Qantas Announces Suite Of Changes For Australian Travellers

A380s are coming back – and with a facelift to boot.

Qantas Announces Suite Of Changes For Australian Travellers

Qantas announced a suite of changes today. Primary among them, if you’re a fan of first-class, is the A380’s return to Melbourne.

This comes as Qantas adds another four weekly return flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles with its 787s (it currently runs four, meaning they’ve doubled the service). The additional flights are to start operating this week.

Qantas’ refurbished A380s will “resume operating some of these flights to LA from December,” Qantas announced today, “marking the return of Qantas’ superjumbo and reintroduction of First Class to Melbourne.”

The A380s have an updated business class cabin, with 70 updated suites, a Premium Economy section almost double the size it used to be, and refreshed Economy and First cabins.

Qantas explains: “The upper deck lounge (open to Business and First passengers) has been expanded and upgraded with booth style seating for 10 people, a self-service bar and an option to order signature drinks and snacks.”

The airline adds: “Thirty Economy seats were removed to make room for more premium seating.”

Qantas also shared that Melbourne’s tourism recovery is due to increase with Qantas launching a new direct route from Dallas Fort Worth.

“From 2 December 2022, the national carrier will operate four weekly return flights between Melbourne and major US hub, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), with its Boeing 787 Dreamliners,” Qantas announced today.

“These are the first direct flights by any airline between the two cities and follows the success of Qantas’ longstanding Sydney-Dallas Fort Worth route.”

Qantas News Room

Fares are on sale from today starting from $2,128, the airline pointed out.

The Qantas Melbourne International Business Lounge today reopened too, having been shut since the start of the pandemic.

Qantas also announced that the Melbourne First Lounge, which operated as a hybrid First/Business Lounge during the pandemic, “has reverted to the full premium offering.”

In Sydney, meanwhile, you can already jump on a refurbished A380 flight to LA, as of yesterday, from about $6,000 to $11,000 (depending on which kind of first-class fare you book).

Qantas booking page. Screenshot via DMARGE.

Executive Traveller reports, too, that Qantas will relaunch its Sydney-Singapore-London A380 flights on June the 19th.

Today Qantas also announced four new domestic routes – Adelaide-Newcastle, Brisbane-Wagga Wagga, Darwin-Townsville and Darwin-Cairns.

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