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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Japan’s largest airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) has confirmed it plans to relaunch direct Perth-Tokyo flights on 29 October 2023.

The airline began operating this route in September 2019, but it was short-lived and scuttled in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

From 29 October 29, flight NH882 will depart Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 11:20am every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, landing in Perth at 8:30pm.

From Perth, flight NH881 will take off at 9:55pm, touching down in Tokyo at 8:30am the following day.

ANA will fly one of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on this route.

In business class, passengers are treated to comfortable seats with direct aisle access and a fully-flat recline. The layout is 1-2-1 or 1-1-1 depending on the row.

ANA 787-8 Business Class

ANA 787-8 Business Class

There’s a very small premium economy cabin with a 2-3-2 layout, followed by economy, which is 3-3-3 with a pretty good 34-inch pitch.

If you’re keen to use points to fly with ANA, the good news is that it’s a member of the global Star Alliance, which means you can book award seats through one of its alliance partners like Singapore Airlines.

ANA and Virgin Australia have also launched a partnership which may see Velocity Points holders being able to book seats – though this hasn’t yet been confirmed. We may hear more details about this in the lead up to Virgin’s launch of Cairns-Tokyo flights later this month.

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In a major development for travel to and from Tasmania, Rex has announced the addition of Hobart as its fourth Tasmanian destination.

With the launch of daily flights between Melbourne and Hobart from 17 August, travellers can now anticipate cheaper airfare options.

For some time now, Rex has been maintaining a presence in Tasmania with regular flights operating to the North West Tasmanian cities of Burnie and Devonport, as well as King Island.

Today’s announcement marks a big leap forward with the inclusion of the Tasmanian capital city into Rex’s flight network.

The Melbourne-Hobart flight schedule has been designed to accommodate holiday-goers’ convenience. Flights departing Melbourne at 12.15 pm will land in Hobart by 1.30 pm. Meanwhile, the return Hobart-Melbourne service will take off at 2.15 pm and touch down in Melbourne just 75 minutes later at 3.30 pm.

This schedule also ensures favourable connections for flights to and from Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane.

With one-way economy fares starting from just $79, Rex is offering a full service, which includes baggage allowance and an onboard snack.

Business class fares begin at $349.

This development follows on the heels of another significant announcement by Rex: the addition of two more Boeing 737s to its fleet and the introduction of a direct Adelaide-Sydney route, slated to begin on 29 June.

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Virgin Australia has today announced changes to its Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program, including a new pricing structure and a one-off release of extra reward seats.

New reward seat prices

The airline has introduced three new price tiers for domestic economy reward seats.

Tier 1 seats represent a price reduction from before, while Tier 2 is the ‘old’ pricing and Tier 3 prices are actually higher.

Business class costs remain the same.

The airline hasn’t said how these different pricing tiers will be applied.

It seems likely that the key issue will be demand. For less popular routes and travel periods, expect Tier 1 or Tier 2 prices to apply, while in peak periods, the higher pricing will probably come into play.

Tier 3 pricing will be implemented from 5 July 2023.

More reward seats

Virgin Australia has also released a million extra domestic economy reward seats, available to book from today until 18 June 2023.

The seats are spread out across its domestic network.

Seats are available through to 30 April next year, but blackout dates apply, such as around school holidays.

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If you’ve been looking for more travel options between Adelaide and Sydney, we’ve got some good news for you.

From 29 June 2023, Rex Airlines will start daily flights between the two capital cities.

Rex is no stranger to Adelaide, having already woven the ‘City of Churches’ into its domestic and regional network via its Melbourne-Adelaide service, which launched in March 2021.

This addition is the eighth domestic route in the carrier’s roster, contributing to its ongoing expansion efforts across Australia.

For anyone keen to hop on the new Adelaide-Sydney route, one of the airline’s Boeing 737-800NGs will be at your service.

To celebrate, Rex is offering special launch fares starting from just $99 each way. Business class starts at an affordable $399.

These special fares are on sale until 30 June 2023 and you can travel at these rates for the first month, until 31 July 2023, subject to availability.

The upcoming route is also set to unlock new connections. Think regional NSW to Adelaide (via Sydney), regional SA to Sydney (via Adelaide), and even Adelaide to Brisbane (via Sydney).

Happy travels!

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If you’re heading out of Brisbane internationally and looking for a pay-to-use lounge to relax in before your flight, you now have a stylish new choice.

Brisbane airport’s previously closed ‘My Lounge’ has reopened, refreshed and rebranded as the Aspire Lounge.

The name change is due to new ownership by Swissport, the aviation services company known for its ‘The House‘ branded lounges in Sydney and Melbourne.

However, the Brisbane lounge has embraced the ‘Aspire’ name, similar to the Perth domestic and international spaces.

The Brisbane lounge will be familiar to those who visited it during its previous incarnation.

It retains the same layout, abundant natural light and relaxed ambiance.

Getting in is pretty straightforward. You can book your entry online at a cost of £29.91 (or AUD$54) for adults and £19 (AUD$35) for children.

You’re welcome to enjoy the lounge up to three hours before your flight departure time.

So, what can you expect once you’re inside?

There’s a self-serve bar and barista for your caffeine fix, plus a buffet boasting a variety of hot meals and cold snacks.

Since the lounge currently opens from 4:30 am to 12 pm daily, it’s serving primarily breakfast fare (these hours are likely to change as more evening flights are scheduled).

If you need to freshen up, showers are available for an additional charge, and a compact workspace is also provided.

Now, let’s talk about the bar menu. Complimentary craft beers and wines are on offer, alongside a simple cocktail station.

We’ve heard rumours that premium spirits and custom cocktails will soon be introduced, but they’ll come with an extra cost.

And of course, the classics like teas, soft drinks, and juices are there too.

You can find the newly minted Aspire Lounge near Gate 77, keeping company with other lounges like the other pay-per-use option, the Plaza Premium Lounge.

Whether it’s your first visit or you’re a seasoned traveler, the Aspire Lounge is ready to add a touch of comfort to your journey.

Happy traveling, folks!

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