Qantas has officially opened its newest First Lounge, a luxury space spread over 1,000 square metres at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
The new First Lounge will operate in tandem alongside the airline’s existing International Business Lounge, providing capacity for 240 customers and a bespoke offering for Qantas’ First Class passengers and top tier frequent flyers.
The new build was conceived by Australian designer David Caon in collaboration with Kelvin Ho of architecture and design firm Akin Atelier and features a number of Singaporean influences across the look and feel of the lounge as well as the food and beverage offering.
An open kitchen will serve up a Rockpool a la carte seasonal menu designed with Singapore’s vibrant dining culture in mind. Local delicacies will include tea-smoked duck breast with pickled cabbage and Chinese mustard; and laksa with crayfish, bok choy and fried shallots, along with customer favourites such as the salt and pepper squid with green chilli sauce.
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The lounge also features a cocktail bar with lounge seating, serving French champagne, seasonal spritzes, unique cocktails inspired by Singapore, like the Calamansi Mojito, Singaporean and Australian beers, and a variety of Australian wines. Non-alcoholic healthy beverages such as kefir, kombucha, barley water and a Rockpool ‘House Lemonade’ are also available, along with Vittoria coffee and a selection of savoury bar snacks and fruit.
Wellness also continues to be a major inspiration and the new Qantas First Lounge brings the outside in with house plantings featuring throughout the lounge to soften the space and bolster the atmosphere, while the use of natural materials and colour palettes is designed to help relax customers. A unique faux ‘skylight’ in the shower suites and lounge area will replicate natural daylight.
Business travellers will also have the choice to work in an open, communal setting or at individual lounge chairs with high dividers. Charging ports are located throughout the lounge, with wireless printing, Wi-Fi and TV screens for customers to stay charged and connected.
“Since our A380 flights have returned to Singapore, we’ve seen an increase in demand for premium travel which has also translated to an increase in the number of travellers enjoying our lounge hospitality,” says Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. “This is our fourth Qantas First Lounge, and each time we build an entirely new lounge facility from scratch, we speak to our frequent flyers to get a better understanding of how customers like to spend their time in the lounge and tailor it accordingly. Our customers told us their key priorities when travelling through or from Singapore is space to relax and do some last-minute work, a quick shower, and a meal before departure so they can maximise their sleep onboard.”
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The new premium space is Qantas’ fourth First Lounge across its global network, joining Sydney, Melbourne, and Los Angeles. The opening is part of the multi-million-dollar investment for customers on its Singapore services and complements the expanded Qantas International Business lounge at Changi, which combined now offers seating for more than 800 customers.
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