The Qantas First Class lounge in Singapore offers excellent service, but the experience is a little strange, with the impression that different types of experiences and services coexist in the same lounge, which should not be the case for a First Class lounge.
It’s time for me to head back to Europe, once again flying La Première with Air France. This trip will begin with a visit to the Qantas First Class lounge, as this is where Air France sends its first class passengers. There was a time when the airline used the infamous CIP Lounge. I remember a time when we had a reserved area in the Qantas Business Class lounge, but this time I will be discovering the First Class lounge.
You will find a summary of the articles on these holidays in Singapore and Bali at the bottom of the page.
Lounge location
For once, I am unable to answer that question, as I was escorted by an Air France staff member with whom I chatted on the way, and then taken to my boarding gate in an electric buggy.
Access to the lounge
The Qantas First Class Lounge is accessible:
• Platinum and Platinum One members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program traveling on Qantas, a OneWorld airline, Emirates, and Jetstar.
• OneWorld Emerald members traveling on a Qantas flight.
• All passengers traveling in First Class on Qantas or a OneWorld airline.
• Passengers whose airline has an agreement with Qantas to send its first class passengers, which is the case with Air France.
Lounge layout
The lounge is long and narrow, starting with a fairly basic area consisting of chairs, benches, and tables.
Comfortable but not particularly luxurious, especially when the hotel is quite full, as will be the case as time goes by.
A little further on, there is a bar on the side.
Then there are dining areas with table service.
Finally, there is another dining area with clearly controlled access, as only a few passengers will be invited to sit there.
And at the back is the kitchen where our dishes are prepared.
All this leaves me with a slightly strange impression. It’s a bit like the lounge is becoming more and more exclusive as you move forward, with an area at the entrance for “ordinary mortals,” if you can call the eligible clientele that, and a truly first-class service at the very back.
This may correspond to subcategories of passengers, perhaps including passengers who have status but are not traveling in first class and are treated “less well” than passengers traveling in first class.
Given how busy the lounge is, it would seem logical to me.
Catering
There is therefore table service, just like in a traditional restaurant. A table had been reserved for me in a clearly private area, so I would venture to guess that the difference between first-class passengers and other passengers is that the former have a reservation in an exclusive area.
I am brought the menu.
In Singapore, the restaurant is operated by local Sofitel teams with staff wearing both Qantas and Sofitel badges.
For starters, I had calamari with salt and pepper, green chili sauce, and aioli.
The breadcrumb coating is very fine, it’s cooked to perfection, and it’s very easy to eat. Although I generally like sambal a lot, this time I found that the mayonnaise went much better with the dish, and I really enjoyed the coriander leaves that came with it.
Then I had the grilled barramundi with brown butter, sambal, capers, and spinach.
This dish is beautifully presented.
The cooking is perfect, very tasty and a little spicy.
The fries that come with it are good and not greasy at all.
I’ll have a salad and a cheese plate.
Pleasantly surprising and very good.
For dessert, I’m torn between the Kaya tart with pandan cream, lime syrup, and yogurt and ginger sorbet, and a sorbet, and the friendly waiter suggests I have both.
As for the tart, I’m venturing into unknown territory, but it’s light and tasty, and the yogurt tones down the sweetness a little.
And I’ll finish with a cup of tea and a cognac.
I should add that when it comes to wine, I took the waiter’s advice and will have a Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley with my meal and a much sweeter Pinot Noir from Tasmania with dessert.
They kept refilling my glass with sparkling water throughout the entire meal.
It may not be the Air France La Première lounge in Paris, but we still enjoy an excellent meal and hotel-quality service.
Speaking of drinks, everything is available to order at the bar.
At the end of the meal, I went to get a glass of champagne and the waiter immediately recognized me and said he would bring it to my table.
My only regret is that I will have to change “zones” to find a power outlet.
Facilities
The lounge has toilets and, of course, showers.
Service
There are two parts to consider.
First, the Air France escort took me to the lounge and then to the boarding gate. Very professional and friendly, she asked me if I wanted to board first or among the first passengers and came to get me when it was time without me having to do anything.
As for Qantas, I’ve already mentioned it: really professional and pleasant too.
Atmosphere
It will depend a little on where you are in the exhibition hall and what time it is, as the hall will continue to fill up. It can range from quiet to busy, depending on where you are and, I think, where you are seated based on your status. For me, the private area of the restaurant was perfect.
Bottom line
Of course, it’s not the Air France La Première lounge or even the Singapore Airlines Private Room, and the atmosphere is a little less premium, in my opinion, due to the large number of eligible passengers and the coexistence of several areas for different types of customers, but it’s still a very pleasant lounge, mainly due to the quality of the food and service.
Articles about these holidays in Singapore and Bali
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