My seat: 1A — the Qantas First Class cabin is configured in a 1-1-1 pattern. Seats face forward for take off and landing but swivel 45 degrees for almost everything else, facing away from the aisle and towards the entertainment screen. The seats are not fully enclosed suites but have plenty of privacy and are roomy enough, and a seatbelt on the ottoman allows you to dine with a companion.
How full: In a cabin of 14 seats, just five were occupied, resulting in more frequent champagne top-ups for the lucky few.
Food and drink: Champagne and caviar canapes before take off are followed by a three-course lunch service once airborne. The suites are quickly converted if you'd like to dine with another passenger, so I had lunch with my dad. I opted for a pea risotto, followed by a steamed blue eye cod, and wrapped it all up with a ginger and macadamia cake. The entre and main were restaurant quality but the dessert was more of an afterthought.
Each dish was accompanied with a wine match and a nice scotch finished things off superbly.
The service: Steady without being spectacular considering the small amount of passengers. Turn down service is offered after the meal, turning your seat into a bed for you to enjoy a quick kip. You can also request a steak sandwich or stir-fried noodles at any point during the flight.
The toilets: Two toilets, large enough to change into the supplied Martin Grant PJs.
Luggage: Any number of bags up to 50kg.
Airport Experience: A dedicated separate First Class check-in, First Class lounge, and air bridge all serve to make the experience feel as exclusive and luxurious as long-haul travel can be.
The bottom line: The ground services help elevate this First Class experience, but Qantas needs to do more to help differentiate this from Business Class, particularly once they add their impressive new Business Class seats to their A380s, and with many other more luxurious First Class products on the market
