Qantas boosts flights to Queenstown, Christchurch, Wellington

New Zealand is bracing for a welcome avalanche of Australian tourists, with this week seeing the return of five Qantas routes from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Here’s what’s back in the air:

• Sydney to Queenstown (from May 23)
• Sydney to Wellington (from May 23)
• Melbourne to Christchurch (from May 23)
• Melbourne to Wellington (from May 23)
• Brisbane to Christchurch (from May 24)

These restarts build on Qantas’ current NZ schedule which includes Sydney to Auckland and Christchurch, Melbourne to Auckland (with Queenstown from 18 June) and Brisbane to Auckland

Following the resumption of Australia-New Zealand travel in April this year, the NZ government has brought forward the reopening of its international borders to all countries to 11:59pm on July 31, 2022.

Expected to be armed with skis and winter woollies, the resumption of the Qantas flights this week will be a major boost for New Zealand’s winter tourism industry, complementing existing Air New Zealand services between the two countries.

“The ramp up of flights between Australia and New Zealand just in time for ski season is a shot in the arm for tourism off the back of a tough few years for local operators and Queenstown is making a particularly strong comeback,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

Qantas will fly 20 times weekly from Australia to Queenstown, with capacity on the route expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by July as Aussies head for the country’s famous Coronet Peak and the Remarkables.

As a further boost, Qantas Frequent Flyer members can lock in every seat on every Qantas and Jetstar service across the Tasman for the rest of May at Classic Reward rates under the Qantas ‘Points Plane’ promotion – which sees business class seats across the Tasman to Queenstown, for example, available for a tiny 41,500 points each way.

The Flying Kangaroo will be operating both its single-aisle Boeing 737 with its reclining business seats or the twin-aisle Airbus A330, which boasts lie-flat beds in its Business Suites for the short hop across the ditch.