Qantas does Vegas direct

[FlyingKangaroo]

But hey, let’s not forget about the appeals of Vegas!

Just six more years of a small handful of dedicated, revenue-guaranteed charter flights for sports concerts and the QF group will have all the Very Empirical Data they need to make a sound commercial decision to operate year-round!

Watch this space! And don't forget to like and subscribe to the website in the OP so you're the first to know!

 

[justinbrett]

If you know, was it a dedicated space used for that specific flight, or a general holding area for anyone who wanted to do international transit? Curious how they were able to manage this, unless the US was just far less bothered back then by people potentially just leaving the airport during transit.

It was a common transit area for international flights. Definitely didn't have access to the main terminal, but there were shops, duty free, restaurants etc. I assume lounges too but wasn't accessing lounges at that point in my life. Pretty similar to what you see in DRW etc.

I know this for sure as the NZ LHR-LAX flight connected to both SYD and AKL flights and we were all in the same area.

Yeah well, I guess they would need to change the infrastructure to do it.

It would be very simple to achieve at places like LAX with TBIT. The problem is the US carriers wouldn't like it as the MCT for D-I would probably increase, though they'd be free to continue operating from T4 etc. where it wouldn't apply.

They've made a lot of improvements for bags in transit so who knows.

 

[AuSammy]

It is going to be lot harder to fly to Cuba anyway. Air Canada & WestJet have already cancelled flights and seemingly even Aeroflot is pausing them.

Cuba says airlines can no longer refuel on the island as U.S. blockade deepens energy crisis

Political pressure from President Donald Trump on Latin America has effectively severed Cuba’s access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico.

www.nbcnews.com

I dont have plans to return to Cuba in the near future, but there is a stack of countries in central America and Caribbean I haven't been to yet and don't wish to fly via US. Can go via Chile but not as convenient as via YVR or MEX.

 

[dajop]

It would be very simple to achieve at places like LAX with TBIT. The problem is the US carriers wouldn't like it as the MCT for D-I would probably increase,

As there is no outbound passport control and no need for additional security, in theory all it would physically need is some e-gates with boarding pass scanning when moving from airside in other terminals to TBIT (to prevent domestic pax from entering the area), and rules preventing exit from the area (except via immigration).

 

[RooFlyer]

I have vivid memories of the LAX transit area in the mid 90s, flying LHR-LAX-SYD with NZ. I don't recall it being very good.

Sure, but the whole of LAX was a toilet back then. TBH, I had forgotten about the pre 9/11 situation - but how could I? My very first international trip, to Canada via Hawaii c.1977, I can still remember the plane load in the middle of the night shunted into a desolate square room with few chairs for an hour or so. As you say, grim.

 

[CaptJCool]

In my case, a year or so ago I had to renew my US B1/B2 Visa just to return back to Australia from the Caribbean on a Finnair RTW.. Ineligible for an ESTA because I visited Iran. It was most excruciating process over about 6 weeks.

I certainly don’t know why that country doesn’t do airline transit. They don’t like foreigners entering their country yet they force them to do it. They could contain all the nasty people within an airline terminal but no, they kick them out in the street and goodness knows what they get up to while they are there.

I mean, they still could do passport checks if they insist, and hoover up information on who’s there and of course they get the information anyway from the Airlines.

I would hypothesise

I ran cause I’d been in Iran

The Great USA is now a dogs breakfast. I’m not planning on visiting until the Trump card has been played and finished. And then hopefully a New Some-body gets selected and elected - Perish the thought one of the children get to follow on in The presidency.

 

[justinbrett]

I’d say this thread is officially off topic but I’m not sure it was ever on topic…

 

[Aussie_flyer]

yep, just lock it I'd say

 

[jase05]

QF flew a 787 RUH-ADL for LIV yesterday.
Does that mean we are getting direct flights to KSA

 

[RooFlyer]

Does that mean we are getting direct flights to KSA

I'd like to see book that! Charters here, charters there; anyone would thing they had aircraft to spare.