Qantas to Launch SYD-AKL-JFK (June 2023)

[Princess Fiona]

Why don't you quote a return J fare for 7 Feb, returning 28 Feb using that method and let us know how many hours the complete journey is in each direction?

Unfortunately though, won't remove the poor service QFi offers (and the higher chance of poor punctuality or reliability) compared with rivals.

But your choice if you want to continue to patronise this mediocre airline that loves to trade on past glories.

I can’t because I’m not a TA.
But I have booked and flown on them before and they didn’t cost anywhere near $19K. The journey time SYD-JFK is the scheduled flight time of QF3.
The last one was under $10K booked by my TA.

I’ll patronize whichever airlines get me to my destination at a price I am willing to pay and route I am comfortable with.
I’d suggest that’s what most people do.

 

[Melburnian1]

Well for the exact dates above, just book SYD-AKL on a separate booking, and then these will cost less than 7K:

View attachment 338947

But SYD-AKL return on QF3/QF4 adds $1521 for the forward journey and $941 for the return that had the cheapest J fare available, which QF totals as $2461 not $2462.

So that's $9296 for the return, and soon might rise another $580 at a minimum if the 'flex' J fare on the return is sold out.

QFi remains more expensive than OZ/PR/JL/NH and SQ, yet SQ is routinely ranked as the world's best or second best airline by various good and dubious sites alike, unlike QF. The others all provide at least good and often excellent service onboard.

 

[Melburnian1]

I’ll patronize whichever airlines get me to my destination at a price I am willing to pay and route I am comfortable with.
I’d suggest that’s what most people do.

Fare cost is #1 for most.

 

[justinbrett]

But your choice if you want to continue to patronise this mediocre airline that loves to trade on past glories.

Out of curiosity, when did you last fly on QFi?

 

[serfty]

$15k is still pretty steep but I doubt too many people are actually paying anywhere near that and if they are it’s not out of their own pocket I’d imagine

One large organisation I did some work for had contracted with Qantas to receive a 20% rebate on all fares booked with them.

Note this some time ago and before corporate TA's generally managed to insert themselves into the process.

 

[Quickstatus]

contracted with Qantas to receive a 20% rebate on all fares booked with them

presumably they had
Minimum annual spend
Minimum fare class

 

[SYD]

One large organisation I did some work for had contracted with Qantas to receive a 20% rebate on all fares booked with them.

Note this some time ago and before corporate TA's generally managed to insert themselves into the process.

Still pretty standard - even with the corp TA in the process to coordinate things. The large multi-national I used to work for had contracted J fares on EY and QR to Europe for several thousand less than the public rate. Domestic on VA was also noticeably cheaper than public rates (even with a discount code).

The TA provided the portal for self booking - so you could see the various options and fares. Alas, the discounts didn't extent to leisure travel (which I never understood, since it would help the company meet the volume requirements)...

 

[autobahnal]

I posted this q to FT and then realized afterwards that this is probably the better place to ask! The q is: Does anyone know how long the Rebecca Vallance amenities are available on QF3/4? Admittedly I care more about this kind of stuff than I probably should, but I have a flight on QF3 at the end of August and was curious if they'll still be around. Thanks all!

 

[Brettmcg]

I posted this q to FT and then realized afterwards that this is probably the better place to ask! The q is: Does anyone know how long the Rebecca Vallance amenities are available on QF3/4? Admittedly I care more about this kind of stuff than I probably should, but I have a flight on QF3 at the end of August and was curious if they'll still be around. Thanks all!

I flew the QF4 last Friday (11AUG) and the Rebecca Vallance PJs and amenities were no longer being handed out. Just the standard QF PJs and the 2010s amenity kits (Martin Grant uniform style).

 

[autobahnal]

I flew the QF4 last Friday (11AUG) and the Rebecca Vallance PJs and amenities were no longer being handed out. Just the standard QF PJs and the 2010s amenity kits (Martin Grant uniform style).

Thanks for the firsthand report!

 

[SnHill]

I’ll do it again if I am staying in AKL or the transit experience improves but not otherwise.
QF 3 was much better through AKL.

I'd agree with this sentiment for sure. QF3 on the outbound is pretty good and the timing works pretty well IMO, however QF4 on the return, while pretty good if you're getting off in AKL is fine, but for a transit through to SYD, it means you're basically awake from 3am East Coast time for breakfast etc before landing, then the transit nightmare and another hop across the Tasman. I would take QF 3 to the east coast US happily (and am again next week) but for the return i'd take the DFW transit and QF8 back to Sydney, means you're actually arriving with a fuller nights rest before the day begins. Just my thoughts anyway.

 

[trooper]

QFi remains more expensive than OZ/PR/JL/NH and SQ, yet SQ is routinely ranked as the world's best or second best airline by various good and dubious sites alike, unlike QF. The others all provide at least good and often excellent service onboard.

Interesting that you mention those airlines AFTER asking how many hours the QF itinerary takes. They would ALL be significantly longer wouldn't they?

(P.S. I do not fly long haul with QF. But I do belive in fair comparisons)

 

[kangarooflyer88]

QFi remains more expensive than OZ/PR/JL/NH and SQ, yet SQ is routinely ranked as the world's best or second best airline by various good and dubious sites alike, unlike QF. The others all provide at least good and often excellent service onboard.

It's no a fair comparison. With those other airlines you are adding what half a day to the itinerary at least? With PR certainly more than that. And OZ/PR/NH and SQ are useless if you are aiming for QF status. Now sure you can point to earning status with UA or another Star Alliance carrier but that's not as easy as QF. UA and AC both require you spending tens of thousands with them to get any meaningful status. And PR doesn't even have a frequent flyer program of note.

If there is an argument to be made against this service it's the connection in AKL since to my knowledge AKL doesn't have OSS for international to international connections meaning you need to clear security again for your connection at AKL (despite you already clearing security at SYD). In addition you have to clear CBP at JFK which isn't as good in my experience compared to LAX arguably the best airport in the US and possibly the world. Whereas it takes me maybe 5 minutes to clear CBP at LAX, HNL, or just yesterday at DFW, it takes me closer to 30 minutes because the damn Global Entry machines are always down and I have to go through the US/Canadian citizen line.

-RooFlyer

 

[dajop]

It's no a fair comparison. With those other airlines you are adding what half a day to the itinerary at least?

JL only adds 4 hours going to NYC and 3 hours returning from NYC to SYD. Not quite half a day, and perhaps not as long as expected.

Of course at the other end of the spectrum, SQ adds 8 hours outbound and surprisingly only 4:40 inbound. But SQ best for the non time challenged with a nice overnight layover enroute, which adds to the journey time and but makes it a better experience.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

JL only adds 4 hours going to NYC and 3 hours returning from NYC to SYD. Not quite half a day, and perhaps not as long as expected.

You are right, it only adds about 3 hours 20 minutes to trip to NYC (fastest route on QF is QF 145 -> QF 3 to avoid the 40 minute transit penalty for taking QF3 direct to JFK). Interestingly, United will do it even quicker than QF's direct route flying through SFO:


Some might say 85 minutes isn't enough time for a connection. And I would agree, for Australians it might not be enough time. But for those of us with Global Entry, we clear immigration in maybe 5 minutes, and going through security takes another 5 minutes, so the only thing up in the air is the baggage claim.

Of course at the other end of the spectrum, SQ adds 8 hours outbound and surprisingly only 4:40 inbound. But SQ best for the non time challenged with a nice overnight layover enroute, which adds to the journey time and but makes it a better experience.

Down side of SQ is having to transit in Singapore, especially if you aren't flying J/F with them. Sorry folks but the KrisFlyer Gold lounge is a joke. Makes the QF Regional lounge at CFS look like the Ritz Carlton. Plus of course you have the penalty of having to re-clear security at your gate (even though there is no need to ever re-clear security for international to international connections).

Surprisingly flying Filipine Airlines to NYC doesn't take too long, but then you have that thrilla in Manilla - will you make your connecting flight and will it be delayed by more than 2 hours?

 

[encryptededdy]

even though there is no need to ever re-clear security for international to international connections

This is seldom the case in any airport though. You always have to clear security I -> I except for some very specific cases (e.g. USA -> Taipei -> International)

 

[dajop]

This is seldom the case in any airport though. You always have to clear security I -> I except for some very specific cases (e.g. USA -> Taipei -> International)

OP knows it and has to be trolling, this has been discussed before ad nauseum. Indeed according to at least one source I've linked below, you need to clear security at AKL when transiting on QF3->QF3 and QF4->QF4:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qf3/

 

[kangarooflyer88]

OP knows it and has to be trolling, this has been discussed before ad nauseum. Indeed according to at least one source I've linked below, you need to clear security at AKL when transiting on QF3->QF3 and QF4->QF4:

I am not trolling. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO for short) has an Annex to their rules which allow airports which implement the One Stop Security protocol to completely avoid any security checks for connecting flights. And there are many airports that come to mind which implement this very protocol. Indeed I've flown from Toronto to Glasgow (connecting in Amsterdam) and never had to clear security other than at the origin point. When I flew Frankfurt to Sydney I only needed to clear security at Frankfurt (origin) and Singapore (not an OSS airport). My connection at HEL didn't require it. Many EU airports don't require re-clearing security on connecting flights. Select Canadian airports don't require re-clearing security for all itineraries except travelling to the US (since TSA security rules apply for those flights).

So again, I keep asking, why do we need to have security on connecting flights? If we eliminated it, security queues at airports would reduce greatly, security would be beefed up considerably (since security personnel have to look at fewer items, and passengers would remain sterile).

-RooFlyer88

 

[JessicaTam]

[mod hat]
Recent off topic posts have been deleted.

Stick to the topic, please.
[/mod hat]

 

[ChrisMars]

Can't wait for project sunrise to kick in.