Qantas shakes up Tokyo flights

Qantas is shifting its focus from Tokyo’s Narita airport in favour of Haneda.

By David Flynn, September 30 2024
Qantas shakes up Tokyo flights

Qantas will make Tokyo’s Haneda Airport its primary base in the Japanese capital, in preference to the more distant Narita Airport, with daily flights from Melbourne and Brisbane shifting from Tokyo Narita to Tokyo Haneda in early 2025.

Although an official start date has yet to be announced – with tickets likely to go on sale towards the end of the year – the airline has outlined its new schedule for flights between Australia and Tokyo Haneda as follows:

  • QF61 Brisbane to Tokyo Haneda will depart at 11.45am, arriving at 8pm
  • QF62 Tokyo Haneda to Brisbane will depart at 6.50am, arriving at 4.45pm
  • QF79 Melbourne to Tokyo Haneda  will depart at 10.40am, arriving at 8.15pm
  • QF80 Tokyo Haneda to Melbourne will depart at 9.55pm, arriving at 9.15am
  • QF25 Sydney to Tokyo Haneda will depart at 8.30pm, arriving at 5.20am
  • QF26 Tokyo Haneda to Sydney will depart at 10pm, arriving at 8.40am

All of these will be Airbus A330 flights, with Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace saying the new arrangement will make Qantas “the only airline to connect Australia’s three major east coast cities with Haneda Airport – right in the heart of downtown Tokyo.”

However, the new timetable will see the Tokyo-Brisbane flight departing at 6.50am instead of the current 9.30pm – which will mean a very early start to the day, and perhaps even staying overnight at Haneda’s airport hotel.

It’s worth noting that the current Sydney-Tokyo Haneda flights QF59 and QF60 are missing from this list above, because Qantas has permission for only three daily flights between Australia and Tokyo Haneda; Qantas has confirmed it will redirect QF59/QF60 to Tokyo Narita.

At Haneda, Qantas passengers enjoy access to the flagship first class and business class lounges of Oneworld partner Japan Airlines as well as an excellent Cathay Pacific business class lounge.

These additional Tokyo Haneda flights were made possible by Virgin Australia’s decision to scrap its Cairns-Tokyo Haneda flights.

Both Qantas and Virgin were granted the rights for one daily flight between Australia and Tokyo Haneda in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, alongside a similarly split allocation for ANA and Japan Airlines.

Of course, the pandemic changed all that, especially for Virgin Australia.

Not only did Japan shut its borders and push the Olympics back to 2021, but Virgin Australia collapsed and new owners Bain Capital scrapped the Airbus A330 jets assigned to the promised Brisbane-Tokyo flights, which were set to begin on March 31, 2020.

Virgin Australia eventually reclaimed the slot by launching Boeing 737 flights between Cairns and Tokyo Haneda in June 2023, only to announce in July 2024 the route was “no longer commercially viable,” citing lower-than-expected visitation from Japan as a key factor in its decision.

Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer

14 Jun 2017

Total posts 48

this is fantastic. I would love to see a star alliance (aka ANA) fly to melbourne as well.

09 Aug 2015

Total posts 106

Well ANA has double-daily flights from Sydney to Tokyo Haneda and I don't reckon they would want to give one of those up if they are both getting solid loads.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 Nov 2017

Total posts 343

ANA's loads ex-SYD to HND isn't overly spectacular outside of School Holidays per the Australian Government BITRE reports, however I'd assume the freights are subsidising the half-full loads on their double daily flights outside the School Holiday periods.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Nov 2014

Total posts 357

Another example of how BNE os discrimated. 

On the surface, it seems QF looked after BNE and gave BNE the spot for HND. But the timing is horrible. 6:30am departure!!! Really??? That means you have to get to the airport by 4:30am!!! What time do you have to wake up? 3am? There won't be any trains or limousine bus. Taxi will be the only transport. They might ad well leave us at NRT! The only reason they give BNE HND is to give that aircraft to MEL. 

C'mon QF, what have we QLDer done to you that you have to torture us like that? 

23 Sep 2023

Total posts 16

Michael, I agree.  The old/current departure from NRT gives you a useful day in Tokyo.

I'm going to come back via SYD with a NRT 10pm departure rather than direct to BNE unless that departure moves to later than 6:30am.

QFF

12 Apr 2013

Total posts 1564

Well, there is excellent hotel within 10 min walk from check-in area - no transport required. In reality if your hotel at another side of Tokyo then you need as least an hour to get to Haneda. Plus an hour to have a shower, to do check-out and perhaps some morning tea/coffee and plus you should be at check-in as least 2 hr before departure. Thus if you wake up at 6am then departure should be no earlier than 10 am. So you suggest that they should not fly before 10 am at all? Domestic 6AM flight from Melbourne to Sydney also required some logistic efforts. I personally fail to see any disaster here.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Nov 2014

Total posts 357

This is terrible! Qantas will bring BNE flight to HND. Sounds good? Nope, the devil is in the detail. The departing flight from HND to BNE leaves at 6:30am!!! Meaning you have to arrive at the airport at 4:30am, so maybe wake up at 3am. There won't be any trains or bus. Have to call taxi. 

Might as well leave us in NRT.

07 Oct 2012

Total posts 1250

Someone needs to get the early flight.

12 Dec 2012

Total posts 1029

This time appears to be a northern winter runway slot availability issue. It might move back to the ~8am departure slot later.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

21 Jul 2023

Total posts 2

lovely, would love to see a japanese carrier fly to brisbane as well though.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

06 Nov 2014

Total posts 357

I wonder if ANA can do a triangular HND-BNE-MEL-HND flight, to cover 2 cities with one aircraft? Given that NH has now lost VA to BNE. With thus ridiculous timing if somehow NH can make it work to cover the gap QF left.

Eg. HND to BNE can be a red eye, then fly to MEL, then depart MEL at night but picking up pax from BNE at a more reasonable time. 

09 Aug 2015

Total posts 106

Seriously, how many people flying HND-MEL will want to put up with all the hassle and lost time of a stopover at BNE? Plus ANA then has to have extra crew at BNE just for the BNE-MEL leg. All the extra cost and low appeal, doesn't make sense.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 Nov 2017

Total posts 343

NH requires more Haneda slots to Australia to allow for MEL/BNE flights, which isn't likely in the short-medium term.  

Considering it's more cheaper for NH to send half-full (offpeak) or Full (peak) planes to SYD (and save on parking fees) than run expensive domestic tags, I'd predict they'll stick to double daily SYD for the foreseeable future.

12 Dec 2012

Total posts 1029

Any AU or JP airline can fly between any international airport in Australia and Japan, other then HND, as much as they want. Nothing preventing NH from flying NRT-BNE or NRT-MEL.

09 Aug 2015

Total posts 106

Ouch for BNE! A shame that SYD loses the daytime flight to HND and will instead be going to NRT but there's not that much of a difference, maybe 30mins more on the train. I was a bit surprised Jetstar didn't 'swoop in' and launch SYD-NRT flights.

QFF

12 Apr 2013

Total posts 1564

As least some positive news. I am especially glad that one of Sydney flight directed to Narita not like before when all Sydney flights was going to Haneda and everything else to Narita.

I'd rather fly the overnight Jetstar flight from Narita than have to be at Hanada at 5am

QFF

12 Apr 2013

Total posts 1564

They have excellent hotel nearby airport. Walking time from hotel to check-in about 10 min. Also thy have very good hotel inside airport when check-in of hotel and check-in lines of airport about 50meters away. IMHO not an issue.

Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club

19 Apr 2014

Total posts 50

Wonder if we'll see a big price difference in the HND /NRT flights from SYD?

Would think the overnight HND flight is catered to business travellers and will attract a premium.

NB
NB

11 Oct 2017

Total posts 9

Not sure if there's anything too exciting about the changes. If Haneda can beat the three hour immigration delay at Narita that might be a bonus. Arriving at 8 or 8:15 can be problematic.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

28 Sep 2021

Total posts 20

I prefer JAL52 Dep SYD 08:15 Arr HND 17:05, just in time for a night out.

The 6:30 Dep to BNE is not well thought out.


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