PER AKL/JNB route expansion - LAX-BNE AA co operation

[Mwenenzi]

QF media release

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-takes-australians-further-announcing-two-new-international-routes-and-more-choice-for-customers/

Key information on new routes:

Fares are available now on Qantas.com with the inaugural Perth to Johannesburg service taking off on 7 December 2025* and inaugural Perth to Auckland service taking off on 8 December 2025*.

• Both routes will operate three times per week on a Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats in 1-2-1 configuration, each featuring direct aisle access and converting into a lie-flat bed, and 224 economy seats.
• Perth to Auckland will operate as QF111 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with approx. flight time 6 hours 45 minutes*.
• Perth to Johannesburg will operate as QF65 on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with approx. flight time 11 hours 15 minutes*

Chairmans lounge money well spent

These flights have been made possible by funding allocated from the Federal Government to Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry to deliver additional border services at airports. The funding will enable Perth Airport to invest in additional staffing, equipment and facilities that increase border and biosecurity capacity and in turn allow the airport to host more international flights.

The routes will also enable further international connectivity for New Zealand and South Africa on the Qantas network and its comprehensive global airline partner network.

Are many ex pat South Africans living in WA & NZ

By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network.

“Our new Perth to Auckland route offers a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink
<snip>

AA media release
American Airlines and Qantas announce additional flights from the United States to Australia

• American Airlines will launch service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE), complementing service operated by Qantas.
• From Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Qantas will increase frequencies to Melbourne, Australia (MEL), in December and January.
• Also from DFW, Qantas will be operating the Airbus A380 on all daily services to Sydney, Australia (SYD) from January.
• American will resume seasonal service from DFW to BNE this October with its newly-designed Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
• Together, American and Qantas will offer the most comprehensive service between North America and Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

All these will be useful fights for (cash paid) oneworld RTW tickets and QF oneworld award tickets.
Those from AKL have a route to LHR, CDG FCO that does not involve SYD.

 

[Cognac]

FCO that does not involve SYD

The PER-FCO route won't overlap until 2026 - assuming both are still going.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Good to see this announcement. Now we just need to restore PER-HKG

 

[SYD]

QF media release

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-takes-australians-further-announcing-two-new-international-routes-and-more-choice-for-customers/

Chairmans lounge money well spent


Are many ex pat South Africans living in WA & NZ

AA media release
American Airlines and Qantas announce additional flights from the United States to Australia


All these will be useful fights for (cash paid) oneworld RTW tickets and QF oneworld award tickets.
Those from AKL have a route to LHR, CDG FCO that does not involve SYD.

QFi to QFi transit in SYD is fine but obviously a one stop option ex AKL to Europe is nice. As will PER-AKL-JFK.

Probably a coin toss flying AKL-Oz-JNB? Some will prefer the SYD F lounge (as applicable). Many others may like to break the journey somewhere closer to the middle.

The HNL move to pull JQ might be a hint of some future arrangement with HA once they join OW?

It’ll be interesting to see where they redeploy JQ B787s? KUL?

 

[Doctore1003]

PER-AKL-JFK has a 12 hour layover in AKL … no thanks

 

[Cognac]

PER-AKL-JFK has a 12 hour layover in AKL … no thanks

I've done a 12-hour layover in AKL before (with Air NZ, no less) when coming back to Perth. It's a nice place to spend a day tbh.

 

[Doctore1003]

I've done a 12-hour layover in AKL before (with Air NZ, no less) when coming back to Perth. It's a nice place to spend a day tbh.

Maybe not after no sleep and landing at 4.30am

 

[DC3]

I've done a 12-hour layover in AKL before (with Air NZ, no less) when coming back to Perth. It's a nice place to spend a day tbh.

 

[elanshin]

Interesting that it's still crickets on the HND front for QF although prehaps they feel that because theres no challengers for the slot, they don't need to go and do anything with it.

PER - AKL feels more just designed to be a standalone and with it being a potential feeder. Right now I think it's just one daily NZ flight after Batik pulled out from the route. It could also be that they're testing the route and might be a future 321XLR route.

It’ll be interesting to see where they redeploy JQ B787s? KUL?

Or hit the shop for refurb. They need to overhaul all their 787s over the next year or so from memory.

 

[justinbrett]

Next they’ll be rebranding the BNE QF international lounge the Admirals Club

 

[Lucass]

With Jetstar expecting more A321LRs and A321XLRs why don't qantas take on a few of Jetstar's 787s? I know the -8 is smaller than Qantas's -9s but it could relieve pressure off qantas's ageing a330 fleet and allow for route expansion. I know not all Jetstar routes can be operated by an A321XLR, but many can especially CNS-NRT, CNS-KIX and BNE-BKK (obviously they would need a higher frequency to offset the lower seat count on the A321, but that's not a bad thing considering most of these routes are not daily services.)

 

[henrus]

Next they’ll be rebranding the BNE QF international lounge the Admirals Club

If they introduce a flagship section I won't complain about this change.

 

[justinbrett]

If they introduce a flagship section I won't complain about this change.

They don’t have any Flagship lounges outside of the US. They have the one of a kind AA International First Class lounge in LHR but all the rest are simply Admirals Clubs.

 

[elanshin]

With Jetstar expecting more A321LRs and A321XLRs why don't qantas take on a few of Jetstar's 787s? I know the -8 is smaller than Qantas's -9s but it could relieve pressure off qantas's ageing a330 fleet and allow for route expansion. I know not all Jetstar routes can be operated by an A321XLR, but many can especially CNS-NRT, CNS-KIX and BNE-BKK (obviously they would need a higher frequency to offset the lower seat count on the A321, but that's not a bad thing considering most of these routes are not daily services.)

Age of the aircraft, its also slightly worse than the later 787-9 and plus JQ actually need the aircraft badly too. Look at the routes they're on, look at how full they are pretty full most of the time and that they're doing well enough to demand a refurbishment and reconfiguration.

CNS - NRT is one of their typically high load routes and one of the primary reasons VA failed with the 737M8 despite flying to HND. (Noone wants to be in a single aisle for ~8h if they can avoid it). CNS - KIX might eventually become a 321 route though.

Basically JQ is also part of QF and a different strategy. It's arguably doing better right now on the Int'l front reputation wise (shocking i know).

 

[DC3]

It's arguably doing better right now on the Int'l front reputation wise (shocking i know).

 

[DC3]

If they introduce a flagship section I won't complain about this change.

Even a little velvet-roped off section for flagship dining might do.