I’m in… no not heaven, I’m still at Los Angeles airport Just in the Qantas first class lounge, which is as close as you’ll get to the pearly gates in an airport.
| Access | OneWorld First Class ticket holders or OneWorld Emerald status holders |
| Opening Times | Monday-Saturday 06:30 – 00:30 Sunday 06:30 – 00:30 |
| Location | Through security, turn left use the elevator to floor 5. Turn right out of the elevator. |
Dining
Straight in with the dining. The restaurant-style table service is to be expected in first class lounges. What was impressive though was the attentiveness of the waiters and waitresses, outshining quite a few of the restaurants I’ve eaten in.
My original plan was to not have any food what so ever and eat when landing back in the UK so that I could reset my body clock and beat jetlag. That went right out of the window though having seen the menu, which was well thought out and oozed Australian taste.
Ordering was a breeze and a nice experience thinking about it. The waitress was good at building rapport in a flash, suggesting sides etc. Maybe she just thought I was malnourished though as I hadn’t been to the gym in a few months.
I ended up ordering:
- Salt and pepper squid with green chilli dipping sauce and aioli
- Black Angus minute steak with chipotle butter (without lime which wasn’t a problem)
- A side of greens with California extra virgin olive oil.
- Chocolate croissant slice with salted pretzel praline, chocolate cream and banana
In somewhat of a cluster fuck the starter and main were delivered at the same time?!?!?! I’m not sure why, but it did tarnish the experience. The salt and pepper squid was quickly demolished and Jesus did they have a kick! I wasn’t a fan of the green chilli dipping sauce due to its watery consistency and strange taste. The aioli, on the other hand, was a great addition and nerfed the kick of the chilli ever so slightly.
No complaints what so ever on the minute steak front, a nice bit of meat with a slight covering of the chipotle butter. One nice touch was the salt and pepper, the salt is rock salt that you sprinkle with your fingertips which is always going to be great on steak. The steak is served with a small portion of fries, not chips but fries. The fries are good though, not to thin but a happy medium. Cooked with a crispy exterior and fluffy in the middle, combined with the rock salt and the chipotle butter they’re delicious. Lastly with the main the dishful of green beans. I was expecting broccoli and a few other greens but not the case. For someone who isn’t really a fan of veg, they were nice, great texture with a bit of bite and the coating of extra virgin olive oil was appreciated.
Onto the desert. I’m not sure if I read it wrong but I was expecting a fully-fledged French spec croissante. Instead was what I initially thought was a crazy concoction but turned out to be a little fat kids dream. As a croissant slice, instead of having air in between each layer it was chocolate. Coupled with the Chocolate cream and broken up salted pretzel ontop, your left in a food coma.
Seating
The red ones just weren’t for me. The cushion is nice and takes a little while to fully finish settling however the issue I have is that the cushion is far too long for the seat base, thus your hamstrings don’t get any support.
The burgundy seats that face out of the window are nice for sitting in if you can get past the feeling of velvet. I’d imagine i could spend a good few hours in them asleep if only the footrest didn’t have a cushion on that was softer than the actual seat. Maybe it’s better if you have your shoes off? That was a bit of a letdown.
The grey seats are strange, they force you into a certain seating position which is very comfortable never the less I think you may end up looking like a bit of a dick.
The white and black seats and sofas are where I put a few hours in typing this post. When you first sit down you think you’re going through the frame of the seat, after the initial shock it’s comfort from there out. Though very uncouth, I’d imagine the big white sofas would be great to catch some sleep on.
Shower
7 showers available in total. First impressions are very 1940’s clinical due to the white tiles from floor to ceiling, stainless steel taps, etc. There’s just nothing soft or comforting like wood or even a nice colour. Like I said, a 1940’s clinical ere to them.
The shower though, from zero to fully-fledged downtown Hong Kong riot police water cannon in a 90-degree turn. It’s good, very good in fact massaging almost. I do have a big gripe with the heat controller though, the issue is there’s no indication as to which was is hot and which way is cold (counter-clockwise increases heat, your welcome). The exclusive toiletries by Aspar were a nice touch.
The Bar
Qantas is synonymous for their bars in lounges, here is no exception. A vast collection of top-shelf alcohol partnered with knowledgeable mixologists is a winning cocktail (I honestly couldn’t resist, I’ve had a few of them now). Name a cocktail and they’ll make it.
The Suites
Of which there are 2 are useful if travelling as a family or in a small group.
4 armchairs and a computer chair put a limit of 5 people to a suite. They are great though if you want somewhere quiet and private with plenty of sockets and a big TV to help pass time. I was going to say the kind of place celebrities would use but unless on a budget they would probably use The Private Suite.
Final thoughts
If you’re looking to get on the drinks and have a nice meal before you fly then it’s certainly the lounge I would choose in the Tom Brady terminal. You could comfortably kill 3 hours in a reposeful fashion before flying.