It is very nice to be back at the Qantas first lounge again! This together with Singapore Airlines The Private Room is constantly vying for the title of the best lounge in Changi Airport. It is outstanding that a foreign airline will be able to do so on Singapore Airlines’ home turf. I had the opportunity to visit the lounge again on my trip last month. While I was only eligible for Qantas Business, the team very nicely invited me into Qantas First Class Lounge. I visited the lounge back when they updated their menu quarterly and also when they had their golden anniversary celebrations of Qantas Lounges. I did an extensive review of the lounge back then and you can find my review here and here. Singapore is a huge regional hub and to handle their premium passengers and OW crowd, they had a huge 1000 Sqm of space here. The lounge was designed by Australian designer David Caon in collaboration with Kelvin Ho of the architecture and design firm Akin Atelier.
Access Requirements
The Qantas First Class Lounge is open daily from 3.15pm to 11am. This is subject to changes depending on Qantas’s Schedule. You can access this lounge on Qantas, Emirates or Oneworld flights in First Class. Qantas Platinum One and Platinum members on a Qantas, Jetstar or Oneworld flight. Oneworld Emerald status passengers on an Oneworld flight. Emirates Skywards Platinum holders departing on a Qantas or Emirates flight. First Class passengers, Qantas Platinum One, Platinum, Emirates Skywards Platinum and Oneworld Emerald members may bring one guest. Standard Oneworld transit rules apply as well when arriving in First Class. Air France uses this lounge for their First Class passengers too.
Arrival & Location
The lounge is one level above the terminal and next to the Marhaba Lounge and Crystal Jade Restaurant. You will find signs leading to the lounge after clearing security. It is in the opposite direction as the Qantas Business Lounge in the D Gates direction. I was warmly welcomed by the staff. A fellow member of the crew then took over and asked if I would like to dine before ushering me over to one of the dining tables. I was then enquired about my water preference before a cold refreshing towel was presented. Top-notch in this aspect!
Qantas International First Lounge Singapore
The lounge is mainly designed for dining with the dining area taking up more than half of the space and seats in the lounge. This is a huge focus for them. Immediately after the entranceway, you have a little space with sofa seating. This area is very private and cosy. It is a great spot and I like it that they had this artificial skylight. This is a great feature to help travellers adjust with jet lag and time difference. It is such a cool and awesome feature.
I love the residential vibes of the place which feels like a fancy house or club rather than a drapey lounge. The complements of the colours and the furniture makes it such a cosy space. This makes the place so much more welcoming. Those solo seats by the side are great for both working and having a snack.
Then you can find some working desks. There is a printer available for guest’s use. Great spot to get some work done on your laptops if you require.
Moving ahead you can then find the gorgeous bar area. There are some lounging low seats if you want to grab drinks and wine down with your travelling groups. This is handy for pre drinks before having a main meal.
The dining area is so classy and this is as good as any find dining restaurant out there. Spaces are nicely created to make it more cosy and private despite the large amount of tables.
Toilets and Showers
Qantas First has these showers that make you want to take a shower even when you don’t have to do so!!! The toilets and showers facility here are top notch. They are specifically designed for the traffic over here where a majority of Qantas pax are departing on evening flights or transiting ahead of the flight to London. It similarly comes with a skylight feature that helps with adjustment and jet lag.
They have a total of 9 shower suites, each of them individually located. They are an absolute beauty. I love the white textured marble finish. It is well stocked with all sorts of amenities and features toiletries from LAGAIA UNEDITED.
Toilets are located in individual rooms and have the same decor. They are well-maintained and clean.
Food and Drinks
Coming back to the gorgeous bar. Here is where all the main beverages are served from. On the sides there are some self serve drinks as well. The bartender are on hand to assist you but to be frank, with the polished service over here, you will be assisted even before reaching the bar. Coffee connoisseurs will be glad to know that they have a proper espresso machine over here offering barista drinks.
You can find the menu for the lounge over here. Off the menu items includes champagne which is always changing as well as cocktails of your demand. The staff here are happy to please.
On the day of my visit, they are pouring the Lallier Reflexion R020 which is interesting. Later on, Kamal also brought over the Lallier Blanc de Blancs which was absolutely fantastic! I was warmly helped by Kamal who was a gem and we had some small talks given that it has been a long time since my last visit.
The whole experience feels like a fine dining restaurant with excellent service. The tables comes with full white tablecloth and napkins. Water preference were taken and the staff also came in to offer recommendations. Champagne is offered here but not on the menu as they change their pour frequently. Besides champagne, we also ordered some cocktails. Here are some of the items that we tried. QF2 is such a classic but the Ju Pu was outstanding.
We got the signature Salt and Pepper Squid to start.
Prawn Wantons with Black Vinegar and Chili
Crispy skinned Assam barramundi with tamarind, chilli, gai lan, calamansi and roti paratha.
Roast porchetta with potato puree, white cabbage and gremolata
Banoffee
The staff then brought over some chocolates as we were finishing up our meal. This is the menu of the lounge when I visited previously. Let me also share some pictures of the food I had previously.
The last time around, they were pouring Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve, Taittinger Brut Reserve, Taittinger Prestige Rose and Joseph Perrier Brut.
Broccoli soup with parmesan cream, chives and focaccia
Salt and pepper squid with green chilli dipping sauce and aioli
Plant based dining – mushroom wonton soup with noodles, shiitake, ginger and sesame
Grilled barramundi with sambal brown butter, capers and spinach
Signature laksa with crayfish, rice noodles, bean sprouts and egg
Grilled chicken breast with carrot puree and roast baby onions
Kaya tart with pandan crème, lime syrup and ginger yoghurt sorbet
Passionfruit & Jalapeno Daiquiri – jalapeno rum, passionfruit, lemon
The QF2 – Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, Fever Tree aromatic tonic, Aperol ice cube and orange
Non Seabreeze 0.0% – Lyre’s London gin, pink grapefruit juice, wild berry kombucha, orange bitters
The Oolong Way – Oolong Starward whiskey, Lyre’s Highland Malt, Osmanthus and chocolate bitters
H&H – gin, dom benedictine, H&H grenadine, yuzu pineapple
They also have chef specialities from time to time and this will be informed by the staff when you dine. Do try out the Har Cheong Gai “Prawn Paste” Chicken Wings and carrot cake.
Conclusion
The staff here are marvellous! This is my 3rd visit so far and it is always so nice to be seeing familiar faces who recognise me since my first visit. Kamal was lovely and so proactive. I was well taken care of by him during my time here. This is hands down the best Oneworld lounge at the airport. I would even say that it is the best first-class lounge in Changi! SQ The Private Room offers a premium offering but the executions pales in comparison. The vibes are much better here with a nicer ambience. Creativity and execution-wise, Qantas First tops the chart! I love how Qantas has tailored this lounge to their guests’ preferences which are the dining and showers! The staff here are lovely as compared to the cold ones in TPR. It is much more lively, fun and happening over here. I have nothing but good things to share about the staff who take hospitality to a different level. I can’t wait to be back and have an extended time here. It is certainly nice that this is a standard one-world emerald lounge. What a treat!
This was a hosted media invite by Qantas, all views expressed are my own
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