Qantas first class: everything you need to know

Qantas First Class or, as the airline brands it, Qantas First is the pinnacle of the Red Roo’s offering – and your ticket to a luxe experience long before your aircraft’s wheels even leave the ground. Preflight spa treatment, anyone?

And in the sky, a spacious open suite fitted with everything needed to make your flight as smooth as possible, complemented by some seriously fine food and wine.

Qantas A380 first class.

What is Qantas first class?

Qantas first class delivers the airline’s highest level of service on selected international flights and destinations served by the flagship Airbus A380: these are Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, London and Los Angeles.

First class is only found on the superjumbo, not the Boeing 787 – though a new first class is coming to the ultra-long range Project Sunrise A350 jets, which will fly non-stop from Sydney and Melbourne to the likes of New York, London and Paris from 2025.

Qantas' forthcoming Airbus A350 first class.

The new A350 first class suite will also be a very different beast from the current iteration, with a footprint some 50% larger than its A380 counterpart, plus a separate armchair and bed, rather than a seat which converts into a bed. 

While by no means a new concept – Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines made the same choice on their Airbus A380s – it’s a passenger-pleasing setup meaning there’s no compromise on comfort in either mode. 

Until the A350 takes flight, here’s how the current Qantas first class experience stacks up. 

Five reasons we love Qantas first class

The best suite in the Qantas fleet

Nestled at the front of the A380’s lower deck, the 14 Qantas First suites have a distinct design which makes their lack of sliding door – as featured in the flagship first class products of Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and others – less of an issue.

The wide, well-padded armchair faces forward for taxi, take-off and landing...

... but can then rotate towards the windows and video screen when you're ready to settle down.

Combine that with the shell-like walls wrapped around the seat and the result is a private cocoon for your 8-14 hour journey.

Around the seat itself is a fold-down snack table for pre-flight drinks and canapés, a garment hook, two air nozzles, and a literature pocket.

In first class, the Airbus A380's large windows are electronically controlled.

There's plenty of personal space, and the electronic window blinds let you shade or fully block the light – handy when it's time to sleep.

One of the best beds in the sky

Speaking of sleep, your first class seat transforms into a wide and spacious bed dressed with a luxurious Sheridan ensemble including an air foam mattress, crisp sheeting and a soft duvet, a combed cotton-woven throw and soft-touch bolster cushion, and a pillow menu with three styles to suit different comfort needs.

The absence of closing doors is actually a positive here, as you still have plenty of privacy but without feeling boxed in.

Quality onboard amenities

Upon boarding, you'll be handed a pack of Martin Grant-designed pyjamas and plush slippers, along with an amenity kit featuring quality skincare products from LaGaia.

There's nothing spectacular here, but everything is to a high standard, useful and well thought out.

Top-shelf Champagne and wines, elevated dining

As you'd expect, the inflight food and wine experience is leagues ahead of business class – although regular Qantas First flyers will agree that it's lost some shine over the years, and it's a clear second place against several competing airlines.

While the A380's Sydney-Singapore leg has a traditional three-course service after take-off and a light meal before landing, longer flights to London and Los Angeles have in the past featured a tasting menu where you can sample seven dishes with award-winning wines to complement each course.

The drinks list is decidedly better, with Qantas First usually popping top-shelf Champagne – Taittinger's Comtes De Champagne Grands Crus Blanc de Blancs 2008, which on the ground retails for around $400 a bottle, for example.

Another appreciated feature of Qantas First is that you can dine with your travel companion and share that inflight feast.

Highly-regarded first class lounges

In all four cities which the Qantas A380 and Qantas First flies to, there are Qantas first class international lounges with à la carte dining (the menu by long-time Qantas collaborator chef Neil Perry), spacious shower suites and a very extensive bar list.

These Qantas First Lounges are found in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Auckland and Los Angeles – with the flagship Sydney and Melbourne lounges also boasting LaGaia day spas with several lushly-appointed rooms and a selection of complimentary 20-minute treatments.

First class passengers enjoy their choice of appointment times (other Qantas First Lounge guests holding Qantas Platinum status or equivalent Oneworld Emerald status have to take their chance with a spa booking on a first-come, first-served basis).

Handy tips on flying first class with Qantas

Reserve a first class spa appointment

Jetting off in Qantas first class from Sydney or Melbourne? A dedicated Qantas First Host will ring you the day before your flight to set your appointment at the lounge’s day spa.

If you don’t happen to have a working mobile number attached to your booking but still want to reserve your place the day prior, then you can try dialling up Qantas directly on 13 13 13 or +61 2 8222 2439 for the main contact centre.

Alternatively, try calling the Sydney (+61 2 9952 9516) or Melbourne (+61 3 8336 4640) domestic Qantas Clubs, which might be able to transfer you to the First lounges.

Speed through the airport with premium check-in

With a ticket on Qantas First, you can spend less time queuing up at the airports by heading for the dedicated first class check-in counters at all Airbus A380 destinations.

A bonus for first class flyers from Sydney: the Qantas First check-in area opens at 5am, so you can check in for your flight and even drop off your bags as early as you'd like, meaning you can spend even more time relaxing in the lounge rather than being stuck in traffic.

Check-in when it suits you at Sydney.

Visit the A380 upper deck lounge

As comfortable as Qantas’ A380 first class is, we highly recommend you spend some time out of that seat and in one of the two lounges at the very front of the upper deck.

The deep green leather couches, wood panelled walls and low lighting invokes a bit of a 'cocktail lounge' vibe, and you can order from a menu of snacks, light meals and drinks, including signature cocktails such as an 'Australian Negroni' with mountain pepper and river mint.

Also open to business class passengers, it's still usually a quiet area and a great place for a change of scenery during a long flight. Chill on the sofas with a drink from the bar fridge, and perhaps read a book or chat with fellow passengers.

Getting a first class upgrade on Qantas

It's only possible to upgrade to Qantas’ first class cabin from a paid business class ticket, using Qantas Points – but not Emirates Skywards miles or the points from any other airline program.

Otherwise, short of buying a first class ticket with cash, your other option is to book the ticket outright with Qantas Points or other eligible airline miles.

Use your Qantas Points

Here are the Qantas Points needed to upgrade your paid business class ticket to first class.

Qantas international upgrades are all waitlisted and prioritised according to frequent flyer status, so a Platinum One member has the best chance for an upgrade compared to a Gold member, for example.

While you can also upgrade using a combination of points and cash via Qantas’ Bid Now Upgrades, these will only be considered once all Classic Upgrade Reward requests have been confirmed, so the best option is to try book the flight outright with frequent flyer points where possible, for a guaranteed seat. 

Best Qantas A380 first class seats

All but one of the Qantas Airbus A380s have been given a multi-million dollar makeover, with the final aircraft going under the knife some time in 2024. 

The main differences in first class will be new seat coverings and larger HD screens (though the real improvement is in business class, with the old Skybed seats being swapped for Qantas' current Business Suites).

That said, the revamped Qantas First suites are more or less identical to the original ones, and maintain the same 1-1-1 layout spread across the first five lower deck rows. 

Qantas' Airbus A380 first class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout.

Seats 1A-5A exclusively use the left aisle, while seats 2F-5F and 1K-5K both share the right-hand aisle, below. Hence, it's advisable to choose an ‘A’ seat for greater privacy.

View of Seat 4A.

However, these suites are all fairly private when everyone is seated and you won't easily spot other fellow passengers unless you're walking around.

'F' and 'K' seats share the same aisle.

The long privacy shields on the left of the ‘F’ seats automatically raise once the flight is cruising.

Since all the seats are virtually identical, it's hard to make a bad choice in first class. 

Privacy isn't an issue, even in these wide-open suites. Those shields automatically raise at cruising altitude.

For those travelling together, it’s best to have seats one in front of the other in the ‘A’ seats, or perhaps directly across each other in the ‘F/K’ seats for easier access and conversation.

The most private of these 14 suites is considered to be 2F, which known to many travellers as the ‘Harry Potter’ suite due to its location – 2F is tucked away “under the stairs” which lead to the A380’s upper deck.

The Harry Potter suite below the stairs in Qantas ' A380 first class cabin.

Once the divider to the left is raised, this is a highy-private haven and it certainly beats the Boy Wizard’s cramped cupboard at 14 Privet Drive.

Qantas Project Sunrise A350 first class suites

The next big upgrade for Qantas first class will be on non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to cities like London, New York and Paris, due for take off from late 2025.

Those globe-striding A350s will treated high flyers to luxurious fully-private suites with a separate bed, recliner lounge chair and personal wardrobe in a layout of two 1-1-1 rows.

First class on Qantas' forthcoming A350 aircraft may become one of the best in the sky.

On top of that, each Project Sunrise A350 will feature what Qantas refers to as 'Wellness Zones' - dedicated spaces for passengers in all cabin classes to stand and stretch, which will undoubtedly become popular areas during these ultra-long journeys. 

Business class, premium economy  and economy will all sport an all-new look and feel too. 

Qantas first class FAQs

Does Qantas have free inflight internet?

No, Qantas does not yet offer inflight internet on any international flights, including those on the Airbus A380s with first class. 

The majority of Qantas international flights do not have inflight Internet. The notable exceptions are select flights to and from Singapore, Bali, Jakarta and Manila, though WiFi is only available while over the Australian mainland. 

However, ongoing development of a global satellite from Qantas partner Viasat aims to see it fully operational for the launch of Project Sunrise flights in 2025.

Does Qantas first class have pyjamas?

Yes, Qantas offers Martin Grant-designed pyjamas in first class. They can be a little on the 'form-fitting side' so unless you're of average build, consider asking for one size up. 

Can Qantas first class be booked with points?

Yes, Qantas first class can be booked with Qantas Points, Emirates Skywards Miles, and the points/miles of all other Oneworld and partner airlines such as Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles), American Airlines (AAdvantage) and Alaska Airlines (MileagePlan).