Qantas adds more New York flights

Just one sleep, and you’re in the city that never sleeps…

By David Flynn, August 15 2024
Qantas adds more New York flights

Australians and Kiwis alike can’t get enough of New York, it seems, with Qantas stepping up to six flights a week on the Sydney-Auckland-New York route to keep up with demand.

The marathon route – which take a total of 21 hours from end to end, including a brief stopover at Auckland – currently runs four days a week.

However, starting October 10, QF3 will depart Sydney and Auckland every day of the week except Tuesday.

Review: Qantas Sydney-Auckland-New York in business class

It’s a big boost for the Big Apple, and comes as Air New Zealand prepares the launch of its own upgraded Boeing 787s with modern business class seats, to narrow the premium gap against Qantas.

Read more: Air New Zealand’s 787 business class revamp adds ‘luxe’ suites

However, facing a shortage of aircraft, AirNZ’s own Auckland-New York flights run just three times a week – and most business and leisure travellers prefer a schedule with fewer gaps when it comes to planning their trip.

Read more: Business class to New York – Qantas vs Air New Zealand

And while Qantas’ New York flights are aimed primarily at the Australian market, the airline says as many as 20% of seats are being booked by Kiwis, and not just for New York but with onwards connections across the Atlantic to London and Europe on Oneworld partners such as British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines.

“Because it starts in Sydney and goes through Auckland we pick up two points of sale,” says Alexandra O’Connor, Qantas’ regional manager for New Zealand, adding “now we’re getting repeat business so that Kiwi percentage of the plane is growing.”

Speaking with Grant Bradley at the New Zealand Herald, O’Connor also hinted at more Qantas and Jetstar flights into New Zealand to be announced in the coming months.

“There’s definitely some things that we’re looking at across both brands.”

As previously reported, Qantas is considering restarting Perth-Auckland flights which could feed more Gotham-bound passengers across from the west, along with more ambitious non-stop routes to the likes of Athens, Seattle, Chicago and Las Vegas.

22 Jan 2018

Total posts 98

I don’t know if I’d call a Seattle route as “ambitious” seeing as they already fly SYD- YVR.

12 Dec 2012

Total posts 1029

The idea of flying to SEA would be to hook into the AS hub and get onward connections, as they do with AA at DFW.

Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 May 2018

Total posts 20

If the AKL-JFK are so successful in NZ, and QF expecting the PER-AKL to be equally successful (Europe-PER-AKL-JFK and v.v), and QF eying flights to ORD (amongst others), then would a B789 flight PER-MEL-AKL-ORD make sense for QF? Or does QF make more money from Melbournians flying codeshare flights on EK metal to Europe, and its own metal to LAX/DFW then codeshare with AA?

QF

11 Jul 2014

Total posts 1010

I did Singapore to Newark last month and currently on a flight Seattle to Singapore, the point I would make is inflight service is a big factor as well to get people on that route. Qantas needs to pick up there game.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

24 Jan 2018

Total posts 767

Nailed it.  I'm guilty of assuming the pilots are always competent and accomplished at their craft, but as a pax I never engage with them. Cabin staff, on the other-hand, are the people  who have the greatest influence as to whether I fly with that airline again.  And it's the inflight service they provide that gets my attention.  Anything less that great service and its  "Houston, you have a problem".  Good cabin staff matter.  

QFF

12 Apr 2013

Total posts 1560

Never say never. If you became unfortunate enough to struck with not so attentive crew it would be wrong to assume that ALL crew on ALL routes on this airline will be the same. Of course there are tendencies, but generally speaking it is no more than luck or absent of it.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

21 Jan 2017

Total posts 51

just finished the QF3 flight, it is actually quite awesome. A short stop in AKL and one sleep on the plane, you are in NYC! The arrival is quite good as well, by the time you get to hotel, it is dinner time. 

The plane was a full flight, so whilist I can't imagine doing a 16+ hours flight in Y, there are plenty of demand for a somewhat "direct" flight. I also saw limited pax going through the transit gate, suggesting a lot of the Kiwis are joining from AKL. 

05 May 2021

Total posts 2

I just did this flight twice recently.  Both were bad experiences.

I was flying BNE to AKL to JFK.  The Brisbane to AKL flight was delayed, so Qantas sent me to LAX and then Delta from LAX to NYC.  15 hours late.  And I was downgraded from Premium Economy to Economy on Delta, with no compensation by Qantas.

On the flight home, the plane was diverted to Fiji because of fuel issues.  Then I missed the BNE connection, so Qantas sent me to Sydney and then domestic to Brisbane.  I was flying business class, but on the AKL to Sydney and Sydney to BNE was downgraded to economy, against with no compensation.  Only 7 hours late for this trip.

The crew told me that at least once a week the flight from JFK is diverted to Fiji.

I am not flying Qantas again.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

01 Apr 2017

Total posts 32

Which airline would you recommend, and presumably will travel now, for this trip in the future ?


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