Qantas restarts Melbourne to Tokyo in time for cherry blossom season

Qantas frequent flyers in the market for a non-stop hop to Japan now have a third option from Australia, with the Red Roo dusting off its Melbourne to Tokyo service over the weekend – bringing an end to a three year hiatus on the route.

Jetting off four times weekly on the Airbus A330, the rebounded route follows the return of flights to Sydney and Brisbane to Tokyo, which both resumed in the latter half of last year.

However, instead of landing at Tokyo-Narita Airport as it did in the past, the Flying Kangaroo now pulls up at the gates of Haneda Airport, which is significantly closer to downtown.

Haneda Airport is 15kms from downtown Tokyo, versus 65kms from Narita.

That means less waiting between disembarkation and your first bowl of ramen, visiting the stunning Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, or exploring the Meiji Shrine in beautiful Yoyogi Park.

With no dedicated Qantas lounge in Haneda, business class passengers, Gold and Platinum frequent flyers and Qantas Club members can instead look forward to visiting Japan Airlines’ first class and Sakura business class lounges at Haneda.

QF79 is now jetting off from Melbourne every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30am, landing at Haneda Airport 10 hours and 30 minutes later at 8pm local time.

The launch is well timed for travellers hoping to experience the iconic cherry blossom season. Though nearing its end in Tokyo, this pale-pink spectacle is set to continue for a time yet as trees progressively bloom in a northwards direction, often finishing around early May. 

Mt Fuji is one of Japan's most iconic sights.

After relishing the nation’s stellar hot springs, hotels and serene natural beauty, those returning for Australia can wave farewell to Haneda on QF80 at 9:30pm every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, touching down at 8:35am the following day.

Given the overnight service, the airline’s A330 comfortable business class – fitted with 28 lie-flat suites, a 16-inch touchscreen and massage function – is definitely the seat of choice.

The overnight leg between Australia and Tokyo affords plenty of time to enjoy these business class beds.

Additionally, passengers can look forward to updated menus across all cabin classes, with those seated in business set to receive a more substantial second meal.

Haneda Airport has long been hailed as the better of Tokyo’s two airports, not only for its location – only 15kms from downtown versus 65 kms from Narita – but the facilities too.

The January opening of the slick ‘Haneda Airport Garden’ hotel and shopping complex, linked directly to Terminal 3 and home to its own rooftop hot springs, has only cemented this. By all accounts, it’s the place to go before or after your flight.