We visited the Qantas International Business Lounge twice in late December 2023 while transiting through Sydney on our way to New Zealand. With an early-ish international departure and time to spare for both trips, it was the obvious place to grab breakfast before the next flight.

Location and access

Qantas runs a whole network of lounges in Sydney (including domestic ones), but this is the international lounge in Terminal 1. The Business Lounge sits airside on the mezzanine level, and you reach it via the escalators or lift after clearing security.

Layout

This is a long lounge, and it can feel chaotic. We visited twice in December, and both times it was packed — the kind of busy where you start scanning for any spare seat the moment you walk in. It’s full to the point that there were overflow areas.

The entrance opens into a large central area with rows of armchairs, and the main dining zone sits right in the middle, so it naturally becomes the busiest part of the lounge.

We didn’t take many photos because it was so crowded, but we ended up spending most of our time in the overflow seating section that extends beyond an emergency exit door. This area sits underneath the Qantas International First Lounge above — you can tell because the leafy wall décor is actually part of the First Lounge’s design.

This area stayed noticeably quieter on both visits, probably because it’s a bit removed from the food and the main traffic flow.

That said, it was still busy overall. The overflow area is roped off at the section where it meets the escalator, so you can’t head upstairs from here. Given that we visited in December, the holiday season crowds definitely didn’t help.

Food and drinks

Both of our visits were during breakfast.

The lounge has two dining styles. The central dining area is the “restaurant-style” section, with a made-to-order setup. On both the left and right wings, there are buffet counters and they’re basically identical, so it doesn’t really matter which side you end up on.

On our visit, the menu we were handed was very limited. The only item listed was a shaved leg ham and gruyère croissant.

There’s also a barista station just to the right of the central dining area, where you can order proper coffee. Qantas uses Vittoria Coffee across its lounges.

In the wings, you’ll find pastries and the hot buffet. Breakfast was the usual spread: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, plus a few baked items.

I wasn’t particularly into the croissant, so I grabbed food from the buffet and ate it in the central dining area. One plus is that the lounge has wide tarmac-facing panoramic windows, so at least you’ve got something to look at while you eat.

Since it was breakfast, I didn’t really explore any of the alcoholic drinks, but I did see some wine lying around.

There were also salads, fruit, and a few dessert options laid out.

Amenities

Showers are available, but you’ll need to request one from the staff at the shower area. Toiletries are by Li’Tya, a local Australian skincare brand.

I do recall there were some kids area and some business workstations, though we didn’t have to use them at all.

Concluding thoughts

The Qantas International Business Lounge in Sydney is more about covering the essentials than delivering a standout experience. It’s big, it’s busy, and it’s clearly built to deal with crowds — which is exactly what you want when you’re in transit and just need breakfast, a seat, and somewhere to unwind before boarding. If you’re after something more polished, that’s really what the First Lounge is for.

This isn’t the lounge to visit for peace and quiet, and at peak times finding a seat can feel like a bit of a scramble. That said, if you manage to tuck yourself away in a quieter corner, it’s not too bad either.