Is This the Most Deliciously Luxurious Way to Get From Asia to Australia?

IT HAD BEEN YEARS since I’d flown Qantas when I was invited to fly business class with the Aussie airline to attend an event in Melbourne in 2023. Having lived in Singapore for almost two decades, I’d grown accustomed to flying my adopted homeland’s flag-carrier, rather than the national airline of my native land. But from the moment I stepped into Qantas’s business lounge at Changi, I realised I’d been a “bloody drongo”—as we say in my country—to ever eschew the Flying Kangaroo. 

Often, rather than serving as havens of serene luxury, airline lounges can more closely resemble the foyer of a three-star convention centre: bland, overcrowded, uninspiring, unappetising settings to await one’s take-off. The Qantas Business lounge at Changi stood in stark contrast. Lest you think I was receiving special treatment, nay, my friends. No one here knew I was a travel journalist: my hosts had paid cold, hard, anonymous cash for my flight—yet I was treated like an utter VIP. 

“Please, take a seat, Mister Barker! Here’s a menu, allow us to freshly prepare a meal of your choosing,” gushed the lounge attendant. “Meanwhile, have you sampled our in-house mixologist’s wares? Perhaps a martini? A negroni? Some wine? Are you comfortable? How can we help you, Mister Barker?” 

Addressed by name (over and again), smilingly escorted to my table, and attended to with an attention to detail that bordered on telepathic, I was wowed by the service. And the made-to-order, à-la-carte menu, curated by Australian culinary maestro Neil Perry, was a complete delight.  

Perry is famed for the seminal Rockpool restaurant he opened adjacent to Sydney’s Circular Quay in 1989, which operated to great acclaim for the following two decades, and more recently, for the cluster of upscale eateries—including fine-diner Margaret and elevated Chinese eatery, Song Bird—he has established in the affluent harbourside suburb of Double Bay. Helming Qantas’s lounge and in-flight menus for some 27 years, the chef’s commitment to culinary excellence is just as evident in the ‘QF’ lounges as it is at Perry’s own restaurants.  

Take the spicy dumplings dished up in Qantas’s lounges. “They’re a real hit! We use a 50/50 ratio of fiery chili oil and black vinegar, which gives them that punch,” Perry revealed during a recent chat at Margaret. “We serve them at Song Bird too, and they’re just as popular there.”  

The laksa I ate in Singapore especially impressed me—and seemed a courageous dish for Perry to tackle, given its status as a local dining staple. “If we’re serving laksa in Singapore, it has to be excellent, because Singaporeans have very high expectations” of that dish, Perry told me. 

Qantas also wades into such perilous culinary waters in their Hong Kong Airport lounge and comes out very much on top. My T+L editor reports that the à-la-carte menu turns out to be a greatest hits of her Cantonese family favorites, starting with the beautifully plated beef chow mien served by the chef himself: tender strips of beef and veggies stir-fried in black-bean sauce resting atop a crispy nest of thin, flash-fried egg-noodles. Their barbecue pork with ginger-scallion oil is a house speciality, but save space for when the dim sum cart rolls through. You’re in store for authentic versions of pork shui mai, har gow, bean curd roll stuffed with bamboo, and mushroom bao, among other treats. 

Offerings here are the perfect melange of home and away, and in addition to the Chinese fare feature a full buffet of colorful, flavorful plant-based dishes and salads. The robust, majority Aussie wine selection includes Barossa cabernet sauvignon and McLaren Vale shiraz—either of which go great with your caramel-topped Basque cheesecake and savory cheese plate (that is, if you’re ready to switch from Champagne). 

Gorging yourself aside, Qantas has secured the most beautiful lounge we’ve seen in HKG. Make a hard right after passing through security and you find yourself in what feels like a private airplane hangar, natural light flooding in through the floor-to-triple-height-arc of windows facing the runways. Triangular floor tiles echo the ceiling, blond woods accentuate the lightness, brushed brass and concrete give off loft vibes, a cute neon Qantas lucky cat reminds you you’re in Hong Kong. Bathrooms, including sleek showers, wouldn’t look out of place in a lifestyle-luxury hotel.

T+L Tip: Since Qantas is part of Oneworld, status-holders of that alliance have access to this space, providing a sunlit alternative to a certain home-turf airline’s increasingly crowded lounges. 

The lounges’ food and drinks are outstanding, to be sure, but it is on the service front where Qantas’s lounge staff—schooled by Sofitel hotels—really excel. Even with airlines where I’ve possessed top-tier frequent-flier membership, I’ve never experienced such warm and attentive personal service at any lounge, anywhere. Well, except on the scant few occasions when I’ve been lucky enough to fly first class.  

A taste of that treatment came on my next Qantas journey, in the airline’s First Class lounge in Sydney, on my way home to Singapore. Designed by renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson, this lounge is a masterpiece of aviation-inspired sophistication. Newson’s design ethos is instantly recognisable in the smooth curves, polished finishes, and a timeless modernity that has kept the décor here fresh since its debut in 2007. 

Beyond slick aesthetics, the lounge offers superb amenities, including a library, gracious, spacious showers, and an in-house spa. Here, a complimentary hot-stone massage eased my travel fatigue, leaving me rejuvenated for the journey ahead. (Thank you, Gemma.)  

The dining menu was equally impressive, balancing comforting classics (like expertly executed club sandwiches and burgers) with innovative seasonal dishes. The salt and pepper squid, a perennial favourite on QF lounge menus globally, was joined by main courses including snapper with grilled cos lettuce, radishes and bonito butter, plus specials such as salmon sashimi with blood orange, or a hearty minute-steak frites. The pièce de résistance? A pavlova, that quintessentially Australasian dessert, drizzled with zingy pineapple and blueberries. 

The wine list proved a magnificent match, featuring excellent Australian tipples such as a rich Seppeltsfield Mataro from the Barossa Valley, a velvety Coldstream Hills pinot from Victoria’s Yarra Valley, and a smashing Robert Oatley Riesling from Western Australia. The spirits list also showcased the best domestic selections, including sought-after Starward whiskey and award-winning Four Pillars gin. For beer lovers, meanwhile, may we recommend a frosty Coopers Pale Ale, Australia’s original craft beer?  

After all that on-ground pampering, I was ready for a good rest aboard the flight. So comfortable were the capacious lie-flat seats, plush bedding with mattress topper and blankets made by designer David Caon of 20 recycled bottles, and kangaroo-emblazoned pajamas that I failed to take advantage of the array of entertainment or visit the on-board bar/lounge. One thing I could not fail to notice? The crew’s friendly, polished service, exemplifying the best of Australian hospitality, just like their colleagues on the ground. Will I ever underestimate Qantas again? Buckley’s chance of that, mate.  

All photos courtesy of Qantas, unless otherwise stated.

Written By