LOUNGE REVIEW: Update to Qantas First Lounge Sydney for Autumn 2025

• LOUNGE REVIEW: Update to Qantas First Lounge Sydney for Autumn 2025

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Greetings from New Zealand. I’m here for a week-long break, visiting the north of the South Island. I started my journey as a Platinum Frequent Flyer with Qantas in the Qantas First Lounge Sydney, sampling their new Autumn Menu and their plum variation on the deconstructed pavlova. I also noticed a few upgrades in soft furnishings.

Qantas First Lounge Sydney Updates

It’s still one of the best airline lounges in the world in my opinion. However, now the purity of the Mark Newson design concept has been softened by some David Caon touches. The most noticeable is the dining chairs which have been drawn from the Caon spindly light wood and pale leather preference. Those chairs needed replacing, but I sort of wish they had been repaired and refurbished rather than replaced.

Judge for yourself

Here is what they looked like before. Note the chair backs and the leather inserts on the table tops:

And here is what they look like now. Less cohesive with the rest of the interior design, and the tables no longer have leather inserts.

The updated carpet is the other most noticeable thing. I think it’s exactly the same design, but it is new. You can see the excess fluff wearing off the pile. It looks fresh and brightens the space, with the whites brighter and the dark brown/blacks looking much deeper.

In contrast, I’m not so sure about the new chairs. I like them, but i also liked the design purity of the original Newson designs.

It’s good to see these updates, since back in 2023, the lounge was showing its age. Now the lounge chairs have had a refresh with the maroon ones definitely recovered. The colour which may just be different due to age is obvious below.

Seeing these also reminded me how much I love the design. That metal detail at the base of the chairs is just lovely, It also acts as a kick plate, something lacking in the new chairs in the Qantas Adelaide Lounge, where the scuff marks are already showing.

Food and Beverage at the Qantas First Lounge Sydney

Let’s move onto the 2025 Autumn food menu, cocktail and drinks lists. find them following below:

We started our time in the lounge with Champagne. Here are the details of what is currently on offer:

Below are the list of Seasonal Cocktails, non-alcoholic ones and the classics on offer. Next a list of wines.

I chose the duck with plum and the Pappadalle as pictured at the top of this section. Both were delicious, and I couldn’t end there but had to finish with the newest version of the pavlova featuring plums and a glass o Noble One Reisling.

2PAXfly Takeout

A visit to the Qantas Sydney First Lounge is always a wonderful way to start a journey, especially if you have just checked in at the First counter at departures.

Even though I am not sure about some of the updates, I am comforted that Qantas is continuing to invest in the quality of this, one of my favourite airline lounges.

It might just be me, but staff attitude and attention to detail seem to have improved. It was pretty quiet in the lounge on a Saturday evening, but I felt that staffing levels had also been increased.

After finishing our meal, it was a relax in one of those comfy recovered lounge chairs before heading to Gate 36 for our flight