QANTAS: ‘Champagne for Lulu.’ You can now get Bollinger in First Class

Qantas is rolling out a fresh wave of upgrades to its A380, and currently only First Class cabins. From December, First passengers will have a new dining program, brand-new Aesop amenity kits, redesigned pyjamas, upgraded Champagne with Bollinger, and dine-on-demand, dressed up as ‘wellness.

The retrofit is part of Qantas’ broader push to lift the premium experience ahead of its much-hyped Project Sunrise routes. For now, these improvements will only appear on A380 flights between Australia and Singapore, London, Los Angeles, Dallas and Johannesburg. Although it starts in December 2025, the full rollout isn’t expected until mid-2026.

Fine dining, but make it very Neil Perry

Neil Perry, the Qantas Food & Beverage Creative Director, is bringing signature dishes from his Double Bay restaurant, Margaret, onto the Qantas First menu. There will also be new dishes built around produce from across Australia.

Expect plates like yellowfin tuna tartare with gochujang and toasted sesame, roasted Wollemi duck with orange caramel, and crumbed Margra lamb cutlets with fennel and salsa verde. Qantas’ food offering has not really been in the gourmet range recently, so let’s hope cloning dishes from Margaret works in the air.

The new champagne is Bollinger La Grande Année 2015, considered one of the best vintages from that year. Alongside it, Pommery Cuvée Louise 2006 will be served together with a new selection of Australian wines and cocktails.

Aesop amenities

After years of amenity-kit musical chairs, Qantas is partnering with Aesop for its First Class kits in three collectible designs. This means that First Class will be just like my home, where hand wash and lotion are all Aesop, well at least presented in their signature ‘apothecary’ brown plastic packaging. Kits will include hand balm, lip salve, and rinse-free hand wash, along with a new Eau de Parfum, a bamboo toothbrush with a reusable cap, and upgraded sleep masks.

Aesop used to be uniquely Australian, but now, as part of the international cosmetic brand L’Oréal, you seem to be able to get it anywhere. A bit like Louis Vuitton, or VL-Mart as I like to think of it.

New pyjamas, new slippers, and a focus on sleep

First Class navy pyjamas have been redesigned, plus you get loafer-style slippers. On the basis of ‘slee science’, Qantas will let First passengers dine on demand rather than on a Qantas-defined schedule. The reasoning is: eat when you want, sleep when you need, and arrive better adjusted. This sounds like a service rehearsal for the airline’s future 20-hour nonstop Project Sunrise flights.

Qantas is claiming that cabin crew have undergone new in-flight trials and training built around the Project Sunrise research into a ‘wellness-driven’ service model. In practice, in my experience, most people will decide to dine at roughly the same time (which crew will encourage), and those who want to sleep first, will do so as they always have.

Details, details

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace says the refresh reflects the airline’s commitment to improving the experience at the very top end of the cabin. He notes that First customers “value quality in every detail”, something that has been missing from Qantas since those last days of Alan Joyce at the helm. Cam feels that the announced changes are like a return to the kind of polish Qantas used to be known for.

Whether these changes are enough to compete with leading global First Class products remains to be seen. Qantas is trying harder at least.

2PAXfly Takeout

This upgrade feels overdue, but genuine. i have huge respect for Neil Perry as a chef and an restauranteur, but not for a lot of the food on Qantas. Aesop, is a good brand. Our bathrooms at home are populated by that Geranium hand wash. But does it really feel First Class special? OK, call me a snob.

The Champagne uplift is notable. Not that money is the only measure of quality, but at AU$300, the Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 is not in the cheap bin at Dan Murphy’s.

Wellness pfuut! But the new sleepwear looks good, as do the slippers.

Of course, these enhancements don’t erase bigger concerns like the refreshed but still ageing cabins, crew and service consistency. Qantas staff at their best in First are amazing. Lets hope these improvements in food, beverage and amenities allow them to take pride in Qantas again. That, will improve their service, Lulu.