Delta to fly Brisbane-Los Angeles
Delta Air Lines will join rivals American and United in flying between Brisbane and the USA.
By David Flynn, February 24 2024
The skies between Brisbane and the USA are about to become a little more crowded, but that's good news for Queenslanders, as Delta Air Lines reveals plans to fly between Brisbane and Los Angeles.
Although only a seasonal serving running between December 2024-March 2025, the flights will increase competition and put downward pressure on airfares.
Delta will fly its Airbus A350 with private Delta One business class suites plus premium economy recliners on the 13h30m route, with three flights each week from December 4 2024 through to March 28, 2025.
Delta's modern A350 will wing its way between Brisbane and Los Angeles.
The moves sees the SkyTeam member competing directly against Qantas for Brisbane-LAX travellers, and with a far superior proposition when you compare the quiet modern A350 and its premium seating against the older A330 which Qantas has pressed into service trans-pacific service due to a shortfall of long-range jets.
The Delta One business class suite.
On top of this comes Delta's superior business class, the fact that the A350 offers premium economy cabin missing on the Qantas A330, and Delta's streamlined transit at LAX for onwards flights, especially to the US east coast.
Delta's A350 also offers premium economy.
The new Delta flights, which will receive financial support from by Queensland’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, cap a 'Brisbane-North American boom'.
This saw Virgin Australia partner United Airlines launched flights to San Francisco and Los Angeles (although the later proved a short-lived seasonal service), with American Airlines recently announcing the start of flights to its Dallas Fort Worth hub.
And of course, Air Canada's flights to Vancouver with smooth connections across Canada and the US can't be left out of the mix.
Delta status match for Qantas, Virgin
The new Brisbane-Los Angeles flights will play well into Delta's attempts to lure the frequent flyers of Qantas and Virgin Australia with the Delta 2024 status match program.
Silver, Gold or Platinum status with Qantas, Virgin and a dozen other airlines can unlock an instant three months of equivalent status in Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program, with the ability to keep that status through to January 2026 with as little as one return flight on Delta Air Lines, such as premium economy between Brisbane and Los Angeles or business class between LAX and New York.
Read more: Delta status match targets Qantas, Virgin Australia
And as previously reported, Delta will open its first dedicated business class lounge at New York in June, with the upscale LAX and Boston business class lounges to follow by December.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
I'm so happy to see the options out of Brisbane to the US finally get some proper attention. Honestly, if you were flying any sort of premium to LA or beyond and your choice was a tired A330 and a brand new A350... c'mon Qantas, give us loyal flyers some decent birds or we're not coming back
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 165
It sounds like maybe just maybe QF are getting the message with their latest extra 787 and A350 orders. Slowly slowly…
07 Jan 2016
Total posts 35
I recently travelled to the U.S. on Qantas. Had the 787 on the way over and the A330 on the way back. I also had the same seat number on each flight - 1K (Business). I actually found it hard to differentiate between the two from a passenger perspective. The seat, entertainment system, and footwell was pretty much identical and the bathrooms were about the same size. Cabin noise seemed similar (although I was either wearing headphones or was sleeping with earplugs most of the way). I know that the Boeing's marketing says the lower cabin pressure of the 787 helps you feel fresher on arrival - but to be honest I didn't find a heck a lot of difference in the business class passenger experience on the two flights. Anyway ... just sayin'
10 Jun 2015
Total posts 12
Hooray! Excellent news! Competition is always good and will hopefully wake QANTAS up from its former sleepy monopoly! The 330s QANTAS flies are a real embarrassment and no doubt charge more than what it’s worth! Remember how years ago QANTAS ruled the skies between USA/Oz? Well now the North American Airlines have smartened up and upped the games stakes with better hard products-personally not 100% sure of their service/crew though, being a long haul route and no doubt heavily bid for by the senior crew!
Incidentally, the QANTAS 330 on the BNE/LAX are all crewed by young Kiwi based crew-they get a slightly raw deal vs their Oz based crew wrt basic pay and Crew rest conditions… just repeating what you all prob know already!
01 Dec 2012
Total posts 68
As a bonus for Delta flyers, it’s just been ranked by Wall Street Journal as the best US domestic airline for the third year running, so international passengers can look forward to a better domestic experience, too.
13 May 2020
Total posts 827
so when do they go on sale ? Watch QF, UA, NZ & FJ drop their prices, at least on days DL flies.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
09 Aug 2016
Total posts 38
Whatever it takes to avoid that QF 330 on BNE - LAX. A joke.
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jun 2020
Total posts 12
Thank god we have service to the USA , bring it on as our the home grown competition has fallen asleep and don’t deserve local support , viva America
09 Dec 2023
Total posts 6
It would appear that the US Airlines are taking advantage of Qantas shortage of long distance planes and having to operate A330s BNE-LAX. Project Sunrise will free up 3 or 4 B787s. However, with Project Sunrise delayed from late 2025 until 2026, Qantas should lease two B787s (or A350s) to operate BNE-LAX and BNE-AKL. (Possibly three to also operate BNE-SFO three times a week.)
The planes could be damp leased with the existing Jet Connect crew as cabin crew.
+
10 Jun 2015
Total posts 12
“Damp” or possible “moist”??? Ha ha ha… I think you mean “wet” lease perhaps?
Seriously though-if QF leased foreign registered aircraft and crewed them with Jetconnect crew then that would still be considered as “dry” lease as JC crew are still under the QANTAS banner and only leasing the aircraft!
Hope I’m correct here?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 351
Don't forget most US carriers services to Brisbane is funded by Queensland Government's Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF). It could be argued if not for said funding, the US3 could've easily sent those aircraft elsewhere, in addition to the US-Chinese market well below pre-2020 levels.
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