Qantas has today confirmed it will support the Yes campaign for the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.

The airline has unveiled special livery on three Qantas Group aircraft which feature the Yes23 campaign logo. These are a Qantas Boeing 737, a QantasLink Dash 8 Turboprop and a Jetstar Airbus A320.

In addition, Qantas will help out Yes campaigners with travel so they can engage with regional and remote Australians ahead of the referendum.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament continued the airline’s commitment to reconciliation and, more broadly, the notion of a ‘fair go’.

“Qantas has a long history of supporting reconciliation with First Nations people, from the Aboriginal artwork on our inflight magazine in the 1960s and on our aircraft since the 1990s, to our support for constitutional recognition in 2014, public support of the Uluru Statement of the Heart 2019, and our First Nations employment and supplier commitments.

“We’re supporting the Yes23 campaign because we believe a formal voice to government will help close the gap for First Nations people in important areas like health, education and employment.

“Like our Flying Art livery aircraft showcasing First Nations culture to a global audience, these aircraft will send a message of support for a Yes vote as they travel the country.

“We know there are a range of views on this issue, including amongst our customers and employees, and we respect that. I encourage people to find out more, to listen to First Nations voices, and to make their own decisions,” added Mr Joyce.

More information about the Qantas Group’s commitment to reconciliation is available here.

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The low-cost carrier Bonza has today revealed its third base will be at Gold Coast Airport, complementing its existing bases at Melbourne Tullamarine and Sunshine Coast airports.

Two Boeing 737 aircraft will operate from the iconic holiday spot to 11 existing Bonza destinations: Albury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne Avalon, Melbourne Tullamarine, Mildura, Rockhampton, Townsville and the Whitsunday Coast.

The airline says the new flights will be on sale very soon through the airline’s app, which is the only place to book direct.

Starting fares will range from $49 to $79 per person one way. 

This news follows the move last month to cut routes and reduce frequencies due to customer demand and resource shortages.

The airline says it will lease two aircraft to enable its Gold Coast expansion.

This next phase of Bonza’s growth will see 70 new flights per week and almost 700,000 additional passenger seats a year into and out of Gold Coast Airport.

The airline says there will be additional and new destinations that will connect with the Gold Coast and those will be revealed “when the time is right”.

Recruitment for Gold Coast based pilots and crew is expected to begin shortly.

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Six months into its operation as Australia’s newest low-cost carrier, Bonza is making some changes to frequencies and routes to improve reliability and experiences for customers.

The airline will cut five routes where there isn’t sustainable demand at present:

• Sunshine Coast to Coffs Harbour
• Sunshine Coast to Port Macquarie
• Sunshine Coast to Tamworth
• Cairns to Mackay
• Toowoomba Wellcamp to Whitsunday Coast.

Some other (unspecified) routes will be reduced to just one flight per week.

These changes will take effect from 1 August.

Three strong performing routes, namely Sunshine Coast to Albury and Melbourne (Avalon) plus Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Port Macquarie, will welcome a new service each week.

Customers affected by flight cancellations will be contacted by the airline and will receive a full refund or alternate flights with Bonza, depending on their scenario. 

Bonza says these changes will allow it to maintain some spare capacity so there’s a buffer when things don’t go to plan.

Further, by focusing on well-performing routes, the airline says it’s setting itself up to be in a better financial position to compete and survive.

Bonza states that it will soon start selling tickets for the late October to April 2024 schedule which means travellers will be able to book flights for their summer holidays, Christmas or Easter 2024.

The airline is also working to establish a third base alongside Melbourne (Tullamarine) and the Sunshine Coast, and with that will come new job opportunities and new routes to existing and new destinations. 

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Virgin Australia is today celebrating the arrival of a brand new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, an important milestone in its fleet renewal program.

The plane is one of 33 fuel-efficient Boeing 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft Virgin Australia has on order, with more set to be delivered in the coming months.

With the arrival of the new jet, Virgin Australia has also revealed the design of its refreshed business and economy cabins, which will feature on the new aircraft and will be retrofitted on the existing fleet as part of a $110 million investment.

Highlights include:

• in-seat power for all business and economy seats
• larger overhead lockers, with 50% more capacity
• wider business class seats, which also feature leg rests with extendable footrests, storage compartments, tablet/device holders and water bottle holders
• a new economy seat design, featuring a ribbed backing to elevate comfort and ergonomics
• a personal tablet/device holder for all economy seats.

Work to refresh the existing fleet will begin later this year and is expected to last around two years.

The airline also plans to install a new divider between the business and economy cabins (in fact, it’s not visible at all in the images supplied today) and remove one row of Economy X seats to make way for additional regular economy seats.

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Jetstar has today announced the launch of direct Melbourne-Fiji flights, starting 16 December 2023 – just in time for the bustling Christmas season.

These Melbourne-Fiji flights are designed to meet the escalating demand for travel to the tropical paradise, as evidenced by the strong response to Jetstar’s relaunched Sydney-Fiji service.

Jetstar plans to conduct three flights a week using its Airbus A321neo LR, noted for its quieter and more fuel-efficient operations.

Each year, it will carry up to 72,000 customers to Fiji from Melbourne.

To commemorate this milestone, Jetstar is introducing a 24-hour sale from midday today, slashing prices for one-way fares to a mere $179. So if you’ve been itching for an exotic holiday, there’s no better time to snag those tickets.

With the launch of the Melbourne-Fiji service, the schedule for the Sydney-Fiji route will be adjusted to three return flights per week starting December 16, 2023.

Below is the new flight schedule:

• Melbourne to Fiji (Nadi): Flights JQ121 depart at 06:15 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and arrive at 12:15.
• Fiji (Nadi) to Melbourne: Flights JQ122 depart at 13:15 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and arrive at 17:50.
• Sydney to Fiji (Nadi): Flights JQ119 depart at 09:45 on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and arrive at 14:55.
• Fiji (Nadi) to Sydney: Flights JQ120 depart at 16:00 on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and arrive at 19:50.

Jetstar’s newest direct flight offering from Melbourne to Fiji is a welcome addition, especially for those eager for a tropical getaway. Just remember, the sale ends at 11.59am AEST on July 5, 2023.

Qantas resumed its seasonal Perth-Rome flights this weekend, timed perfectly for Aussies looking to say “ciao” to Europe this northern summer.

The flights operate three days per week on Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner until 3 October 2023, offering more than 22,000 seats over this period. 

The airline has also confirmed it will operate the service for a third year in 2024. 

That’s testament to how popular the Rome flights have been. 

The Rome service isn’t just about getting you to Italy quicker; it’s about offering more flexibility too.

You can pair up your Rome flight with Qantas’ daily direct services between Australia and London.

This means you can land in Rome, enjoy la dolce vita, then jet off to London, and return from there to Australia, all on one return ticket.

Domestic connections within Australia are available, of course.

For those with an appetite for more travel in Europe, the Rome service also opens up the gates to other Mediterranean and southern European destinations via Qantas’ network of partners.

Qantas says the 2024 Perth-Rome flights will start going on sale next month.

The Dreamliner aircraft feature economy, premium economy and business class.

While reward seats are a bit tricky to find, it’s worth keeping an eye out for them, as we have seen some seats released in all cabins this year, albeit sporadically.  

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Qantas has unveiled its pioneering cabin design for the fleet of Airbus A350s that will fly nonstop from Sydney to New York and London starting from late 2025.

After introducing the first and business cabins earlier this year, Qantas has now revealed the rest of the aircraft’s interior, featuring a Wellbeing Zone, alongside premium economy and economy cabins.

The design process has been in the works since 2019, involving tens of thousands of hours to create what Qantas refers to as the “A350 cabin of the future”.

This flight of the future will be able to accommodate 238 passengers for nonstop flights of up to 22 hours, connecting Australia to almost any location across the globe.

This development is part of Qantas’s Project Sunrise initiative, which aims to reduce point-to-point travel time by over three hours, compared to one-stop routes.

The front of the A350 will feature six First Suites arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration, with a 2-metre flat bed, a dining table for two, a separate recliner chair, and a 32” 4k touchscreen TV.

Meanwhile, the 52 Business Suites arranged in a 1-2-1 layout come equipped with sliding doors for added privacy, lay-flat beds, large dining tables, bespoke lighting and 18” 4k touchscreen TVs.

The 40-seat premium economy cabin and the 140-seat economy cabin feature generous seat pitches: 40 inches in premium economy (two inches more than the existing 787s and A380s) and 33 inches in economy (one inch more than other aircraft).

Seats in both cabins also feature ergonomic leg and footrest systems, and various personal storage options – the most comprehensive on any Qantas aircraft to date.

One of the standout features of this aircraft is the industry-first Wellbeing Zone. Strategically located between the premium economy and economy cabins, it offers passengers on-screen guided exercise programs, sculpted wall panels and integrated stretch handles, a hydration station, and a variety of refreshments.

Every seat, across all four cabins, will include multiple fast USB-C charging ports. Moreover, each premium seat will have an integrated wireless charging system, offering more convenience.

As part of its commitment to staying connected, Qantas is also offering fast and free WiFi to all its passengers.

Bluetooth connectivity will be available across all cabins, allowing customers to connect their personal headsets to individual inflight entertainment screens.

In addition, Qantas has conducted groundbreaking scientific research to mitigate jet lag and enhance sleep and overall wellbeing before, during and after ultra-long-haul flights. This research has informed the design of the A350 cabins.

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