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.

Virgin Australia has made waves with its announcement today of plans to introduce pets in cabin flights, a first for Australia.

The initiative is poised to cater to the growing demand from pet owners who wish to travel with their furry companions.

This service, pending regulatory approval, is anticipated to commence within the next 12 months, potentially revolutionising the way Australians travel with their pets.

Aiming to gauge public interest, Virgin Australia conducted surveys among its Facebook followers and Australian pet owners, with an overwhelming majority expressing enthusiasm for the concept.

The proposed service will be limited to small cats and dogs on specific domestic routes, ensuring the comfort and safety of all passengers.

The airline will charge a fee for the service, which is yet to be disclosed.

Pets will be confined to designated rows and required to remain in approved carriers under the seat in front of their owners throughout the flight.

In a statement delivered at Melbourne Airport, Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, underscored the airline’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.

She expressed excitement at the prospect of introducing pets in cabin flights, citing the strong desire among travelers to journey with their beloved pets.

“Our love for animals has always been in the Virgin Australia DNA, and we are excited at the prospect of taking off with Australia’s first-ever pets in cabin flights,” said Ms. Hrdlicka.

“Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality. It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well.”

Stay tuned for further updates as Virgin Australia progresses towards realising its vision of making pet-friendly travel a reality for Australian passengers.

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Qantas has taken delivery of its first two Airbus A220 planes – with 27 more to come – which will replace the ageing fleet of Boeing 717s.

The Qantaslink A220s will fly between cities like Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane and Canberra as well to key regional cities like Coffs Harbour and Launceston.

With double the range of the former 717s, the A220 can fly between any two points in Australia and to several offshore destinations, creating new route options in future.

Here are some of the key features of the new aircraft unveiled today:

• 10 business seats in a 2-2 configuration, with 37 inches of seat pitch
• 127 seats in economy in a 2-3 configuration with 30 inch pitch
• the largest windows of any single aisle aircraft and a cabin with a greater sense of space
• fast, free Wi-Fi
• an integrated personal device holder and USB A and C charging in both economy and business; additional wireless charging pad in business
• reduction in noise footprint of up to 50 per cent and reduction in carbon emissions of 25 per cent.

Here are some pics of the business class seats.

And here’s economy.

The first A220 commercial flights are on sale today for travel from 1 March 2024 on Melbourne-Canberra and Melbourne-Brisbane.

This will expand to Melbourne-Hobart from July 2024, Melbourne-Coffs Harbour from October 2024 and Melbourne-Launceston from November 2024 as more aircraft are delivered.

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Emirates is finally returning to Adelaide, with the announcement today that flights to Dubai will resume later this year.

From 28 October 2024, the route will be serviced by Emirates’ Boeing 777-200LR offering passengers business class (in a 2-2-2 layout) and economy class.

The flight will operate daily, with a 10.35 pm departure from Adelaide and arrival in Dubai at 5.15 am. The return leg departs Dubai at 2am and land in Adelaide at 8.50 pm.

These timings will enable easy connections to Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

SA Premier, Peter Malinauskas, welcomed the announcement, saying: “Reinstating Emirates flights to Adelaide has been a key priority for the State Government. Emirates once again flying daily direct into Adelaide will further drive South Australia’s economic growth – set to deliver an estimated $160 million in tourism expenditure and freight exports and create more than 315 full-time tourism-related jobs for South Australians.

“The Emirates service has been very much missed by South Australians – recommencing daily flights will make Adelaide easier to reach from key long-haul markets and make doing business with our state easier.”

Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to earn points and status credits (moreso if booked as a QF codeshare) and use points to secure reward seats.

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Competition is set to heat up over the Pacific with the launch of a brand new Brisbane-Dallas route by American Airlines.

The oneworld carrier and Qantas partner will start flying between the two cities on 27 October, initially as a seasonal route – though hopefully we’ll see that extended if successful.

The airline will use a brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route, which features its latest economy, premium economy and business class seats.

The plane’s premium-focused configuration means there will be just 244 seats, including 51 in business class, 32 in premium economy and 161 economy seats.

Dallas is a major hub for American Airlines and provides easy connections to cities across North America.

Qantas already flies from Melbourne and Sydney to Dallas, and from Brisbane to Los Angeles.

Queenslanders can also take advantage of United Airlines’ flights from Brisbane to San Francisco.

Qantas Points holders will be able to book reward seats on American’s new Brisbane-Dallas route if the airline makes them available. Tickets go on sale on 5 February, so we’ll find out then!

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