Qantas first-class flight evaluate: Comfy however subpar

Fast take: Qantas top quality 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.

Professionals

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

Cons

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

As an Aussie who has tried all the premium merchandise 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 top quality 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 rivals’ first-class choices, together with an onboard bathe on Emirates, and seats with a separate mattress and chair on Singapore Airways.

Six years later, I bought to fly Qantas top quality as soon as once more, this time from Los Angeles to my hometown of Sydney. It was nonetheless a snug technique to fly Down Below, 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 growth for its forthcoming A350-1000s, however we do not have a particular timeline for its introduction.

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 feel Qantas may enhance.

@thepointsguy Have you ever skilled Qantas First Class earlier than? #airline #aviation #luxurytravel #firstclass #evaluate ♬ Vacation – FASSounds

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

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

I booked my one-way flight from Los Angeles to Sydney for 135,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (transferred from American Categorical Membership Rewards) plus $193 in taxes. Provided 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, that means that I bought someplace north of seven.3 cents per level contemplating it that means.

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

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

Qantas is stingy with award area in premium cabins, particularly in top quality. You might be probably to seek 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 best variety of seats to its personal members. Qantas Frequent Flyer is a switch companion of American Categorical, 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, nevertheless: 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 keep watch over 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 you must be capable to add home flights throughout the U.S. and Australia for no extra miles (however perhaps some extra taxes).

So, for instance, you possibly can e-book simply the one-way flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in top quality for 80,000 miles. Or, if there’s award area, you possibly can 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 extra miles.

Plus, when you’re utilizing Alaska miles, you may get a free stopover in Sydney or Melbourne (two of Qantas’ hubs).

Qantas top quality is obtainable solely 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 by way of Singapore

And yow will discover it seasonally on these routes:

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

Word that American Airways additionally affords top quality 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 selection will disappear quickly 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 Venture Dawn flights, which can join New York with Sydney and Melbourne nonstop for the primary time. This will probably be a very new personal suite, however there will probably be lower than half of the variety of seats (six versus the present 14), that means award area will probably be very tight — or nonexistent.

Checking in to and boarding top quality on Qantas

Thirty-six hours earlier than departure, I obtained 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 supply the final word expertise.” My title was misspelled, and I did not discover a lot new info in there, however it was good to have some kind of acknowledgment of my impending flight.

If Qantas wished to enhance this service, they might proactively ask about any particular requests, hyperlink to the seasonal menu for the lounge, ask about dietary necessities or preferences to go 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 may change my seat to 1 farther again within the cabin, however they had 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 on account of a scarcity of signage. (If you attain the business-class lounge, flip proper and proceed to the tip of the hallway.)

Qantas first-class passengers also can 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, in my view.

The lounge has a contemporary, modern design consistent with Qantas’ black, white and pink colour palette. The entrance half of the lounge is designed with numerous residing room-style seating areas and the again half with a restaurant-style setup for eating.

There are not any devoted workspaces or telephone 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 people flying with children is not going to discover a youngsters’s space or playroom.

Should you enter the lounge after 6 p.m., I would counsel asking for one of many reserved eating tables immediately as they begin to refill by 6:30 p.m.; there was a 20-minute wait by 7 p.m. and passengers had been visibly annoyed.

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

Upon being seated, I used to be supplied the a la carte winter menu. (Should you’re flying round-trip to Australia, you may 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 pink 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 had been enjoyable to strive, however I did not end them as they weren’t satisfying.

A brilliant 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 forward to one of many seven bathe suites at 6 p.m. (however there was afterward). They had been giant, clear and brilliant 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 components similar to ornamental greenery, art work and improved storage choices may additional improve the premium really feel of the area.

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 contemplate 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, had been the primary invited on board.

How snug was top quality on Qantas?

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

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

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

The most effective seats for solo vacationers are 2A, 3A and 4A (and doubtlessly 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.

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

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

I would suggest {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.

No matter whether or not you select an A, F or Ok seat, attempt to keep away from rows 1 and 5 to cut back noise and lightweight from galley and bogs; 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’ top quality, they offer you a ton of area when eating, stress-free and sleeping. As a 5-foot, 11-inch particular person, my legs did not attain the ottoman when the seat was within the upright place.

As for storage: Should you’re in an A seat, you may have a full overhead compartment to your self; when you’re in an F or Ok seat, you may 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.

Other than 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 handbook, 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 screen seems undersized relative to the seat. Its non-HD show and unintuitive distant management may very well be upgraded for a extra refined consumer 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 grasp and use.

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

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

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

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

Facilities in Qantas top quality

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

The amenity equipment 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 powerful choice of new releases with a function to look at a film concurrently with a buddy.

The headphones labored advantageous however had been light-weight and unbranded.

As of February 2025, Qantas is the one service 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 site visitors. They had been spacious, making it simple to alter garments, and there was a number of counter area. I appreciated having a window within the rest room to see the world from excessive above.

One of many extra fascinating onboard components was a small lounge space shared with business-class passengers. It was situated up the staircase on the entrance of the cabin and had a couple of completely different seating areas, together with two cubicles and a protracted 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 area to have as a substitute once you desire a break out of your seat.

How was the meals in Qantas top quality?

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

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

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

Other than 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; pink
• Parker Coonawarra Property SBW Simpatico 2019; pink
• Leeuwin Property Artwork Collection Shiraz 2019; pink
• De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2018; dessert
• Morris of Rutherglen Previous Premium Liqueur Muscat and Tokay; fortified

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

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

You can eat as a lot or as little as you wished, 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 gratifying.

Subsequent had 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 selection 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 gradual and leisurely, ending round three hours after takeoff; nevertheless, 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 wakened 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.

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

Whereas costly and assorted, the meals on my flight was probably not 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 top quality?

I discover Qantas customer support to be pleasant, heat and attentive. On this flight, the service was laid-back and personable moderately 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 moderately 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 would already arrived again in Australia earlier than the airplane even took off.

Is Qantas top quality value it?

A cushty seat (and mattress) is a very powerful issue on transpacific flights of 13-plus hours — and Qantas excels on this space, with breathable supplies, plush pillows and particular person air vents. The nice and cozy, pleasant service from a down-to-earth cabin crew, in true Aussie style, can also be a plus. Nonetheless, the meals within the lounge and the air was uninspiring on my flight.

I’ve tried all 5 airways flying nonstop from the U.S. to Australia, and Delta Air Traces is the clear standout, adopted by (in no specific order) American Airways, Qantas and United Airways, which provide fairly related experiences. Hawaiian Airways will probably be a stable contender if and when it introduces its new enterprise class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Australian routes.

If I had been to get up tomorrow with half one million factors in my pockets and award availability on any flight to Australia, I would 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 superb premium check-in and safety space at LAX and has nice customer support.

Subsequent, I would select to fly Qantas top quality again from Sydney or Melbourne to the U.S., given the spectacular floor expertise the airline affords in Australia.

That being stated, most vacationers could have sufficient of a premium expertise flying Down Below in enterprise class. Given premium cabin award availability is so tight on U.S.-Australia flights, when you discover a premium-cabin seat on any airline, e-book it.

And if that uncommon award availability occurs to be in Qantas top quality and you’ve got sufficient factors, redeeming them for this aspirational product is value it. Simply do not count on 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 superb first-class seats you’ll be able to e-book with factors and miles