Qantas’ inaugural Perth-Paris flight will be touching down in the French capital in a few hours.

The new route – Qantas’ third direct from Perth to Europe – comes just in time for the 2024 Olympics and follows the success of the carrier’s nonstop flights from Perth to London and Rome.

The new year-round route will see Qantas operate to the French capital for the first time in nearly two decades, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time from Perth to Paris.

The 17-hour flights will initially operate four days per week during the peak European summer with the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which features economy, premium economy and business class.

Services will move to three per week from mid-August 2024.

The Dreamliner has been specially designed for long-haul travel, with all passengers benefitting from large windows, high cabin humidity and relaxing mood lighting.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the national carrier’s return to Paris followed on from the success of its non-stop services into Europe.

“There is a lot of excitement amongst our customers and crew that Qantas is returning to Paris and that it’s a non-stop flight between Perth and Paris,” Ms Hudson said.

“In recent years we have seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long haul routes and avoiding stop overs wherever possible. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome have some of the highest customer satisfaction on our international network.”

The route launch follows the recent announcement of a landmark agreement between Qantas and Perth Airport that will help unlock the airline’s western hub, with a new Terminal being built that will see Perth become Qantas’ second busiest port in the nation after Sydney.

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Qantas passengers traveling through Adelaide Airport are poised to enjoy an enhanced airport experience with the announcement that the lounge precinct redevelopment is set to begin this month.

The redevelopment project will introduce a brand-new Domestic Business Lounge inspired by the natural beauty of Kangaroo Island’s Flinders Chase National Park. Additionally, the existing Qantas Club and Chairman’s Lounge will undergo comprehensive refurbishments.

The first phase of this project involves the fit-out of the Qantas Club, scheduled to open in mid-November.

The new Domestic Business Lounge is expected to welcome its first guests by mid-2025.

Although the lounge space footprint will remain unchanged, the redesign will optimise currently under-utilised areas, resulting in a more than 10% increase in total seating capacity.

The new lounge interiors will celebrate South Australia’s stunning landscapes, rich culture, and culinary delights.

The lounges will feature South Australian-sourced furniture, lighting, and natural materials, alongside fittings curated by the Jam Factory and artwork created by local Indigenous artists.

This redevelopment is part of Qantas’s broader $100 million investment aimed at upgrading and enhancing its global lounge network.

According to Phil Capps, Qantas Executive Manager for Product and Service, the lounge upgrades are designed to meet the needs of customers flying from Adelaide while showcasing South Australian architectural and interior design excellence.

“Our local design philosophy means the new Adelaide Lounge Precinct will celebrate the best of South Australia. From the furnishing and artworks through to the premium food and beverages, we want to give our customers a taste of South Australia every time they fly with us. Our customers can also expect to see more of the features they’ve told us they value the most,” said Capps.

“We’re installing extra seating throughout the precinct to provide more space to work, and around 80% of seats will have access to power stations and device ports so customers can easily charge up before their flight.”

During the construction phase, the existing Qantas Club will continue to operate for eligible customers from one hour prior to the first Qantas-operated service until the last departure.

Additionally, a ‘Grab and Go’ service with premium breakfast options and barista coffee will be available during busy morning peak travel times if the lounges reach capacity.

Qantas is launching a new boarding process for domestic flights at four of Australia’s largest airports, aiming to reduce the time passengers spend waiting at the gate and to expedite seating onboard.

The initiative, termed Group Boarding, marks the first adoption of this system in Australia, although it is already employed by various international airlines.

Following successful trials in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, the new process demonstrated a significant improvement in punctual flight departures.

Group Boarding will allow passengers to board in smaller, more organized groups instead of queuing all at once, a common pain point in air travel.

Passengers will be assigned to one of six boarding groups, indicated on their boarding passes. These groups are determined by factors such as cabin class, Frequent Flyer status, and seat position on the aircraft.

Passengers’ boarding groups will be displayed on their boarding passes.

Signage and gate announcements will inform passengers when it is their turn to board.

The boarding pass scanner will only permit passengers to board once their group has been invited.

The phased rollout of Group Boarding begins today in Brisbane, followed by Perth on June 10, Melbourne on June 17, and Sydney on June 25.

The new process will initially apply to domestic flights operated by Qantas’ Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Markus Svensson, CEO of Qantas Domestic, highlighted the significance of this change, describing it as the most substantial update to the airline’s boarding procedures in a decade.

“We’re continually seeking ways to address customer pain points and enhance their travel experience,” Svensson stated. “Group Boarding is designed to minimize the time our customers spend waiting to board and allows them to get settled more quickly.”

Qantas plans to familiarise passengers with Group Boarding before extending it to other aircraft types or airports.

Rex Airlines has unveiled its latest addition to the domestic route network, a new Melbourne-Perth service – the first to connect the east and west coasts.

Starting from June 28, 2024, the new flights will be operated by a Boeing 737 five days a week, offering fresh competition on the popular route.

The flight timings aren’t great, however: Flight ZL873 will depart Melbourne at 8:15pm and land in Perth 10:40pm, while the return journey Flight XL874 leaves Perth at 11.55pm and arrives in Melbourne at 5:30am.

Travelers will shortly be able to book economy seats for as low as $299 each way and business class for $999 each way. All fares include checked baggage and refreshments.

Rex’s General Manager Network Strategy, Warrick Lodge, emphasized the benefits this new service brings. The addition of close to 90,000 seats annually on this busy route is good news for business, trade, tourism, and travelers.

This new route marks Rex’s 11th domestic jet service, adding to its network of major capital cities and popular destinations, also including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, and the Gold Coast.

Further route expansions are expected to be announced soon.

Qantas has unveiled a series of updates to its Asia network, including the suspension of the Sydney-Shanghai route and the launch of a new Brisbane-Manila service, as well as increased frequencies to Singapore and India.

Suspension of Sydney-Shanghai Flights

Starting 28 July 2024, Qantas will suspend its Sydney-Shanghai flights due to ongoing low demand. Despite resuming the service in October last year after a COVID-19 pause, the anticipated recovery in passenger numbers has not materialized. The airline will continue to monitor the Australia-China market and may reinstate the route once demand improves.

Customers affected by this suspension will be contacted and offered a full refund or assistance in rebooking on alternative flights. Qantas will redirect the aircraft used for the Sydney-Shanghai route to other Asian destinations with higher demand and emerging tourism opportunities.

New Route: Brisbane to Manila

Qantas is set to launch a new international route from Brisbane to Manila, starting 28 October 2024. The new service will operate four days a week using Airbus A330 aircraft, marking the airline’s return to this route after more than a decade. This addition complements Qantas’ existing daily service from Sydney to Manila and will provide an additional 100,000 seats annually between Australia and the Philippines.

Increased Services to Singapore and India

In response to growing demand, Qantas will increase its flights to Singapore by approximately 10%, adding more than 2,500 seats per week. The Sydney to Singapore route will see an increase from 14 to 17 return flights per week starting 11 December 2024. Similarly, Brisbane to Singapore flights will rise from seven to nine return flights per week from 27 October 2024, optimizing connectivity with Qantas’ daily service from Singapore to London and reducing travel time to Heathrow by around four hours.

Additionally, the Sydney to Bengaluru route will expand from five weekly flights to daily services between mid-December 2024 and late March 2025, adding over 12,000 seats during the peak holiday season.

Tickets for these additional flights are now available for sale through qantas.com and travel agents, while bookings for the new Brisbane-Manila route will open in the coming days.