Qantas revamps Los Angeles schedule: more flights, new times
By David Flynn, January 11 2015
Qantas is rejigging its timetable for flights from Australia to Los Angeles over the coming weeks, with extra flights from Melbourne plus afternoon arrivals into LAX to help overcome jetlag.
Here's a wrap of the changes.
Qantas has already ramped up its Melbourne-Los Angeles roster from a single daily service to ten flights per week last month, with a Boeing 747 QF101/100 flight complementing QF93/94's Airbus A380.
QF101 leaves Melbourne at 6pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, landing in Los Angeles at 1.15pm that afternoon – a useful alternative to the A380 flight, which leaves Melbourne at noon to reach LAX around 7am.
From January 21, the flight numbers switch from QF101/100 to QF95/96, with QF95 pushing back 15 minutes earlier at 5.45pm for a 1pm arrival into LAX.
There's a similar shuffle for the Sydney-Los Angeles schedule from February 1.
The daily Sydney-Los Angeles Boeing 747 flight QF107/108 gets a new number – becoming QF17/18 – and a later departure slot.
QF17 will leave Sydney at 5.30pm instead of QF107's current 9.50am wheels-up, which means it will land in LAX at 2.10pm rather than 6.30am.
While that change will prove much better for beating jetlag it means passengers will no longer be able to jump onto the onwards Qantas flight to New York, with connections instead to be offered on Qantas partner American Airlines.
From Los Angeles to Sydney QF18 retains the same timetable as QF108, with an 11:50pm departure from LAX reaching Sydney at 7.35am two days later.
Also as of February 1 the flagship A380 flight of QF11/QF12 will shift to a morning departure from Sydney, to take over the slot occupied by QF107 and allow passengers to join the onwards Los Angeles-New York flight.
That means QF11 will leave Sydney at 9:50am and touch down in Los Angeles at 6:30am on the same calendar day.
There's almost no change to the return run of QF12, which is wheels-up from LAX at 10:05pm to reaching Sydney at 6:30am two days later.
Also read:
- Qantas Los Angeles first class lounge brings luxe to LAX
- Revealed: the best business class seat on a Qantas Boeing 747
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
18 Jan 2012
Total posts 12
David just a small point on the article.
QF 15/16 will no longer extend to JFK. The flight numbers to be used to JFK will now be QF11 and QF18, despite the change in aircraft on the outbound from A380 to B747 :-). The aircraft from QF 15/16 will however still be used for the JFK flights if that makes sense.
30 Aug 2013
Total posts 437
That 17:45 MEL departure time is terrific to start holidays!
I still cant work out how they will turn a 747 in 55 minutes at JFK though?! It would take 20 minutes to deplane everyone, at least 30 minutes to clean and restock, and at least 30 minutes to board everyone? Even if everything went like clockwork they're still 25 minutes short?!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2014
Total posts 21
Qantas website has LAX-JFK 8:55-17:05 (QF11) and JFK-LAX 18:35-21:40 (QF18).
Delta Air Lines - SkyMiles
14 Apr 2013
Total posts 325
I wounder why they moved the New York flight from Sydney to Brisbane?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Nov 2013
Total posts 15
They didn't, I'm pretty sure this article is wrong. It's QF11 SYD-JFK via LAX, with the SYD-LAX using an A380 and LAX-JFK on a 747. On the return it's QF18 JFK-SYD via LAX all on a 747.
11 Dec 2014
Total posts 33
JFK-LAX IS QF12 B744 AND LAX-SYD IS QF12 A388
11 Dec 2014
Total posts 33
Sorry meant QF18 for the JFK-LAX
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Nov 2013
Total posts 15
I'm looking at my GDS right now and it's definitely QF11 SYD-LAX A380 LAX-JFK 747, QF18 JFK-LAX-SYD all on a 747 like I said before.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
QF 12 leaves LAX 25 minutes after QF18 arrives into LAX from JFK. The continuing QF18 service is 747. No chance of transfering from QF18 to QF 12.
So if youre doing SYD-JFK, the only leg in an A380 will be SYD-LAX.
When QF originally announced these changes (sometime last year), the orginal plain was for the service to be BNE-LAX-JFK using BNE orginating flights numbers. They have changed that. Not that it matters.
The pyshical plane that flies LAX-JFK-LAX will be the BNE plane though.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
***physical***
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
Under the new schedule, the 744 ex-SYD doesn't get in till afternoon. The only ex-Australia flights on QF that will get in to LAX in the AM will be the A380s ex-MEL and ex-SYD, and the 744 ex-BNE.
So the BNE flight is the one that takes the role.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
Yes, but the 744 that is being used LAX-JFK-LAX comes off the ex-BNE run but carries the SYD numbers.
The PM SYD 744 cannot physically depart LAX in the morning.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Has it reached the poiint that you are now debating yourself Watson?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
No, that was just incorrectly threaded. :(
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Shame. I was looking forward to some more debates :-p
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
If you're really keen, I could write a sketch for Thursday where I debate with myself. :P
11 Dec 2014
Total posts 33
They also want business/first class passengers traveling from MEL and SYD to use the new lounge which opened recently.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
And BNE passengers cannot?
11 Dec 2014
Total posts 33
Well they can as well but the SYD and MEL routes are bigger targets for QF.
27 Feb 2013
Total posts 12
Qantas are filling the gap that Virgin left when they stopped flying to Los Angeles from Melbourne. Virgin now put that capacity into Brisbane and Qantas have chosen not to increase capacity in Brisbane. It does seem a bit convenient for both parties and if I were the ACCC I would look closely at this turn of events.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
So because Qantas is putting extra capacity into Melbourne (partly because VA pulls out of Melbourne and to get on the front foot before UA) and not BNE, it is a ACCC issue? Really?
In comparison, a few years back, QF did BNE-LAX 6 times weekly and Virgin was 4 x weekly. We now see daily flights from both... what's that an extra 1000 plus seats a week?? And Qantas should put extra capacity into that market?
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
It does lead to better A380 utilization though, a big service stop over in LA and faster turnaround in Sydney
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Feb 2011
Total posts 3
QF website still shows QF11 in March departing Sydney at 11.45am; not 9.50am
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Jan 2015
Total posts 30
Must admit its very dissapointing to read that the Qantas flight QF11 to LA is being moved to a much earlier timeslot. The afternoon timeslot was fantastic as you get to wake up at your normal time, wonder down to the train station, hop on relax, get to the airport, check in, wonder into the qantas club for a bit of lunch and a few drinks then finally hop on the A380 as apposed to the much nosier, smaller outdated B747. By the time you get through customs at LAX then get into the city its around lunch time and your hotel has your room ready to go. Timing was perfect. This change now throws a spanner in the works as I always choose the A380 over the B747
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