Qantas First Class has long carried a certain aura. It is the flagship experience on Australia’s national airline, available only on the Airbus A380, and on paper it still sounds suitably premium. But there is an obvious question hanging over it now: when a seat can cost about AU$20,000, does the experience still justify that price?

The short answer is that Qantas First Class is still very good, but it is no longer cutting-edge. The hard product is old, the technology is behind the best competitors, and some parts of the ground experience feel ordinary for this end of the market. At the same time, the seat remains exceptionally comfortable, the food can be outstanding, and the service still gives the cabin real credibility.

That makes Qantas First Class a slightly unusual product. It is outdated in some ways, excellent in others, and priced as if it were still one of the world’s very best.

First impressions on the ground

In Sydney, First Class passengers receive a separate check-in area and access to a dedicated security lane. That sounds impressive, and it certainly helps smooth out the airport process, but the experience is fairly restrained compared with the elaborate premium ground handling offered by airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Singapore Airlines at their home hubs.

The standout on the ground is not check-in. It is the Qantas First Lounge.

This remains one of the best parts of the entire Qantas First Class experience. Access is available not only to First Class passengers but also to OneWorld Emerald members travelling in any cabin. The lounge delivers where it matters most: food, drinks, and space.

The dining is especially strong. Rather than the usual buffet trays sitting under heat lamps, the menu is cooked to order. Dishes such as calamari and minute steak show that Qantas still understands how much premium travelers value proper restaurant-style dining before a long-haul flight. There is also a strong wine and spirits selection, plus a spa, which adds a level of polish many airlines still struggle to match.

If you judge Qantas First Class by the lounge alone, the product still feels genuinely special.

Boarding does not match the fare

One area where the premium illusion fades quickly is boarding. Even when boarding is done by cabin, the overall process can feel more functional than luxurious. There is none of the seamless exclusivity found at the very top end of international travel, where some airlines effectively let premium passengers step straight from the lounge onto the aircraft.

For a fare around AU$20,000, that contrast is hard to ignore.

Once onboard, however, the tone improves quickly. Pre-departure champagne, pyjamas, slippers, and an amenities kit help restore the sense that this is, in fact, the most premium cabin in the Qantas fleet.

The Qantas A380 First Class seat: old, spacious, and still deeply comfortable

Qantas installed these First Class suites in 2008. They were refreshed in 2019, but the bones of the product are nearly 20 years old. That is the core of the issue.

By modern First Class standards, this suite is missing one major feature: privacy. There is no closing door. On newer First Class products, that has become almost standard, and once you have flown in a fully enclosed suite, it is difficult not to notice the difference.

Still, the seat itself remains impressive. It is wide, elegant, and cleverly designed, with the ability to swivel depending on whether you are dining, relaxing, or preparing to sleep. Qantas may be behind on cabin architecture, but it is still ahead in one important area: comfort.

When made into a bed, the suite becomes one of the strongest sleep products in the sky. A thick memory foam mattress transforms it into a genuinely inviting sleeping space, and that matters more on a 14-hour transpacific flight than flashy doors or mood lighting. If the mission is to arrive rested, Qantas still delivers.

So yes, the suite is outdated. But it is not obsolete.

The biggest weakness: technology

If there is one detail that feels especially difficult to excuse at this price point, it is the lack of Wi-Fi.

There is none.

On a modern long-haul premium flight, that is a serious omission. Travelers paying First Class fares expect the option to work, message, browse, or simply stay connected. Even passengers redeeming points or receiving upgrades will notice that this absence pulls the product backward.

This is where the age of the Qantas A380 First Class cabin becomes impossible to hide. The seat may still be comfortable, but the technological gap between Qantas and the world’s best premium airlines is now substantial.

A quiet aircraft and a nice extra space onboard

One of the enduring pleasures of the A380 is how quiet it is, especially at the front of the aircraft. That serenity adds real value to the journey and reinforces why so many travelers still love flying this jet.

Qantas also offers a small onboard lounge area on the upper deck for Business and First Class passengers. It is not revolutionary, but it is a nice feature if you want a change of scene, a drink, or a quick chat away from your seat.

It also highlights a broader truth about the A380. Even when the cabin products onboard are no longer best-in-class, the aircraft itself still contributes something special to the travel experience.

Food is where Qantas First Class still shines

If the seat is very good and the technology is dated, the dining is the part of the experience that most convincingly earns the First Class label.

The meal service on this flight included small tasters to begin, followed by an unexpectedly excellent cheeseburger as an entree, then parmesan-crusted Margra lamb with eggplant, broccolini, and salsa. A cheese plate followed, and dessert arrived in the form of a raspberry cream puff plated with the kind of precision usually associated with a fine restaurant, not an aircraft cabin.

This was not simply good airline food. It was memorable food, the kind that becomes part of how a passenger judges the whole journey. For many premium travelers, that matters enormously. If an airline wants to charge premium fares, it cannot cut corners on catering. Here, Qantas largely gets it right.

Breakfast after a solid stretch of sleep continued that positive impression, with an omelet, juice, and pastries rounding out the second meal service.

What stands out most about Qantas First Class catering:

• Restaurant-style presentation
• A menu that balances comfort food with more refined dishes
• Strong execution across multiple courses
• Consistency with the quality expected in a premium cabin

The amenities have improved

Qantas has also improved its amenities kit. First Class passengers now receive an Aesop kit, which feels more premium and more contemporary than the older, less inspiring versions. The inclusion of fragrance is a small but meaningful touch, especially because many rival airlines have offered that kind of detail for years.

It does not change the fundamentals of the product, but it does show that Qantas is making at least some effort to close the gap in areas where presentation and brand feel matter.

Why is Qantas First Class so expensive?

The pricing is not really about the seat alone. It is also about market dynamics.

On the Sydney to Los Angeles route, there are only 2 airlines offering nonstop First Class: Qantas and American Airlines. Both belong to the same Oneorld alliance. That means there is limited competitive pressure at the top end of the market. If airlines such as Emirates or Qatar Airways could operate the route nonstop with their own First Class products, fares would almost certainly be lower.

But they cannot, and so Qantas can keep pricing at a level that would be much harder to sustain in a more contested market.

That does not necessarily mean the product is worth AU$20,000 in an absolute sense. It means the airline can ask for that amount because the route structure allows it.

How it compares with the world’s best First Class products

This is where realism matters. Compared with Etihad’s Residence, Singapore Airlines Suites, or Emirates First Class, Qantas trails by a noticeable margin.

The reasons are straightforward:

• No suite door
• No Wi-Fi
• An aging design first introduced in 2008
• A ground experience that is good, but not exceptional outside the lounge

Even so, Qantas First Class is not a poor product. It is a respectable one that has been overtaken. That is an important distinction. Airlines can fall behind without becoming bad. Qantas sits squarely in that category.

The broader Qantas factor

Any review of Qantas First Class now sits inside a wider conversation about the airline itself. Qantas has a long history, a strong safety record, and deep emotional significance in Australia. But it also took a major reputational hit during and after COVID, when customer frustrations over cancellations, refunds, and overall service standards damaged the airline’s image.

That context matters because premium cabins do not exist in isolation. Travelers bring their feelings about the airline onboard with them. Qantas is still rebuilding trust, and while First Class remains polished in many respects, it no longer carries the same untouchable prestige it once did.

A better future is coming

Qantas is not standing still forever. Its upcoming Airbus A350-1000 ULR First Class suites are expected to move the airline into a very different league. The planned design includes a 2-meter lie-flat bed, a separate reclining armchair, a full closing door, a full-length wardrobe, and a dining space for 2.

That should address many of the shortcomings of the current A380 First Class product, especially in privacy and overall modernity. It will not necessarily rival the sheer size of the most extravagant First Class suites in the world, but it should be a major step forward.

Until then, Qantas is asking premium passengers to pay modern First Class prices for a product rooted in an earlier era of luxury aviation.

Final verdict: is Qantas First Class worth it?

Qantas First Class is still a good product. The lounge is excellent, the onboard dining can be superb, the bedding is genuinely impressive, and the A380 remains a lovely aircraft to fly.

But yes, it is outdated.

The age shows in the lack of Wi-Fi, the absence of a privacy door, and the fact that other airlines have moved the First Class standard much further forward. If paying full fare, many travelers will reasonably question whether the experience is worth AU$20,000. If traveling on points, an upgrade, or as part of a more efficient round-the-world fare, the value equation looks much more attractive.

So the most accurate answer is this: Qantas First Class is overpriced at full fare, but still highly enjoyable in practice. It may no longer be among the very best First Class products in the sky, yet it remains comfortable, refined, and difficult to dismiss on a long-haul flight where sleep, food, and service still count for almost everything.

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