sydney is virtually identical to the way it was not only pre-pandemic, but going back a decade. I quite enjoyed this lounge prior and always look forward to returning.

My original Qantas International First Lounge Sydney review, published on May 20, 2017, is below.


I raved about the Qantas First Class Lounge in Los Angeles, but the Sydney First Class lounge is even better.

My connection in Sydney was roughly eight hours. It wasn’t deliberate, but I sure didn’t mind an extended visit to the lounge.  My original plan was to meet my former roommate from Frankfurt who now lives in Sydney, but a last-minute work trip to Christchurch came up for him, leaving me with no reason to leave the airport.

The lounge is located on Level 4, but you must take an escalator up via Level 3. Hours of operation are from 5am to 10pm daily. As you enter the lounge you are met with impressive stonework, a living wall of greenery, and impressive view of the tarmac.

a room with white furniture and plants

a wall of plants with lights

an elevator with an escalator

a large airplane at an airport

Proceed upstairs where your credentials will be verified. That’s when I encountered my first surprise.

a escalator in a building

“Oh, it’s you Mr. Klint! We’ve been waiting for you. I left you a message yesterday.”

I responded, “I was traveling from Hong Kong. Sorry I did not receive it.”

“Yes, we saw your schedule. That’s quite a wild routing back to Los Angeles. Must be a mileage ticket we all said!”

Indeed, this was a US Airways-issued ticket that I wrote about here. My routing was HKG-SYD-DXB-LHR-JFK-LAX. Talk about long way…

“We took the liberty of reserving a spa treatment for you.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said.

“Your appointment is now.”

Great.

Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney Spa

For whatever reason, I was feeling like a facial instead of a massage and was surprised at how fresh I felt after my 20-minute treatment. The esthetician (facial professional) knew exactly was she doing. Spa rooms, like the lounge entrance, contain a live wall of greenery.

a white doorway with a green plant behind it

a room with a white chair and a table with plants

a room with a table and chairs

a white paper with black text

a massage room with plants

a massage table in a room

a room with plants and a bed

a bathroom with a white towel

Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney Breakfast

Now feeling radiant after the facial, I sat down for my first meal in the lounge: breakfast.

An extremely friendly waitress welcomed me and brought me a glass of orange juice and a berry smoothie. I ordered an omelet with toast and a side of bacon and corn fritters, a delightfully unhealthy combo. A great a cappuccino as well, though it was served in a latte cup (and was indeed a latte). Faux pas!

a menu on a table

a glass of juice and a shaker on a place mat

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food with butter and eggs

a plate of food on a table

a cup of coffee on a saucer with a spoon

a red counter with white napkins and a mirror in the middle

people sitting at tables in a room with large windows

Breakfast done, it was time to explore the lounge. The design of the lounge is one of the most iconic in the world: the picture below inextrixibaly is linked with Qantas in my mind:

a room with a large window and a couple of people sitting in it

Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney Seating

The lounge is spacious and never got so busy that it felt crowded. You’ll find seating areas, work areas, lounge areas, but no sleeping areas. There are drink stations with light snacks also positioned throughout the lounge.

a group of small glass jars with berries in a counter

a glass and a bottle on a desk

Tarmac views are especially impressive. I’m no Sam Chui, but here are some of the airplane pictures I took from the lounge:

The A380 you see over and over above is the A380 that would take me from Sydney to London.

the tail of an airplane with a city in the background

Qantas First Class Lounge Lunch

I spent most of the morning working before returning to the dining area for lunch. The black angus minute steak with café de paris butter was an excellent choice. I substituted chips (French fries) for a salad and enjoyed another superb meal. I could not resist another berry smoothie with the meal and cappuccino to finish. This time, it was served in the right cup.

a restaurant with tables and chairs

a marble counter with a bar and shelves of liquor

a group of chefs cooking in a restaurant

a menu on a table

a plate of steak and salad on a place mat

a piece of steak with butter on top

a cup of coffee with a heart design on top of it
They got the cup right this time!

Qantas First Class Lounge Showers

Restrooms are minimalist and include shower suites with rain showers.

a hallway with doors and a toilet

a toilet and a shelf in a bathroom

a sink with a faucet and a stack of towels

a light shining on a ceiling

CONCLUSION

The First Class Qantas Lounge at LAX is great, but the flagship SYD lounge is even better. I cannot wait to return.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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9 Comments

  1. BenBen Reply
    May 20, 2017 at 1:57 pm

    Wow that looks amazing indeed. Except for the showers, maybe it’s the pictures but it looks kinda basic 3 star hotel style. The ones in Emirates business lounge in DXB are much nicer.

    • Ryan Reply
      May 22, 2017 at 7:49 am

      While they’re not my favourite part of the lounge, it is worth noting that the shower suites are made entirely out of marble and have a futuristic vibe – and from that point of view are quite impressive.

      • John K Reply
        December 10, 2023 at 2:05 am

        Yes, they have almost a dystopian vibe but not in a cold way, more in a timeless, these could be untouched for 25 years and still appeal kind of way. I’m not sure how much they actually get used given that Sydney is not a big international transit hub, most people are exiting the airport or connecting to domestic flights.

  2. Docntx Reply
    May 21, 2017 at 10:58 am

    Just a quick question: How did you gain access to the First Class lounge? I see Business Class Flight on Qantas. Thank you!

    • Matthew Reply
      May 21, 2017 at 11:02 am

      Next segment coming tomorrow. I flew SYD-LHR in first class.

  3. Robert Delaney Reply
    May 21, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    My favorite Airline Lounge was the one upstairs on a 747

  4. Lukas Reply
    December 9, 2023 at 8:20 pm

    Thanks for the review and reminder of my time there eating absolutely HEAVENLY breakfast!

  5. John K Reply
    December 9, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    I first used this lounge shortly after it opened in 2007 and was absolutely blown away by it (was guested in) and subsequently have was fixated on ensuring I attained QF platinum. It’s one of the only lounges where I feel the glory of air travel still exists, the other passengers are well behaved, staff are lovely, no one speaks loudly on their phones or watches videos without headphones, it’s truly a delight. I have only ever had one poor experience and that was when 2 US bound flights were delayed due to weather and it was impossible to find a seat for about 30 minutes (am surprised they continued to let people in. I shared one of the private room / office areas with 2 other pax which was absolutely fine, but other than that it’s been fantastic, the food is the best of any lounge I’ve visited, there are often spa appointments after the LAX bound flights depart if you are not in the F cabin and sometimes the staff will pull out a special bottle of wine or champers that wouldn’t be ever featured on the menu or in any regular rotation (Tattinger Comtes, Veuve La Grand Dame etc) as a ‘surprise and delight’. I have even been allowed in when flight on another carrier but that is an absolute exception and really is at the discretion of the staff, but if you visit often enough rules might be bent a little. Glad you had a great experience!

  6. Donald Reply
    December 10, 2023 at 12:47 am

    Looks spectacular. Glad to see they’ve kept up, and even improved on their menu from 6 years ago. More selections, and vegan additions. I gladly spend hours and hours there.

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