This was my first visit to the Qantas First Lounge in Singapore, and also my first proper First Class lounge experience. I was guested in as a oneworld Emerald guest, so I went in with a fair bit of curiosity and very little personal benchmark for what a First Class lounge should feel like.
The short version: I liked it a lot. The lounge does not have tarmac views, and it is not the flashiest space at Changi, but the dining and service are where it earns its reputation.
Location and access
The lounge is located on Level 3 of Changi Airport’s Terminal 1. After immigration, turn right at the Louis Vuitton store and follow the signs to the lounge. It’s next to the Marhaba Lounge.
Access is reserved for Qantas and oneworld First Class passengers, as well as oneworld Emerald members flying out of Singapore even if you’re flying in Economy Class. In both cases, you can bring one guest, as long as they are travelling on any oneworld flight. I was lucky to be guested into this lounge!
Layout
The Qantas First Lounge is mostly on the inner side of the terminal, so you won’t get any views of the tarmac.
There’s a mix of seating options, beginning with a section with private rest pods and sofas if you want to catch a quick nap. Some coworking tables with charging ports are available for those who want to get some work done before boarding.
Since it’s located right above the departure hall, you get a slight glimpse near the dining area, though the windows have blinds for privacy.
Food and drinks
The dining is the main reason to visit the Qantas First Lounge. Everything is ordered from a menu and served at your table, which immediately makes it feel different from a standard buffet-led business class lounge.
Qantas contracts Accor’s hospitality team for the lounge, and the service felt noticeably more polished than what you would get next door at the Qantas Business Lounge. Executive chef Linda Sim, who has been featured by CNA for her local cuisine specials, also gives the menu a stronger Singapore identity alongside Qantas staples like salt and pepper squid.
We spent nearly a full day here and tried several dishes, including prawn paste chicken, prawn wontons, heirloom tomato with mozzarella, signature laksa with crayfish, barramundi with polenta, basil and zucchini sauce, beef with jasmine rice, and chocolate and hazelnut cake with banana ice cream. The standard was consistently high, and this felt like the rare airport lounge where you could happily build a proper meal rather than just pick around before boarding.
The bar also had a proper selection of wines, champagne, and cocktails, with staff on hand to mix drinks rather than just point you towards a self-serve counter.
Amenities
Showers are available, with toiletries from LaGaia Unedited. The shower rooms also have artificial skylights with adjustable lighting, which Qantas says are designed to help with body clock adjustment, particularly for passengers on QF1 and QF2. I would not overstate the science of it from one visit, but as a shower setup, it looked very polished.
Concluding thoughts
The Qantas First Lounge Singapore left a strong impression, especially as my first proper First Class lounge visit. The space itself is comfortable rather than spectacular, and the lack of tarmac views is a small downside, but the dining and service more than carry the experience.
If you have access through oneworld First Class or oneworld Emerald status, this is absolutely worth visiting early for. I would not come just to sit around, but I would come hungry. The made-to-order dining is the real reason to spend time here.
