Ever since Accor took over QF F lounge I felt the service deteriorated big time, particularly in SYD. After they recently signed for 7 more years I have no hope it will improve.
I can honestly say the service at SQ lounges in Australia is heaps better and F&B isn’t far behind QF, if not on par.
I'm the first to criticise QF, especially when it comes to catering, but I do think QF's F lounges are still generally above what SQ offers at the equivalent level. I say that based on the design, views, ambience, service, food and wine. I've always found a level of finesse in service delivery in QF lounges that doesn't really exist in any of SQ's facilities worldwide. I say this as an SQ Solitaire and QF Platinum.
My recent visit to the SKL F in SYD is a case in point: there was only one server who was attending to around 12 of us, and also seemed to be responsible for refreshing the buffet in the J section, so service was pretty thin on the ground. She did her best, but she could only do so much.
The menu was likewise relatively slim and dominated by Singaporean hawker favourites:
- Singapore laksa
- Chicken curry
- Congee
- Beehoon
- Dim sum
- Greek salad
- Sandwiches
- Cheese
- Pavlova
The new F Lounge is not yet ready in Singapore, so I was shuffled into a temporary F zone in the J lounge. The food is ordered via the digital menu, and it arrives on a tray, so it certainly didn't feel like a restaurant experience - more like a cafeteria. The new F/TPR won't have any external views as that's all been allocated to the J lounge, so that's a major minus for me. That said, I'll have to reserve judgement until it opens next month and it goes without saying that I can be bribed with Piper Heidsieck Rare Millesime...
I think it's worth commending QF for opening the F lounges to all, rather than putting everyone into the J lounge. That doesn't mean I'd be satisfied with the very downmarket drinks list or massively cut back menu, but I do concede some allowances need to be made when opening to a much broader cross section of passengers.
