Qantas first-class flight review: Comfortable but ...

Fast take: Qantas firstclass delivers unequalled consolation when flying nonstop to Australia. Nonetheless, the Flying Kangaroo is a hop behind the world’s finest and must take a daring leap to remain within the recreation.

Execs

• Among the many most comfy bedding within the sky
• Pleasant, down-to-earth service
• Very spacious suite

Cons

• Tough to e-book with factors
• The seats want some updates
• The meals was underwhelming

As an Aussie who has tried all the premium products flying nonstop between the U.S. and Australia, I used to be thrilled after I noticed a unicorn redemption — the considerably legendary and almost-impossible-to-find Qantas first-class award seat to Australia (over the vacation season, no much less).

The primary time I flew Qantas firstclass was from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, in 2018, and I used to be blown away. Nonetheless, that was earlier than I had had the prospect to expertise its opponents’ first-class choices, together with an onboard shower on Emirates, and seats with a separate bed and chair on Singapore Airlines.

Six years later, I received to fly Qantas firstclass as soon as once more, this time from Los Angeles to my hometown of Sydney. It was nonetheless a snug approach to fly Down Underneath, however I used to be much less impressed than earlier than. The excellent news is that Qantas does have a spectacular-looking first-class product in improvement for its forthcoming A350-1000s, however we do not have a particular timeline for its creation.

For now, let me take you on the journey, together with how I discovered the award, what I considered the bottom expertise and the place I believe Qantas might enhance.

@thepointsguy

Have you experienced Qantas First Class before? #airline #aviation #luxurytravel #firstclass #review

♬ Holiday – FASSounds

How a lot does firstclass value to e-book on Qantas?

There are a number of methods to e-book Qantas firstclass:

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I booked my one-way flight from Los Angeles to Sydney for 135,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (transferred from American Express Membership Rewards) plus $193 in taxes. On condition that one-way fares on this route begin at $13,000, that gave me an unbelievable redemption worth of 9.6 cents per level, virtually 5 instances TPG’s February 2025 valuation of Amex factors. Spherical-trip fares hover round $20,000, which means that I received someplace north of seven.3 cents per level contemplating it that method.

Here is a take a look at what round-trip airfares have been like on my route between Los Angeles and Sydney:

*Qantas is increasing its saver-level pricing by 5%-20% and in addition growing taxes for bookings produced from August 2025.

Qantas is stingy with award house in premium cabins, particularly in firstclass. You might be most definitely to search out an award seat:

• Just below a 12 months earlier than departure
• At random instances all year long
• Within the few days earlier than departure

Qantas releases award availability to Qantas Frequent Flyer members 353 days (about 11 1/2 months) earlier than departure. Not solely will you discover award availability the earliest by means of Qantas, however it additionally releases the very best variety of seats to its personal members. Qantas Frequent Flyer is a switch accomplice of American Express, Capital One and Citi.

Subsequent, American Airways AAdvantage and Alaska Airways Mileage Plan members get entry when their award calendars open up at 331 and 330 days earlier than departure, respectively. By this time, most seats have already been snapped up by Qantas members.

Do not despair, nonetheless: Qantas releases batches of seats at random instances all year long. That is how I discovered mine, seven months earlier than departure. 3 ways to regulate availability are to:

Some empty seats additionally could also be made obtainable for redemptions a few days earlier than departure.

The benefit of redeeming by means of American or Alaska is that it is best to have the ability to add home flights inside the U.S. and Australia for no further miles (however perhaps some further taxes).

So, for instance, you could possibly e-book simply the one-way flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in firstclass for 80,000 miles. Or, if there may be award house, you could possibly add an American flight in enterprise class from Chicago to Los Angeles and a Qantas flight in enterprise class from Sydney to Adelaide, Australia, for no further miles.

Plus, if you happen to’re utilizing Alaska miles, you will get a free stopover in Sydney or Melbourne (two of Qantas’ hubs).

Qantas firstclass is obtainable completely on the airline’s Airbus A380 plane, flying on the next routes year-round:

• Sydney to Los Angeles
• Melbourne to Los Angeles
• Sydney to London through Singapore

And you’ll find it seasonally on these routes:

• Melbourne to Singapore
• Sydney to Dallas-Fort Value
• Sydney to Hong Kong (often between December and February)
• Sydney to Johannesburg

Be aware that American Airways additionally gives firstclass on its Boeing 777-300ER between Los Angeles and Sydney with a lot better award availability, however the expertise is much less thrilling. Nonetheless, this option will disappear soon as American retrofits these plane and removes the first-class cabin.

I am trying ahead to attempting out Qantas’ new first-class product on upcoming A350-1000 Project Sunrise flights, which can join New York with Sydney and Melbourne nonstop for the primary time. This shall be a totally new non-public suite, however there shall be lower than half of the variety of seats (six versus the present 14), which means award house shall be very tight — or nonexistent.

Thirty-six hours earlier than departure, I acquired an e-mail from the Qantas Premium Host at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX). Hosts can be found when departing from Sydney, Melbourne, London, Singapore and Los Angeles, and Qantas says they “are prepared to offer the last word expertise.” My identify was misspelled, and I did not discover a lot new info in there, however it was good to have some form of acknowledgment of my impending flight.

If Qantas needed to enhance this service, they may proactively ask about any particular requests, hyperlink to the seasonal menu for the lounge, ask about dietary necessities or preferences to move on to the servers, provide to e-book a bathe suite, and ask for a passenger’s estimated time of arrival on the airport to help with precedence safety and flight connections.

Departing from Los Angeles

I checked in by means of the Qantas cell app 24 hours earlier than departure. The method took 4 minutes.

I arrived at LAX’s Tom Bradley Worldwide Terminal three hours earlier than departure.

I headed to the devoted lane for first-class passengers and Oneworld Emerald elite members to see if I might change my seat to 1 farther again within the cabin, however they have been all full.

With none first-class-related precedence safety privileges, I headed to the TSA PreCheck lane and sped by means of safety in lower than three minutes.

I needed to cease by the Qantas business-class lounge to ask the place the first-class lounge was as a consequence of an absence of signage. (If you attain the business-class lounge, flip proper and proceed to the top of the hallway.)

Qantas first-class passengers can even entry the American Airways Flagship Lounge in Terminal 4, which is linked airside (after safety) and is a 10-minute stroll from the Qantas lounge. Nonetheless, the Qantas lounge is superior, for my part.

The lounge has a contemporary, smooth design in step with Qantas’ black, white and purple shade palette. The entrance half of the lounge is designed with varied residing room-style seating areas and the again half with a restaurant-style setup for eating.

There are not any devoted workspaces or cellphone cubicles, and several other folks took video calls on speaker, together with pacing across the eating space. Because of the lounge’s location, there isn’t any pure gentle, both, and folk flying with children is not going to discover a kids’s space or playroom.

In the event you enter the lounge after 6 p.m., I might recommend asking for one of many reserved eating tables right away as they begin to replenish by 6:30 p.m.; there was a 20-minute wait by 7 p.m. and passengers have been visibly pissed off.

Having stated that, the Sofitel-trained servers have been heat {and professional} and greeted me by identify.

Upon being seated, I used to be supplied the a la carte winter menu. (In the event you’re flying round-trip to Australia, you will benefit from the winter menu in L.A. after which the summer time menu in Australia, and vice versa.) There are ample gluten-free and vegan choices.

The drinks menu is concise, with solely 5 cocktails, 4 purple wines, 4 white wines, one rose wine and one dessert wine.

I loved two of the nonalcoholic drinks: the spicy Immune Booster (with apple, carrot, ginger, honey and lemon) and a home lemonade (with ginger, lemongrass and lime).

The meals was not fairly restaurant high quality, however it was offered properly. The potato-leek soup was hearty however I discovered the competing flavors (Gouda cheese, truffle and inexperienced olives) overpowering, and although unhealthy, the salt-and-pepper squid is a signature, so I needed to strive it.

After a bathe, I headed again for a second dinner the place, fortunately, the grilled halloumi — a well-liked cheese in Australia — hit the spot with its Mexican twist of salsa roja, turmeric pickles and agave.

However then I waited 25 minutes for the subsequent course, which was sea bass. The 2 desserts of sticky date pudding and an ice cream sundae have been enjoyable to strive, however I did not end them as they weren’t satisfying.

A shiny level is that barista-made espresso — however no chilly brew — will be ordered with oat, almond and soy milk obtainable.

Fortunately, there was no look ahead to one of many seven bathe suites at 6 p.m. (however there was in a while). They have been giant, clear and shiny and had a helpful knee-high ottoman and desk to position belongings and prepare.

In distinction to the well-appointed eating and relaxation areas, the design of the bathe suites appeared considerably utilitarian. Incorporating parts equivalent to ornamental greenery, art work and improved storage choices might additional improve the premium really feel of the house.

My greatest criticism was the showerhead, which had eight uneven spouts and inconsistent water strain.

Evaluating this to the stress-free bathtub I had a month later in Cathay Pacific’s The Wing first-class lounge at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport (HKG) — which is, admittedly, Cathay’s hub — Qantas would possibly think about it time to speculate extra in its lounge at LAX.

From the lounge, it was a brief five-minute stroll to boarding. First-class passengers, together with top-tier Qantas and Oneworld Emerald elite members, have been the primary invited on board.

How comfy was firstclass on Qantas?

The primary-class cabin aboard Qantas’ A380 has 14 open suites — rather a lot for a first-class cabin — arrange in a 1-1-1 configuration.

Listed below are some extra particulars on the seats and cabin:

Variety of seats	14
Cabin format	1-1-1
Seat recline	79 inches, absolutely flat
Seat width	22 inches
Display screen dimension	18 inches

The home windows have 5 rows of seats (A and Ok seats) in opposition to them; there are solely 4 center seats (F seats) because of the staircase.

The most effective seats for solo vacationers are 2A, 3A and 4A (and probably 2F). Some solo frequent flyers take pleasure in 2F as it’s the seat beneath the staircase, providing you with a way of being in a cocoon.

Aside from getting an overhead locker to themselves, friends within the A seats have privateness from the center seats.

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Qantas’ seat. MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

That is as a result of after takeoff, the middle divider on the left-hand aspect of the F seats is raised.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

I might advocate {couples} select a pair of F and Ok seats in rows 2, 3 or 4. The F and Ok seats share an aisle (and an overhead locker), making dialog simpler.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

No matter whether or not you select an A, F or Ok seat, attempt to keep away from rows 1 and 5 to scale back noise and lightweight from galley and bathrooms; word that 5A has a child bassinet.

Whereas these open suites lack a privateness door, as you’d discover in Singapore Airways’ Suites and Emirates’ firstclass, they provide you a ton of house when eating, stress-free and sleeping. As a 5-foot, 11-inch individual, my legs did not attain the ottoman when the seat was within the upright place.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

As for storage: In the event you’re in an A seat, you will have a full overhead compartment to your self; if you happen to’re in an F or Ok seat, you will share it with the passenger throughout the aisle.

Laptops and tablets have to go within the flimsy seat pocket beneath the fold-out drinks tray, which leaves them uncovered to the aisle. Nonetheless, toiletry luggage and books can match within the two pull-out drawers.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Aside from a helpful foldout desk on the again of the seat in entrance of you in addition to the aspect desk, you even have an enormous guide, fold-out eating desk, measuring 36 inches diagonally. One other passenger can dine reverse you, with the ottoman serving as one other seat with its personal seat belt.

The 18-inch inflight leisure display seems undersized relative to the seat. Its non-HD show and unintuitive distant management might be upgraded for a extra refined person expertise.

The touchscreen console for seat controls additionally doubled as a distant, and the seat management console had six seat presets and therapeutic massage, window and lightweight controls which might be simple to know and use.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

This seat has one USB-A charging port and one common energy outlet beneath the drinks desk, although they may be extra conveniently positioned by the aspect desk (simply in case the Qantas design crew desires my enter!).

Having stated that, Qantas actually excels when it is time for sleep. I received a stable seven hours of sleep on this 14-hour flight because of the breathable supplies, plush pillows and two adjustable air vents embedded within the seat wings. In my view, this is without doubt one of the high two airways for sleeping supplies (together with Cathay Pacific).

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Even with the airline enterprise a minor refresh of this cabin through the pandemic, there was nonetheless some evident put on and tear. For example, my seat belt had stains on it and the cushions have been beginning to fray.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

The Qantas seat can also be beginning to really feel its age because of the shortage of privateness and the comparatively small dimension of the leisure display.

Facilities in Qantas firstclass

First-class passengers obtain comfy, breathable pajamas and slippers with Qantas branding.

The amenity package was thick and reusable and included an identical eye masks, lip balm from Melbourne-based skincare line LaGaia Unedited, hand cream and hydration serums, skinny navy-blue socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs.

The inflight leisure system had a formidable choice of new releases with a characteristic to look at a film concurrently with a buddy.

The headphones labored positive however have been light-weight and unbranded.

As of February 2025, Qantas is the one provider flying between the U.S. and Australia that does not provide Wi-Fi. Its plans to put in it by late 2024 have been postponed.

There have been two loos on the entrance of the cabin, with the one on the right-hand aspect getting extra visitors. They have been spacious, making it simple to vary garments, and there was a lot of counter house. I appreciated having a window within the toilet to see the world from excessive above.

One of many extra attention-grabbing onboard parts was a small lounge space shared with business-class passengers. It was situated up the staircase on the entrance of the cabin and had just a few completely different seating areas, together with two cubicles and an extended banquette, in addition to a small self-serve bar.

That is no onboard bar such as you’d discover on Emirates or Qatar’s A380s, however it’s a good house to have as a substitute if you need a break out of your seat.

How was the meals in Qantas firstclass?

On the bottom, I used to be served marinated olives with nuts and a alternative of glowing water or a glass of Champagne.

Food and drinks menus have been distributed on the bottom due to a 45-minute delay as a consequence of a defective overhead locker not closing, although maybe the crew might save time by distributing them earlier than boarding so passengers have extra time to peruse them.

The meals menu was impressively in depth; nonetheless, two of the 9 choices on the wine listing have been crossed out in pen, with replacements written in.

Aside from the Champagne, the Qantas first-class wine listing included the next choices:

• Pommery Cuvee Louise 2005; Champagne
• Brokenwood Semillon 2017; white
• Barratt Sauvignon Blanc 2022; white
• Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2023; white
• Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2021; purple
• Parker Coonawarra Property SBW Simpatico 2019; purple
• Leeuwin Property Artwork Sequence Shiraz 2019; purple
• De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2018; dessert
• Morris of Rutherglen Outdated Premium Liqueur Muscat and Tokay; fortified

Most bottles have been within the $40-$75 vary, so not too fancy; nonetheless, the Champagne retails for round $200.

I began dinner with two canapes: a wonderfully sized caviar chew and a scrumptious tuna tartare crostini.

You may eat as a lot or as little as you needed, with 4 starter choices:

• Celeriac and apple soup with king crab and pickled celery salsa
• Pork cheek and ricotta tortellini in broth with asparagus, mushrooms and Parmesan
• Steak sandwich with tomato and chili relish
• Buffalo burrata with romesco, watercress, broad beans and hazelnut French dressing

The soup was pretty bland, however the burrata salad was nicely balanced and satisfying.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Subsequent have been the mains:

• Artichoke and vegetable tagine with stuffed dates, couscous, broad beans and harissa
• Seared Chilean sea bass with snow peas, lemon and extra-virgin olive oil
• Roasted hen breast with fondant potatoes, balsamic cipollini onions, treviso and thyme jus
• Ancho chili and hazelnut braised beef cheek with tortillas, tomato and salsa, bitter cream or mustard
• Mesclun salad along with your alternative of French dressing: Neil’s, lemon or aged balsamic

The Center Jap tagine was wholesome and filling if considerably missing in taste.

I skipped the cheese plate and went for the enticingly named rhubarb and strawberry crostata with mascarpone sabayon dessert earlier than chocolate truffles and ginger tea earlier than mattress.

Service was sluggish and leisurely, ending round three hours after takeoff; nonetheless, when flying to Australia, there isn’t any rush to fall asleep — it is higher to remain awake for the primary few hours of flight to assist with jet lag.

Breakfast was served proper after I had requested it, half-hour after I awoke and hydrated with a bottle of water and a few electrolytes (that I had introduced on board myself).

I had a croissant, smoked salmon with cornbread, and Bircher muesli with inexperienced apple and hazelnuts.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Qantas — and Australia — do espresso nicely, so I loved an oat milk flat white to complete off my meal.

Whereas costly and various, the meals on my flight was not likely memorable. I didn’t go hungry, however I used to be not craving extra by the point we landed, both.

How was the service in Qantas firstclass?

I discover Qantas customer support to be pleasant, heat and attentive. On this flight, the service was laid-back and personable fairly than doting.

That translated right into a extra approachable, welcome-on-board-and-let-me-take-care-of-you-while-we-have-a-nice-time-together expertise fairly than a extra inflexible, you-are-the-customer-and-I-am-here-to-serve-you strategy. I wasn’t fawned over, however I felt taken care of, and like I might already arrived again in Australia earlier than the airplane even took off.

I’ve tried all 5 airways flying nonstop from the U.S. to Australia, and Delta Air Lines is the clear standout, adopted by (in no explicit order) American Airlines, Qantas and United Airlines, which supply fairly comparable experiences. Hawaiian Airways shall be a stable contender if and when it introduces its new business class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Australian routes.

If I have been to get up tomorrow with half one million factors in my pockets and award availability on any flight to Australia, I might in all probability select to fly Delta enterprise class to Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne (from December 2025). That is as a result of the airline has a wonderful premium check-in and security area at LAX and has nice customer support.

Subsequent, I might select to fly Qantas firstclass again from Sydney or Melbourne to the U.S., given the spectacular floor expertise the airline gives in Australia.

That being stated, most vacationers may have sufficient of a premium expertise flying Down Under in business class. Given premium cabin award availability is so tight on U.S.-Australia flights, if you happen to discover a premium-cabin seat on any airline, e-book it.

And if that uncommon award availability occurs to be in Qantas firstclass and you’ve got sufficient factors, redeeming them for this aspirational product is price it. Simply do not anticipate it to have the bling you’d discover on Emirates, the scrumptious meals on Japan Airways or the polished service on Singapore Airways.

Associated: 9 amazing first-class seats you can book with points and miles