Qantas first-class flight review: Comfortable but subpar

Quick take: Qantas first class delivers unrivaled comfort when flying nonstop to Australia. However, the Flying Kangaroo is a hop behind the world’s best and needs to take a bold leap to stay in the game.

Pros

• Among the most comfortable bedding in the sky
• Friendly, down-to-earth service
• Very spacious suite

Cons

• Difficult to book with points
• The seats need some updates
• The food was underwhelming

As an Aussie who has tried all of the premium products flying nonstop between the U.S. and Australia, I was thrilled when I spotted a unicorn redemption — the somewhat mythical and almost-impossible-to-find Qantas first-class award seat to Australia (over the holiday season, no less).

The first time I flew Qantas first class was from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia, in 2018, and I was blown away. However, that was before I had had the chance to experience its competitors’ first-class offerings, including an onboard shower on Emirates, and seats with a separate bed and chair on Singapore Airlines.

Six years later, I got to fly Qantas first class once again, this time from Los Angeles to my hometown of Sydney. It was still a comfortable way to fly Down Under, but I was less impressed than before. The good news is that Qantas does have a spectacular-looking first-class product in development for its forthcoming A350-1000s, but we don’t have a definite timeline for its advent.

For now, let me take you on the journey, including how I found the award, what I thought of the ground experience and where I think Qantas could improve.

@thepointsguy

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

♬ Holiday – FASSounds

How much does first class cost to book on Qantas?

There are several ways to book Qantas first class:

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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. Given that one-way fares on this route start at $13,000, that gave me an incredible redemption value of 9.6 cents per point, almost five times TPG’s February 2025 valuation of Amex points. Round-trip fares hover around $20,000, meaning that I got somewhere north of 7.3 cents per point considering it that way.

Here’s a look at what round-trip airfares were like on my route between Los Angeles and Sydney:

*Qantas is increasing its saver-level pricing by 5%-20% and also increasing taxes for bookings made from August 2025.

Qantas is stingy with award space in premium cabins, especially in first class. You are most likely to find an award seat:

• Just under a year before departure
• At random times throughout the year
• In the few days before departure

Qantas releases award availability to Qantas Frequent Flyer members 353 days (about 11 1/2 months) before departure. Not only will you find award availability the earliest through Qantas, but it also releases the highest number of seats to its own members. Qantas Frequent Flyer is a transfer partner of American Express, Capital One and Citi.

Next, American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members get access when their award calendars open up at 331 and 330 days before departure, respectively. By this time, most seats have already been snapped up by Qantas members.

Don’t despair, however: Qantas releases batches of seats at random times throughout the year. That’s how I found mine, seven months before departure. Three ways to keep an eye on availability are to:

Some empty seats also may be made available for redemptions a couple of days before departure.

The advantage of redeeming through American or Alaska is that you should be able to add domestic flights within the U.S. and Australia for no additional miles (but maybe some additional taxes).

So, for example, you could book just the one-way flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in first class for 80,000 miles. Or, if there is award space, you could add an American flight in business class from Chicago to Los Angeles and a Qantas flight in business class from Sydney to Adelaide, Australia, for no additional miles.

Plus, if you’re using Alaska miles, you can get a free stopover in Sydney or Melbourne (two of Qantas’ hubs).

Qantas first class is offered exclusively on the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft, flying on the following routes year-round:

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

And you can find it seasonally on these routes:

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

Note that American Airlines also offers first class on its Boeing 777-300ER between Los Angeles and Sydney with much better award availability, but the experience is less exciting. However, this option will disappear soon as American retrofits these aircraft and removes the first-class cabin.

I’m looking forward to trying out Qantas’ new first-class product on upcoming A350-1000 Project Sunrise flights, which will connect New York with Sydney and Melbourne nonstop for the first time. This will be a completely new private suite, but there will be less than half of the number of seats (six versus the current 14), meaning award space will be very tight — or nonexistent.

Thirty-six hours before departure, I received an email from the Qantas Premium Host at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Hosts are available when departing from Sydney, Melbourne, London, Singapore and Los Angeles, and Qantas says they “are ready to provide the ultimate experience.” My name was misspelled, and I didn’t find much new information in there, but it was nice to have some sort of acknowledgment of my impending flight.

If Qantas wanted to improve this service, they could proactively ask about any special requests, link to the seasonal menu for the lounge, ask about dietary requirements or preferences to pass on to the servers, offer to book a shower suite, and ask for a passenger’s estimated time of arrival at the airport to assist with priority security and flight connections.

Departing from Los Angeles

I checked in through the Qantas mobile app 24 hours before departure. The process took four minutes.

I arrived at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal three hours before departure.

I headed to the dedicated lane for first-class passengers and Oneworld Emerald elite members to see if I could change my seat to one farther back in the cabin, but they were all full.

Without any first-class-related priority security privileges, I headed to the TSA PreCheck lane and sped through security in less than three minutes.

I had to stop by the Qantas business-class lounge to ask where the first-class lounge was due to a lack of signage. (When you reach the business-class lounge, turn right and continue to the end of the hallway.)

Qantas first-class passengers can also access the American Airlines Flagship Lounge in Terminal 4, which is connected airside (after security) and is a 10-minute walk from the Qantas lounge. However, the Qantas lounge is superior, in my opinion.

The lounge has a modern, sleek design in keeping with Qantas’ black, white and red color palette. The front half of the lounge is designed with various living room-style seating areas and the back half with a restaurant-style setup for dining.

There are no dedicated workspaces or phone booths, and several people took video calls on speaker, including pacing around the dining area. Due to the lounge’s location, there is no natural light, either, and folks flying with kids will not find a children’s area or playroom.

If you enter the lounge after 6 p.m., I’d suggest asking for one of the reserved dining tables straight away as they start to fill up by 6:30 p.m.; there was a 20-minute wait by 7 p.m. and passengers were visibly frustrated.

Having said that, the Sofitel-trained servers were warm and professional and greeted me by name.

Upon being seated, I was offered the a la carte winter menu. (If you’re flying round-trip to Australia, you’ll enjoy the winter menu in L.A. and then the summer menu in Australia, and vice versa.) There are ample gluten-free and vegan options.

The drinks menu is concise, with only five cocktails, four red wines, four white wines, one rose wine and one dessert wine.

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

The food was not quite restaurant quality, but it was presented nicely. The potato-leek soup was hearty but I found the competing flavors (Gouda cheese, truffle and green olives) overpowering, and though unhealthy, the salt-and-pepper squid is a signature, so I had to try it.

After a shower, I headed back for a second dinner where, thankfully, the grilled halloumi — a popular cheese in Australia — hit the spot with its Mexican twist of salsa roja, turmeric pickles and agave.

But then I waited 25 minutes for the next course, which was sea bass. The two desserts of sticky date pudding and an ice cream sundae were fun to try, but I didn’t finish them as they weren’t satisfying.

A bright point is that barista-made coffee — but no cold brew — can be ordered with oat, almond and soy milk available.

Luckily, there was no wait for one of the seven shower suites at 6 p.m. (but there was later on). They were large, clean and bright and had a handy knee-high ottoman and table to place belongings and get ready.

In contrast to the well-appointed dining and rest areas, the design of the shower suites appeared somewhat utilitarian. Incorporating elements such as decorative greenery, artwork and improved storage options could further enhance the premium feel of the space.

My biggest complaint was the showerhead, which had eight uneven spouts and inconsistent water pressure.

Comparing this to the relaxing bath I had a month later in Cathay Pacific’s The Wing first-class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) — which is, admittedly, Cathay’s hub — Qantas might consider it time to invest more in its lounge at LAX.

From the lounge, it was a short five-minute walk to boarding. First-class passengers, along with top-tier Qantas and Oneworld Emerald elite members, were the first invited on board.

How comfortable was first class on Qantas?

The first-class cabin aboard Qantas’ A380 has 14 open suites — quite a lot for a first-class cabin — set up in a 1-1-1 configuration.

Here are some more details on the seats and cabin:

Number of seats	14
Cabin layout	1-1-1
Seat recline	79 inches, fully flat
Seat width	22 inches
Screen size	18 inches

The windows have five rows of seats (A and K seats) against them; there are only four middle seats (F seats) due to the staircase.

The best seats for solo travelers are 2A, 3A and 4A (and potentially 2F). Some solo frequent flyers enjoy 2F as it is the seat under the staircase, giving you a sense of being in a cocoon.

Apart from getting an overhead locker to themselves, guests in the A seats have privacy from the middle seats.

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Qantas’ seat. MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

That’s because after takeoff, the center divider on the left-hand side of the F seats is raised.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

I’d recommend couples choose a pair of F and K seats in rows 2, 3 or 4. The F and K seats share an aisle (and an overhead locker), making conversation easier.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Regardless of whether you choose an A, F or K seat, try to avoid rows 1 and 5 to reduce noise and light from galley and lavatories; note that 5A has a baby bassinet.

While these open suites lack a privacy door, as you’d find in Singapore Airlines’ Suites and Emirates’ first class, they give you a ton of space when dining, relaxing and sleeping. As a 5-foot, 11-inch person, my legs didn’t reach the ottoman when the seat was in the upright position.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

As for storage: If you’re in an A seat, you’ll have a full overhead compartment to yourself; if you’re in an F or K seat, you’ll share it with the passenger across the aisle.

Laptops and tablets need to go in the flimsy seat pocket underneath the fold-out drinks tray, which leaves them exposed to the aisle. However, toiletry bags and books can fit in the two pull-out drawers.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Apart from a handy foldout table on the back of the seat in front of you as well as the side table, you also have a huge manual, fold-out dining table, measuring 36 inches diagonally. Another passenger can dine opposite you, with the ottoman serving as another seat with its own seat belt.

The 18-inch inflight entertainment screen appears undersized relative to the seat. Its non-HD display and unintuitive remote control could be upgraded for a more refined user experience.

The touchscreen console for seat controls also doubled as a remote, and the seat control console had six seat presets and massage, window and light controls that are easy to understand and use.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

This seat has one USB-A charging port and one universal power outlet under the drinks table, though they might be more conveniently placed by the side table (just in case the Qantas design team wants my input!).

Having said that, Qantas really excels when it’s time for sleep. I got a solid seven hours of sleep on this 14-hour flight thanks to the breathable materials, plush pillows and two adjustable air vents embedded in the seat wings. In my opinion, this is one of the top two airlines for sleeping materials (along with Cathay Pacific).

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Even with the airline undertaking a minor refresh of this cabin during the pandemic, there was still some evident wear and tear. For instance, my seat belt had stains on it and the cushions were starting to fray.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

The Qantas seat is also starting to feel its age thanks to the lack of privacy and the relatively small size of the entertainment screen.

Amenities in Qantas first class

First-class passengers receive comfortable, breathable pajamas and slippers with Qantas branding.

The amenity kit was thick and reusable and included a matching eye mask, lip balm from Melbourne-based skincare line LaGaia Unedited, hand cream and hydration serums, thin navy-blue socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs.

The inflight entertainment system had an impressive selection of new releases with a feature to watch a movie simultaneously with a friend.

The headphones worked fine but were lightweight and unbranded.

As of February 2025, Qantas is the only carrier flying between the U.S. and Australia that doesn’t offer Wi-Fi. Its plans to install it by late 2024 have been postponed.

There were two bathrooms at the front of the cabin, with the one on the right-hand side getting more traffic. They were spacious, making it easy to change clothes, and there was lots of counter space. I appreciated having a window in the bathroom to see the world from high above.

One of the more interesting onboard elements was a small lounge area shared with business-class passengers. It was located up the staircase at the front of the cabin and had a few different seating areas, including two booths and a long banquette, as well as a small self-serve bar.

This is no onboard bar like you’d find on Emirates or Qatar’s A380s, but it is a nice space to have as an alternative when you want a break from your seat.

How was the food in Qantas first class?

On the ground, I was served marinated olives with nuts and a choice of sparkling water or a glass of Champagne.

Food and drink menus were distributed on the ground because of a 45-minute delay due to a faulty overhead locker not closing, though perhaps the crew could save time by distributing them before boarding so passengers have more time to peruse them.

The food menu was impressively extensive; however, two of the nine options on the wine list were crossed out in pen, with replacements written in.

Apart from the Champagne, the Qantas first-class wine list included the following options:

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

Most bottles were in the $40-$75 range, so not too fancy; however, the Champagne retails for around $200.

I started dinner with two canapes: a perfectly sized caviar bite and a delicious tuna tartare crostini.

You could eat as much or as little as you wanted, with four starter options:

• 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 vinaigrette

The soup was fairly bland, but the burrata salad was well balanced and enjoyable.

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Next were 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 chicken breast with fondant potatoes, balsamic cipollini onions, treviso and thyme jus
• Ancho chili and hazelnut braised beef cheek with tortillas, tomato and salsa, sour cream or mustard
• Mesclun salad with your choice of vinaigrette: Neil’s, lemon or aged balsamic

The Middle Eastern tagine was healthy and filling if somewhat lacking in flavor.

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

Service was slow and leisurely, finishing around three hours after takeoff; however, when flying to Australia, there is no rush to go to sleep — it’s better to stay awake for the first few hours of flight to help with jet lag.

Breakfast was served right when I had requested it, 30 minutes after I woke up and hydrated with a bottle of water and some electrolytes (that I had brought on board myself).

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

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MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY

Qantas — and Australia — do coffee well, so I enjoyed an oat milk flat white to finish off my meal.

While expensive and varied, the food on my flight was not really memorable. I did not go hungry, but I was not craving more by the time we landed, either.

How was the service in Qantas first class?

I find Qantas customer service to be friendly, warm and attentive. On this flight, the service was laid-back and personable rather than doting.

That translated into a more approachable, welcome-on-board-and-let-me-take-care-of-you-while-we-have-a-nice-time-together experience rather than a more rigid, you-are-the-customer-and-I-am-here-to-serve-you approach. I wasn’t fawned over, but I felt taken care of, and like I’d already arrived back in Australia before the plane even took off.

I’ve tried all five airlines flying nonstop from the U.S. to Australia, and Delta Air Lines is the clear standout, followed by (in no particular order) American Airlines, Qantas and United Airlines, which offer quite similar experiences. Hawaiian Airlines will be a solid contender if and when it introduces its new business class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Australian routes.

If I were to wake up tomorrow with half a million points in my wallet and award availability on any flight to Australia, I’d probably choose to fly Delta business class to Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne (from December 2025). That’s because the airline has an excellent premium check-in and security area at LAX and has great customer service.

Next, I’d choose to fly Qantas first class back from Sydney or Melbourne to the U.S., given the impressive ground experience the airline offers in Australia.

That being said, most travelers will have enough of a premium experience flying Down Under in business class. Given premium cabin award availability is so tight on U.S.-Australia flights, if you find a premium-cabin seat on any airline, book it.

And if that rare award availability happens to be in Qantas first class and you have enough points, redeeming them for this aspirational product is worth it. Just don’t expect it to have the bling you’d find on Emirates, the delicious food on Japan Airlines or the polished service on Singapore Airlines.

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