Pre-flight pampering at Qantas' first class lounge spa

How to plan your visit to the day spa at Qantas' flagship Sydney and Melbourne first class lounges.

By Brandon Loo, November 13 2019
Pre-flight pampering at Qantas' first class lounge spa

There are two pre-flight rituals at Qantas' Sydney and Melbourne first class lounges: a delicious meal at the à la carte restaurant, and a relaxing 20-minute treatment at the day spa.

Nestled within Qantas' flagship First Lounges, the spa offers complimentary facial and massage treatments to replenish, revitalise and refresh travellers before their journey, whether it's a quick hop across the pond to New Zealand or the long trek to London, Los Angeles or beyond.

But it's not just for first class passengers – top-tier frequent flyers such as Qantas Platinum and Platinum One members, along with their Oneworld Emerald equivalents, can also visit the Qantas First Lounge and make a free appointment at the spa, although the limited number of booking slots quickly fill up during peak travel hours. 

This Executive Traveller guide aims to answer all your questions about the Qantas First Lounge spa at Sydney and Melbourne.

The 'VIP' treatment room at Qantas' Sydney First Lounge spa.
The 'VIP' treatment room at Qantas' Sydney First Lounge spa.

Who can use the Qantas First Lounge spa?

A surprisingly wide list of travellers can visit the Qantas First Lounge and spa. Eligible passengers include:

  • First class passengers of Qantas along with partner airlines such as Emirates, British Airways and Qatar Airways
  • Qantas Platinum, Platinum One frequent flyers and Chairman's Lounge members (travelling on a Qantas, Emirates, China Eastern, Jetstar or Oneworld flight, including Qantas codeshare flights operated by non-Oneworld partners such as Fiji Airways)
  • Other Oneworld Emerald frequent flyers prior to Qantas and Oneworld flights (such as Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, LATAM, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and SriLankan)
  • Emirates Skywards Platinum cardholders prior to Qantas and Emirates flights with a QF or EK flight number on their ticket, except when travelling to North and South America
  • Holders of a single-use Qantas first class lounge pass, such as issued to Platinum One frequent flyers which can be shared with friends and family, plus Qantas Titanium cardholders. 
A preflight haven: the entrance to the Qantas First Lounge spa, Melbourne.
A preflight haven: the entrance to the Qantas First Lounge spa, Melbourne.

What are the opening hours of the Qantas First Lounge spa?

As of November 2019, the day spa in Sydney is open from 8am to 4pm, closing when QF1 to Singapore and London is called for boarding.

In Melbourne, it's generally 7.30am to 4pm (closing after QF9 to Perth and London), but then reopens from 6:30pm to 9:30pm (closing after QF95 to Los Angeles).

The spa hours are tailored to Qantas' Airbus A380 flight departures (and the QF9 Boeing 787 Dreamliner to London), so seasonal variations and daylight savings will affect these opening times.

The new selection of LaGaia Unedited products in use at the Qantas First Lounge spa.
The new selection of LaGaia Unedited products in use at the Qantas First Lounge spa.

What is the Qantas First Lounge spa treatment menu?

The Qantas First Lounge spas in Sydney and Melbourne are operated by Australian skincare company LaGaia, which has introduced a streamlined version of the treatments menu offered by Qantas' previous partner Aurora Spa with fore core options:

"Lift Off" is a facial elevation that soothes and hydrates your face and neck, leaving you refreshed for the flight.

"Baggage Drop" is a neck, shoulder and scalp massage that employs pressure point therapy to lift away tension and stress.

"Kiss Landing" features a hot and precious stone back massage, relieving aches and increasing muscular circulation.

Finally, "Stretch your Legs" is a foot massage with seasonal mineral scrubs and an aim to send you 'floating to your flight'.

L: LaGaia Qantas First spa menu | R: LaGaia staff encourage positivity and mindfulness with a selection of inspirational messages.
L: LaGaia Qantas First spa menu | R: LaGaia staff encourage positivity and mindfulness with a selection of inspirational messages.

How to book a Qantas First Lounge spa appointment

Qantas First Hosts contact first class passengers flying out of Sydney and Melbourne the day before their flight to offer their choice of appointment times.

For everyone else it's a case of 'first in, best dressed' (or perhaps 'first in, less stressed') on the day of travel, as the remaining spa slots are filled up. 

On arrival at the Qantas First Lounge, ask at the lounge reception if there are any spa slots available. You can also put yourself on a waitlist and be paged if someone doesn't turn up for their appointment (which happens from time to time, especially if first class passengers face delays in getting to the airport or lounge guests wander off to do some duty-free shopping).

If you get a booking, we suggest setting an alarm on your smartphone for 5-10 minutes before the allocated appointment time so that you can tidy up any emails or work, finish that meal or glass of wine and head to the spa area a few minutes ahead of your slot.

The spa reception in the Qantas Melbourne First Lounge.
The spa reception in the Qantas Melbourne First Lounge.

What is it like in the Qantas First Lounge spa?

Here's a quick rundown of what it's like to experience a Qantas First Lounge spa treatment with LaGaia.

Guests who've never had a treatment before will need to come in a little earlier and fill out a quick health check. This paperwork is kept on file so you won't have to do it on your next visit.

You'll be called into the spa room to get ready. If your treatment requires you to remove your top, the therapist will leave the room so you can do so and wrap yourself back into a towel. Clothes and jewellery can be stored in a cupboard.

A selection of inspirational and motivational messages are laid out on a tray for you to read while getting ready. Finally, the therapist will re-enter and offer you the relaxing 20-minute treatment.

Afterwards, you'll be left alone to get dressed again and depart the room at your leisure, to hopefully settle down back into the first class lounge.

Spa with a view: at the Qantas Melbourne First Lounge.
Spa with a view: at the Qantas Melbourne First Lounge.

Frequently-asked questions

Is there a dress code for the Qantas First Lounge spa?

No, there is no official dress code for Qantas international lounges or for the spa. However, as a rule of thumb, it's always advisable to not wear anything that could be deemed as inappropriate.

Can children use the Qantas First Lounge spa service?

No, LaGaia spa guests must be 18 years or older to use the spa services.

What happens if I run late for my appointment?

As spa appointments are 20 minutes long, if you are more than five minutes late then it is likely a waitlisted guest will get your spot and you will need to re-book into another available time.

Brandon Loo

Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.

18 Nov 2018

Total posts 2

Any idea of when the Singapore first lounge will be open this month? I'll be flying out in the 22nd and hoping it'll be open by then.

10 Jul 2018

Total posts 105

Official opening is December 2, and soft opening is expected to be at least 1 week before that.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Oct 2016

Total posts 162

MEL is a great lounge, but for perspective this is equivalent to the business class service for the Air France lounge(s) at CDG. At least 2 in Terminal 2E have a Clarins spa, apparently First can have treatments over an hour!

22 May 2011

Total posts 88

Flew on QF1 twice and arrived around mid day - both times they said it was fully booked for the rest of the day - I arrived 3 hours prior to my flight.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

20 Jan 2017

Total posts 1

I've been Platinum since Qantas started the tier and now alternate between Platinum and Platinum 1. I've never been able to get an appointment yet. So I think its very much a lottery. Now I don't even ask.

10 Jul 2018

Total posts 105

Yes, it's getting harder to get appointments on the day.

I've had a lot of luck in Melbourne before heading to Singapore though (100% rate), since I have a 4-5 hr transit connecting from Launceston.

By the time I'm in the First Lounge, check-in hasn't even opened for people dropping bags in Melbourne (there's a strict 3 hr rule unlike Sydney), so not many people are in the lounge and there's a few spa appointments available.

In Sydney, I imagine there are a lot of earlybirds, so slots go quickly. The spa also has much shorter operating hours than Melbourne.

08 Aug 2017

Total posts 42

I got offered recently before 63 to Jo'burg (Platinum, not travelling in First obv) on arrival at the lounge. Unfortunately I had a board meeting to attend by conference call and had to give it up (but they gave me one of the quiet rooms for the meeting which was great), but I'm sure it will be a long time before I'm offered a spa treatment again...

Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles

14 Apr 2013

Total posts 326

Flew out on Monday 11/11 and has the hot stone treatment. Really Enjoyed and very relaxing.

I fly out of Sydney and find the trick is always arriving early and avoiding the peak hours. The big queue is in the morning as soon as the spa opens and leading up to QF11. The lounge quickly empties after that and there's a bit of a window before it starts to build up from lunchtime before QF7, but then on it's pretty full. So mid-morning to late-morning and even around lunchtime is good.


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