Review of Qantas first class from Los Angeles to Melbourne Australia

20 April, 2026 Ambrose Walker 0 Comments 1 category

But the airline is also re-upgrading its most premium offering, with *Quick take Incredible service and large seats that set Qantas’ first-class cabin apart. Paraphrasing *

Pros

Passengers can enjoy some of the most comfortable bedding in the skies.
Great food and wine menus are available.
The service is sincerely warm yet polished and professional.

Cons

The seats need updates to stay competitive.
Award availability is nearly nonexistent.
There’s no onboard Wi-Fi.

It was Qantas fleet’s first Airbus A380 I ever flew, and it was the first one of my own aircraft. It’s a 2009 trip back to that, and I still remember walking the length of both decks of the jumbo jet, marveling at its size.”

I was equally impressed by the swanky first-class seats that were at the front of the lower deck, and my own had no doubt been on top of me. At the time I thought to myself ‘I’ll fly up here one day. , “It’s a phrase that says.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It took almost 17 years and many trips between Australia and the U.S, well,’ Well. S, meanwhile. I had a quick jaunt Down Under last month, but finally got my chance to see Qantas’ flagship first class on. flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Melbourne Airport(MEL) during…

Do you think the experience will be as good as nearly 20 years of expectations? Can I spend 15 hours in a lap of luxury? Read on to know how it all went.

How much does it cost to book Qantas first class?

The cost of a Qantas long-haul first-class ticket depends on the route, date and whether you’re flying round-trip or one-way.

I had a one-way flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia. If I booked stube for paid fare it would have cost an eye-popping $14,788.

QANTAS

I had been watching Seats for award availability thankfully,’ . Aero (a couple of weeks) aero for a few weeks, . Many dates I found had a first-class award schedule for multiple QantAs A380 flights between LAX and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Sydney Airport(SYD) and MEL, though the route is operated by 787-9 Dreamliner without first class on some days of the week.

I had a few award booking methods at my disposal, including:

110,000

American Airlines AAdvantage

miles plus $10.90 in taxes and fees

130,000

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

points plus $23.40 in taxes and fees

160,000

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

plus $386 in taxes and fees

195,000

Qantas Frequent Flyer

points plus $370 in taxes and fees

Since that was, by far the best deal and the program is a Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partner, I thought of using American Airlines AAdvantage miles as my preferred option. But, I had a ton of Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points that fell back on (in part) to the Alaska airlines being ‘1-transfer partner for Bilt’. Also, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 31 ratio to Alaska Airlines. Why did I eventually book this award with my Atmos Rewards points instead of using the same?

If you want to get Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points fast, just apply for one of the following cobranded credit cards.

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card
Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card

If you prefer American Airlines AAdvantage as your currency, but can pad your account by applying for one of the following cards.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

(see

rates and fees

)

Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®

(see

rates and fees

)

Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®

(see

rates and fees

)

The points Guy has independently collected the information for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select. Card issuer has not reviewed or provided any card details on this page.

Checking into and boarding Qantas first class

Qantas flight-out of LAX depart from the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and first-class passengers can enjoy the following priority services at the airport.

| Priority check-in | Yes |
| — | — |
| Luggage allowance | Three checked bags of up to 32 kilograms (70 pounds) each |
| Lounge access | Yes, the Qantas First Lounge |
| Does the airline participate in TSA PreCheck? | Yes |
| Priority boarding | Yes |

About three hours before my 1050 p I got to the airport about 3 hours early. m . My bags were tagged and my boarding pass was in my hand within two minutes of being checked-in, so that departure (the only passenger in the first-class check-out queue) was to be on board.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Then I sped through TSA PreCheck and took the elevator up one floor to the Qanta’s First Lounge at LAX. The lounge is fully reviewed and not much has changed. I won’t be able to get into the details here, so I don’T know what all this means for s because we haven’a lot of information about it.”

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 3

Qantas First Lounge at LAX. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Just to say that the lounge was serving Lallier Reflexion R, I’ll just note it. At the time I visited 021 Champagne, and the seasonal a la carte menu included seared local sea bass with fresh herb salad and spring asparagus with yogurt and chili. I got the famous salt and pepper squid, too, but because it’s so well-regarded.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 2

Qantas First Lounge at LAX. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

I took the 10-minute walk to the gate about an hour before my flight. It’s 45 minutes before we leave our time, and we started boarding right on the spot.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 2

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

How comfortable is Qantas first class?

The nose of the lower deck is Qantas’ A380s, which has a first-class cabin on their aircraft. That’s a bit different from other airlines like Emirates, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines that put the first-class cabin on their A380s on the upper deck.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

I don’t really think it is a good idea to say, but being on the lower deck means that the cabin is slightly wider and feels like there’s.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Here’s a snapshot of the layout and dimensions.

Qantas’ first-class cabin has only 14 seats, five single seats on each side of the cabin and four single seat down the center.

In the middle, seat 2F is called “Harry Potter seat” because it’s under the staircase leading up to a second deck (funnily enough) and has been named as the funniest of all these seats.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Since the middle F seats share the right aisle with the K seats, the A seats on the left side of the cabin have the most privacy.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The privacy dividers in the F seats are also available for flight-wise, so that when you go to A (the other rows at all) you will not see passengers in those two rows.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The other added advantage is that you won’t have to share the overhead bin with anyone else on this aisle, while the F and K seats will share theirs.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

I was in the very last seat on the left side of this plane, and although it is near a galley, noise and light were minimal throughout my flight thanks to ‘a thoughtful crew and heavy curtains’.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

As it was also set up for a bassinet, this particular seat had the added benefit of extra elbow room. I raised the front privacy divider on my seat, and when I saw or heard my neighbor in Row 4, either.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

They were refurbished (but not fully overhauled) seats some years ago, so they don’t have the bells and whistle you might expect from the newer-generation seats closing doors and tech touches such as wireless charging pads or even USB-C ports.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

But they are very private and 22 inches across at the hips, 79 inches of pitch,” said .

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Accents The silvery-gray leather and upholstery on the seats, cream-toned shells with chocolate-brown leather accents immediately surrounding the seat’s seats and dark wooden paneling on side consoles and tray tables all combine to give the spaces a sophisticated look.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

A seat is facing straight forward and close to the aisle for takeoff and landing, but once airborne you can swivel it toward the window with preset buttons on the seatside console or the touchscreen control pad.

You can also use these buttons to maneuver the seat into six preset positions, move individual parts of the seats and adjust what I found most appealing about the chair, its gentle massage function. A touchscreen is a device that can control the seat lighting, such as ambient seatback fixtures,’read light near the entertainment screen and overhead lights.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

No individual nozzles of air are visible overhead, but there is one embedded inside the seat back itself (and another near the entertainment screen) so I could keep my personal area cool throughout the flight.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

My armrest on the window side of the seat has a wired remote control for entertainment, although I mostly used the monitor as ‘a touchscreen’.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

I thought the electronic window shades, which included blackout shades and sheer ones, were a high-end touch.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

An ottoman is a second seat across from the seat, if you want to invite ‘travel companion over for chatting or share eat on the huge double-folding tray table (36 inches diagonally) that pulls up and out of the windowside seat console.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 2

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

But there are two small side cubbies and a little seatback pocket under ‘flip down drinks tray’, so there is no storage for that. It has a wide surface and bottle holder, as well with ‘a small upper shelf ideal for the storage of small items during flights’.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It has a universal power plug and USB-A port under the seatback pocket (just next to aisle) so be careful where you put those cords.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

I was ready for a long snooze after dinner,’ . As I reverted to pajamas, the aisle-carer flight attendant turned my seat into an 84-inch lie-flat bed (much better than I could have been) with a thick mattress pad, sleevet, soft duveted blanket and both ‘ful pillow and smaller padded lumbar one’.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

This is some of the most breathable and plush bedding I have ever had on an airplane (from high-end Australian homeware brand Sheridan) that has been used to . It was very sexy that I ended up sleeping for almost eight hours and loved having room to roll from side to side because of the size of seat.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 2

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The plane’s staircase is a two dedicated first-class lavatories at the front of the cabin on either side of its original, and one in three (first-Class) laveatory lavataries. During the flight, crew kept them spotless; they had rosemary- and cedar scent Aesop Aromatique hand wash and hand balm.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 3

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Amenities in Qantas first class

cabin manager Craig showed me to my seat when I climbed up. As I sat in, the flight attendant caring for my section Diana offered to explain all its functions. At the end she asked me if I would like a drink of predeparture, so when I got some water and Champagne.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Several minutes later she returned to me with the water and a Champagne flute.’ She then went back with sour Pommery Cuvee Louise 2006, which she poured at my seat. Her other small ramekins were two olive-filled, Olives and nuts mixed with one of the little ruminants she brought in.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

While I nibbled on those, she came back a couple of more times to offer me items such as sexy gray Qantas First-branded pajamas with cute red piping along the Henley collar and pair of slippers I’ve found at my seat. Next, I was given a leather folder with the inflight dining and drinks menus.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Then, Diana brought over a substantial amenity kit from high-end Australian skin care brand Aesop.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It contained:

A bamboo toothbrush and Aesop toothpaste
A padded blackout eye mask
Earplugs
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique rinse-free hand wash
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique hand balm
Aesop Cedar & Citrus lip salve
Aesop Lucent facial concentrate
An Aesop Sublime Replenishing night mask
A sample fragrance with iris, yuzu and galbanum

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It was a really high-end collection of s and it’s nice that the airline partners with an Australian skin care brand for this whole collection. The lavatories also featured several shaving kits, deodorant and cotton swabs for passengers.

There are 18-inch entertainment monitors that swing out from the previous seatback, which is a feature of Qantas first-class seats with an array of 18 inches. A large library of texts are deposited into their s. I was able to find new-release movies such as “One Battle After Another” and “Tron Ares,” plus TV shows like the Australian version of “Ghosts”, “Reacher” (and “All Her Fault”) on hand.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 4

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

It also has good headphones for basic noise-canceling, which are provided by the airline and work fine. But you can’t use your own more advanced set with the system, because there is no Bluetooth connectivity.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Similarly, passengers will not be able to see Wi-Fi on Qantas’ A380s. This is the long flight that was a blissfully long trip where I could actually enjoy the experience, but when you have to stay connected for work or personal reasons, it’s something worth doing because you’ll be offline for almost 16 hours.

Despite the fact that you can certainly stretch out in a first-class seat on Qantas, if you start getting antsy, there is an exclusive lounge at the front of the upper deck where first and business class passengers have access to.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 3

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

This spooky-lit space has 10 seats, with two booths (tabletable tables) on the staircase (power ports embedded in them so you can bring your computer and get some work done) and a banquette to the left. It also has a fridge for snacks and small refrigerators with various self-serve drinks.

Previous slide

Next slide

1 of 4

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The lounge was full of passengers all three times I ducked up there, so the space is very popular (though not too loud or rowdy) as it’s clearly one of the most frequent places to hang out.

How was the food in Qantas first class?

As of December 20, 2025, Qantas began revamping its first-class food and beverage offerings. The airline’s longtime partner, Aussie celebrity chef Neil Perry (left) still create menus for the airline’s longest-running partner who has brought new versions of dishes from his restaurant Margaret to the onboard experience.

The airline also revamped its drinks menu to include more cocktails and a new selection of award-winning Australian wines, plus two Champagnes.

I flew just after 11 p and we took off shortly after. m, ? But while some passengers opted to go right to sleep or enjoy an expedited meal service, I settled for the full dinner experience on the airline’s signature Noritake bone china.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Then it started with another drink about 15 minutes after we reached cruising altitude, and that’s what was the start of it. But this time I asked Diana to have a glass of the other Champagne on board, Bollinger La Grande Annee 2015. if you ask me crisp, elegant but with a little weight — it was the perfect inflight sip for pairing with the two canapes that came with caviar and Vermont creme fraiche (one with tapioca croquette with pecorino cheese)).

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The starter choices on my night flight included:

Pumpkin, corn and borlotti bean soup with Ligurian olives, goat curd and paprika
King prawn salad with Vietnamese basil, cashew and pineapple in chili dressing
Barbecue duck wontons with chanterelle mushroom broth
Steak sandwich with tomato and chili relish

Fresh and flavorful king prewn salad I got, with Kalamata olives as well as breads to choose from the fresh-and-flavored prawer Salat. This went well with a Grosset Polish Hill riesling.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Next, it was time to tuck into the main courses, which included:

Stir-fried noodles with shiitake mushrooms, tofu, spring onions and mung beans
Seared Chilean sea bass with green beans, olive oil and lemon
Ancho-spiced chicken breast with tomato rice pilaf and lime-pickled pineapple salsa
Red wine-braised beef short rib with chargrilled asparagus, roasted parsnips and hazelnut salsa

The chicken breast was also a light but flavorful chicken, I tried it as well as healthy and fresh. I paired it with one of my favorite wines from Australia, a Leeuwin Estate Art Series shiraz (inky and smooth) fruits and spices.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

For dessert, I had a choice of:

A selection of cheeses, including Camembert, manchego, fourme d’ambert and taleggio
Vanilla bean crepes with caramelized spiced pineapple and sesame nougatine
A gingerbread-rhubarb trifle with pistachio praline and meringue
Ice cream
Fruit
Chocolate truffles

I snacked on the cheese plate before finishing with the trifle, which was creamy but light.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

As for the revamped wine list, on my flight, the airline was serving:

Pommery Cuvee Louise 2006 Champagne
Bollinger La Grande Annee 215 Champagne
Grosset Polish Hill riesling from South Australia’s Clare Valley
Shaw + Smith sauvignon blanc from South Australia’s Adelaide Hills
Ministry of Clouds chardonnay from South Australia’s Adelaide Hills
Bay of Fires pinot noir from Tasmania, Australia
Yeringberg cabernet sauvignon from Victoria, Australia’s Yarra Valley
Leeuwin Estate Art Series shiraz from Western Australia’s Margaret River
De Bortoli Noble One botrytis semillon from Riverina in New South Wales, Australia
Morris of Rutherglen Old Premium Liqueur muscat and topaque from Victoria, Australia

There was also a smattering of specialty cocktails like:

A jasmine Negroni by Maybe Sammy, a popular bar in Sydney
Tommy’s Margarita from Curatif canned cocktails
The Qantas Avro gin spritz with Four Pillars gin
A nonalcoholic chamomile and sparkling raspberry rose wine

After the Champagne and wine (fine, plus a few episodes of “Ghosts”), I was ready for a snooze.

I got a good eight hours of sleep, pretty much the way I do on. As for I was one of the last passengers to wake up. Some had ordered light snacks off the menu as well as drinks but I waited until breakfast was served about two hours before landing.

The menu included:

French toast with crisp bacon, strawberries, maple syrup and mascarpone cream
An herb omelet with cold-smoked salmon, slow-roasted tomatoes, spinach and dill creme fraiche
Free-range eggs, scrambled or poached
A selection of sides, including bacon, smoked salmon, chicken sausage, mushrooms, sauteed leeks and spinach, and cherry tomatoes
Various bakery items, including toast, croissants and a strawberry-rhubarb Danish
A choice of jam, marmalade, honey or Vegemite (of course)
Muesli
Cereals
Fresh fruit
Yogurt
Cold-pressed green juice with lemon, ginger, spinach, cucumber, celery and kale
Cold-pressed apple, ginger, lemon and cayenne
Other juices

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

For a wake-up run, I started with fresh fruit and steamed up coffee for the apple-ginger juice (tangy and refreshing) but then got the cider-geer. I ordered the omelet for my main, which was small but hearty and just the salty touch of salmon on the side.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

When it came to the food-and-beverage options on board, I was left’so happy for choice’ because of the variety of dishes and some amazing Aussie wines (not including Champagnes) being poured over. All of the experience felt very premium, a feeling that was well-crafted with the serviceware and the crew’s polished presentation.

Would you recommend Qantas first class?

It is one of the world’s most exclusive ways to fly, with Qantas having only 10 A380s in service and each containing just 14 first-class seats. While the cash price tag, which can top $20,000 per way, is prohibitive, but if you have 110,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles or 130,000 Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points for award awards, I’m sure it’s worth redeeming them for a flight in Qantas’ first-class cabin.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

While the seats are not the most modern (we’ll have to wait until the airline’s A350s will be serviced for the next generation), they remain comfortable and spacious. The soft touches are the true shining spots of Qantas first class – with excellent bedding, premium Aesop amenity kits, extensive dining options and crew members who seem to truly love what they do.

When I’m going back Down Under, I think through it. Can you tell me if I can scrounge up the points or miles for another shot at a first-class flight with Qantas?

Related reading:

Best airline credit cards
Premium economy vs. business class: Are the differences worth an upgrade?
Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
9 amazing first-class seats you can book with points and miles

Thanks for reading Review of Qantas first class from Los Angeles to Melbourne Australia

Category: Reviews