Trippaway Lounge Review: The Qantas Singapore First Class Lounge (Changi)
The entrance to the Qantas first class lounge at Singapore’s Changi airport.
NOTEWORTHY DETAILS
Located at terminal 1, Changi airport.
Outstanding quality of dining and service.
Comprehensive menu with something to please everyone.
Smart lounge design with dining, relaxing, and business zones operating in distinct zones.
Official Qantas video for the Singapore First class lounge.
Singapore’s Changi airport is of course a well-known global air travel hub, with travelers able to connect to just about every location directly from the Asian City-State. Changi features no shortage of excellent lounges from many airlines, and paid entry options, creating a competitive environment which sets expectations high.
The Qantas business lounge at Changi is a fantastic option for those in-transit through Singapore, however today we look inside one of the Crown jewels of the Qantas international network, the Qantas first class lounge!. Read on for an independent review of this offering.
Looking from the entrance hallway through to the kitchen at the Qantas first lounge.
Lounge Access and General Information
This lounge is quite exclusive I must admit, after arriving into Singapore from a Qantas business class flight, my connecting flight was with Jetstar Asia and despite having the appropriate Qantas status level to access the first class lounge, I was initially denied due to supposed capacity issues at the time.
This is perfectly understandable, you don’t want the lounge to be a madhouse; however the advised wait time of an hour to me seemed excessive, given people were leaving reasonably frequently in the small amount of time there.
Nevertheless, with my first world problem over and upon my return about 45 minutes later, a different customer service member checked me in very politely, and welcomed me in to the Qantas first lounge, which by this point was only 25% full.
Qantas do state on this lounge website that customers may be turned away if capacity is an issue, just something to be aware of for your future travel plans.
This lounge is open from 3:15 until 11:00pm daily, and is located right of immigration. If arriving from another gate, simply follow the signs - note the Qantas first lounge is located separately to the Qantas business lounge at Changi.
You can gain access in the following ways:
From Flying
Flying on Qantas or any Oneworld airline in the first class cabin.
Flying on Emirates in the first class cabin.
Please note one guest will be permitted via these entry methods if travelling on same flight.
From Airline Status
Qantas Platinum 1 or Platinum status, flying any cabin on Qantas or Oneworld airlines + Jetstar (inc. Jetstar Asia).
Oneworld Emerald status members flying on Oneworld airlines
Emirates Skywards Platinum members flying either Qantas or Emirates operated flights.
Please note one guest will be permitted via these entry methods if travelling on same flight.
Other methods
You may access this facility with a voucher if you possess the Qantas Titanium credit card, which comes with annual first class lounge passes, or have been gifted the appropriate lounge passes from a Qantas Platinum 1 member.
Please be sure to link your pass to the relevant flight 24 hours prior at a minimum to gain access. Entry subject to capacity restraints. Check information further at the Qantas lounge website.
Lounge Atmosphere and Layout
The lounge is basically one large rectangle with distinctive zones from the entrance through to the rear of the space, with the zone upon entering a quieter lounging type space (with very cool air-con if you’re running hot!) and plenty of charging outlets for your devices. There is also reading material here should you wish to unwind with a magazine or paper.
Throughout the lounge is beautiful marble flooring and wall tiling in certain areas, along with mid-toned timber features and paneling. There is ample greenery through the lounge also to help soften the overall look and feel.
I feel this is very important as there really is zero natural lighting in the lounge, and therefore no view. That said, there is a very interesting installation in the entrance lounge space, which, if you didn’t know better, would swear is the natural blue sky and sunlight shining through the ceiling!
Beyond the entrance area is a more expansive zone filled with comfortable chairs and tables, along with a large TV which was showing rugby league at the time I was there in the evening. Certainly a relaxing social space to head to after eating to have a chat, and perhaps a drink with your travelling partners.
Located near this social space is the all important bar, which of course is fully tended with expert staff ready and willing to make you a cocktail, serve you wine, beer, coffee, or anything else you should like. There are also self-serve zones for non-alcoholic drinks located in the same area.
The lovely marble bar at Qantas first lounge, a spacious area to spend time in should you wish.
Beyond this section of the lounge are the main dining areas, and this space really opens up into a light and comfortable space to dine. There is ample room here for many guests, and plenty of outstanding staff here to look after you.
The bathroom facilities here are located back towards the entrance beyond the bar, and are entirely private rooms, along with shower suites that can be book and used should you feel like freshening up between flights.
Overall, the lounge is very well decorated and designed with the use of high end materials and furnishings throughout. Despite no natural light, there is still a light but comfortable ambience, and an understated luxurious feel to the space.
Food and Beverage
In my opinion, the food and beverage offering is where this lounge really shines, more so than the lounge design and overall feel. From the moment you enter the dining zone, I found the service to be impeccable. You can tell very quickly that the staff here are extremely well trained and have an incredible eye for detail.
At the same time as being highly polished, the service is warm and friendly with no pretense, and you wont be waiting long for anything as the team has often identified what you need before you have to ask. Everything was prompt, but never rushed.
The menu is extensive, as is the wine list which showcases some excellent Australian wineries, as well as others from around the world. Taittinger was the champagne provided during my stay here.
The dishes were all well presented and on time, and tasted fantastic. It was a lovely experience to have dined at this lounge, which I hope is illustrated in the following images.
I must say the staff in the dining area all seem genuinely happy working together; clearly I have no way of knowing that for certain!, but it translates through to the customer experience. I think you’d be hard pressed to have a significantly better dining experience at an airport lounge, or restaurant in general than what was offered here at the time of my visit.
Lounge Facilities
The lounge offers everything you could need during your stay, however it does not have a day spa (shock, horror!) which some others do. The shower suites and bathroom facilities are excellent and there is a small business centre with printing facility, and of course free high speed wifi is available.
The Bottom Line
My experience at the Qantas first lounge at Changi was excellent overall. Being denied entry inititally due to supposed capacity issues, only to come back to a near empty lounge was a little confusing, however, I do understand that travelers leave quickly when multiple scheduled flights are due for boarding at a similar time. To be advised to try again in one hour seemed over the top, however.
The design and feel of the lounge was comfortable and relaxing, and certainly is focused more on an understated look than what you might find at a Qatar airways lounges in Abu Dhabi. The service inside the lounge, food quality and variety was exceptional, and a genuine strong point here and I feel is the aspect that sets this lounge apart from others.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review, I hope it helps to inform your future travel plans!.
