One of the most eagerly anticipated lounge openings at Singapore Changi Airport in 2019 was the Qantas Singapore First Lounge, the airline’s only such facility in Asia. We attended the launch event in early December 2019, which included an opening ceremony and a guided tour of the brand new space.
Obviously we can’t review a lounge during an opening event, where everything will essentially be perfect, so we returned later in the month to check out the experience from a passenger perspective.
General details
Opening Times: 2.30pm to midnight
Capacity: 240
Showers: Yes
Spa: No
Bar: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Multi-standard Power Sockets: Yes
USB Charging Sockets: Yes
Wireless Charging: No
Dress Code: None
Lounge access
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This lounge is available to passengers flying on a Qantas or Emirates flight, or on a oneworld member operated flight:
- in First Class; or
- in Business Class, Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding Qantas Platinum One or Platinum status, Emirates Platinum Skywards status* or oneworld Emerald status**.
* Qantas or Emirates flights only
** Qantas or oneworld flights only
This lounge is also available to passengers flying on a Jetstar flight (coded JQ, 3K or BL):
- holding Qantas Platinum One or Platinum status.
This lounge is also available to passengers flying on Air France or KLM:
- in First Class (Air France); or
- in Business Class, Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding Qantas Platinum One or Platinum status, when flying on a QF codeshare flight number (QF4221 to Paris, QF4234 to Bali and QF4235 to Amsterdam at the time of writing).
Guest policy
The guest entitlement for this lounge depends on how you (as a passenger) gained entry under the rules listed above.
Passengers flying Qantas or Emirates First Class can invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest does not need to be travelling in this case. In reality, to access the transit area at Changi your guest will need to be either departing or arriving on a flight.
Passengers flying oneworld First Class (for example on British Airways to Sydney) can invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must be travelling on a oneworld operated flight in this case (for example on Finnair in Economy Class to Helsinki).
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their Qantas Frequent Flyer status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling:
- on a QF or oneworld operated flight, if the member is flying Qantas or oneworld; or
- on the same flight as the member, if the member is flying Emirates or Jetstar.
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their oneworld status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling on a oneworld operated flight.
Passengers using this lounge on the basis of their Emirates Skywards status can bring one guest into the lounge with them. The guest must be travelling on the same flight as the member.
Location
Those used to making a left turn after immigration to reach the Qantas Singapore Business Lounge will now need to rewire and remember to turn right instead, as the Qantas Singapore First Lounge is located towards the ‘D’ gates.
After turning right from immigration, take the first escalator you reach on the left side. The Qantas First and dnata lounges are signposted here.
At the top of the escalator turn right, and you’ll find the entrance before you reach the dnata lounge.
If you’re already in the transit area, for example on a connecting flight or having passed through immigration in another terminal, the lounge is a short walk from the D gates (and the transit SkyTrain from T2), but a slightly longer walk from the C gates (and the transit SkyTrain from T3).
If your flight is departing from a C gate you may need to allow a few more minutes walking time to account for the lounge location. If you’re heading off from a D gate however, you’re all set for a quick getaway.
That said, the difference between this lounge and the Qantas Singapore Business Lounge is only about 5 minutes to any gate in Terminal 1.
Our visit
On this trip, Eddie was flying First Class on the evening Qantas QF36 Airbus A380 flight to Melbourne. I, on the other hand, didn’t have to be anywhere and wasn’t planning to travel that day at all.
However, given that Eddie had guesting privileges, I booked a flight to Kuala Lumpur so that I could join him in the lounge and assist with the review (and the Champagne and food tasting!).
Due to the strict requirements at Changi to not misuse a boarding card (i.e. access the transit area when having no intention to travel), I bid Eddie farewell and then flew to KL and back again the same evening.
Video review
Here’s our short video walkthrough of the lounge, including some key highlights such as the shower suites and dining experience.
Subscribe to our YouTube page for other review videos.
First impressions
A quartet of ‘orb’ lights linked by a brass fitting hang over the two welcome podiums, themselves in wood with brass-coloured mirror panelling.
Already the modern decor of industrial designer David Caon, common to the airline’s nearby Business Lounge, becomes apparent. White marble walls and flooring, offset with green plants, welcome you into the space.
The 1,000 sq m lounge is laid out in a long rectangular format, with a central corridor running from the reception linking the various sections all the way through to the far dining area at the very back.
That’s not unlike the setup at Cathay’s The Pier First Class lounge in Hong Kong, albeit less enclosed in this case.
The restrooms and shower suites are on the left immediately after entering, while the right side houses the lounge seating.
Lounge area
The first lounge section on the right side is the main seating area, with a variety of options including semi-private solo seats, couches and leather armchairs.
There are also some large flat-screen TVs if you’re looking to catch up on some news or sport.
Other design features that become immediately obvious here are the plush carpet and well considered lighting, neither of which would go out of place in a private apartment.
Tucked away at the back, in close proximity to the lounge entrance, is a relaxation corner featuring a large banquette sofa.
This includes one of the selling points of this lounge – the artificial skylight.
When we first read about this feature we concluded it sounded like a gimmick, but my goodness we were wrong. It’s remarkably realistic and really does give the impression that the sun is beaming natural light into the space.
The skylights are designed to assist those flying between distant time zones to acclimatise more easily, a particularly prevalent issue for those flying all the way from Australia to London or vice versa.
The eight wide and spacious ‘solo’ seats lining the wall close to the relaxation area have partitions between them for semi-privacy, ideal if you’re travelling on your own and potentially beneficial if you have some sensitive work to catch up on.
These were Eddie’s favourite seats in the lounge!
Reading materials
Reading materials are available throughout the lounge, including in the console below the artificial skylight in the relaxation corner near the entrance.
Wi-Fi
Naturally as with the nearby Qantas Singapore Business Lounge, you’ll find super-fast Wi-Fi in the First Class lounge too.
Joining the network is straightforward, with no password required. Simply select the network and a logon screen should be presented.
We did three speed tests in total during our visit, with the lounge becoming progressively busier each time.
- Average Download: 153 Mbps
- Average Upload: 86 Mbps
Even at the final test, just before we left the lounge at around 7pm when it was at its busiest, the connection speed was still impressive – easily sufficient to support video streaming.
Power outlets
Almost all the seating options in the Qantas Singapore First Lounge have a power outlet, with multi-standard sockets and USB charging ports.
Some of the freestanding chairs don’t have a power source, however the lounge staff will provide you with a portable power bank if required.
In the unlikely event that your plug type is not compatible with one of the charging sockets, the lounge also has adapter plugs available.
Business facilities
Just after you enter the lounge on the right side there is a small working area tucked away in the corner, with a long desk and two chairs partly shielded by wooden screens in keeping with the rest of the lounge design.
There is ample space to spread out your things here, though as it is adjacent to an area of lounge seating it is not completely private.
Between the two workstations is a wireless printer in a recessed section of the desk, which you can use to print documents from your personal devices from anywhere in the lounge.