Qantas will begin direct Melbourne-Tokyo flights in December
By David Flynn, September 16 2016
Qantas will launch daily direct flights between Melbourne and Tokyo in December, resurrecting a route axed in 2008 due to rising fuel costs.
The flights will run on an Airbus A330 fitted out with Qantas' latest Business Suite business class (below) to and from Tokyo's Narita Airport.
Narita Airport sits some 65km to the east of Tokyo but is linked to the city by two high-speed trains, the Narita Express and the Skyliner, with travel times from 40 minutes to one hour from A$24 to $34 depending on which train you catch.
Flight QF79 will depart Melbourne at 9.15am to arrive into Tokyo's Narita Airport at 5.30pm; the QF80 return leg will leave Tokyo at 7pm for a 7.30am touchdown into Melbourne the following day.
Tickets for the flights are now on sale, with Classic Award seats available from Saturday morning at 35,000 Qantas Points for one-way economy and 72,000 Qantas Points for one-way business class.
Jetstar to axe Melbourne-Tokyo
Low-cost sibling Jetstar flies Melbourne-Tokyo four times a week on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but will axe those flights from late February 2017 – after both Qantas and Jetstar make the most of the summer travel season – and hand the route over to the red-tails.
Qantas already runs a daily Sydney-Tokyo service, although this uses Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport rather than the more distant Narita hub.
"We’re delighted to be stepping up our commitment to the Japanese market at a boom time for tourism and business travel,” said Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans, in announcing the new service.
The Australia-Japan travel market has ticked up in recent years, with Qantas also opening a new Brisbane-Tokyo route, while Japanese carrier ANA last year resumed flights between Tokyo and Sydney after a 16 year absence.
Japan Airlines is also said to be close to making a decision on launching Melbourne-Tokyo flights, however when contacted by Australian Business Traveller the airline declined to comment.
Also read:
- Business traveller's guide to the JR rail pass
- Travelling to Tokyo? Grab a Suica or Pasmo travel card!
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
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.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 381
Now this is good news. Great to see the 'roo getting its wings back.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Jun 2015
Total posts 8
Something about the launch in December and the high frequency tells me this will be one of the first 789 flights...
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
This is December this year, the 789 is due late next year
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
No more frequent than most of their international destinations.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Jun 2015
Total posts 8
It was purely speculation... the first 787 routes are announced in December and the fact that a brand new route that QF previously lost money on is launched daily gave me the feeling that it might be one of the new 789 route announced. Having said that, my guess is as good as yours.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Routes come, routes go... just like markets change, tourists change destinations etc.
By replacing the JQ flight, QF is only increasing the frequency by 3 flights per week and had the benefit of seeing trends on the route whilst JQ was operating it...plus already would fly some MEL pax via SYD / BNE.
It may turn out to be a 787 launch route... But why speculate when it adds nothing to the current article?
What would be nice, is confirmation from QF that they are not refurbishing the final 2 sky bed A330s and some commitment that they won't be using them to NRT (I know, pigs fly)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 381
Mate, the 787's don't come on line untillate 2017.... The article clearly states it will be operated by the A330-300
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2561
Read the article, it's not a Boeing 787
30 Jul 2015
Total posts 135
This is good news. Maybe in the future we could see Qantas resuming flights to Beijing and Seoul
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
16 Sep 2016
Total posts 1
Great news but do we know where this spare plane to run the route is coming from? I thought most of the A330's were fully utilised at the moment. Is another East Coast flight to Perth being downgraded to a 737?
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
They have had one aircraft out of service all the time due to the cabin upgrades, the full fleet is now in service
30 Jul 2015
Total posts 135
There are still 2 more A330-200's to go though
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Which by current Internet rumour mill... they will not be getting done! (At least in the near future)
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
Great news for Melbourne - really just need a service to Seoul to have all major Asian cities covered by a full service carrier :)
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1560
Good to see more flights by Qantas. Pity that it almost impossible to score classic reward business seats on Qantas metal regardless of route.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Excellent!
Always good news when the reverse (JQ ---> QF) happens!
04 Aug 2014
Total posts 35
So glad to see more routes going to Japan.
05 Oct 2015
Total posts 12
Shame they're not competive with Cathay on pricing. Business TYO<>MEL for March next year, on Qantas is ¥430,410, whilst Cathay is ¥268,930.
I've been flying TYO<>MEL 4-5 times a year, and can almost always get tickets for <¥300,000, even when booking a week or two in advance. The Qantas price is for Business Kangaroo which is already listed as restricted. There were Business Sale tickets available.
05 Oct 2015
Total posts 12
correction -> There were NO Business Sale tickets available.
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 139
About time they have QF flights from MEL-TYO.
20 Apr 2014
Total posts 93
hopefully the beginning of the end for jetstar international
16 Sep 2016
Total posts 1
Maybe it's good news, with all the 'so called' increase in interest.
When is Osaka going to come back into consideration? At the moment I have to fly to CNS to get a direct flight from there to KIX - Not good enough !!!!!
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
About time.
I had a flight booked in 2008 for NRT-MEL just before they canned it and ended up having to reroute via SYD.
A Dec start date would time well with the final 2 refurbs, but then there are these rumours :/
If these resumed MEL-NRT flights stick around, I might start getting them now rather then the bus connection in SYD.
QF
25 Feb 2014
Total posts 20
Shame the A330 isnt fitted with prem econ. Which is effectively what the jetstar business was in which i used many times. Will now have to route through Sydney on the Haneda service to have access to prem econ. Oh well works out better the Narita :)
QF
25 Feb 2014
Total posts 20
*than Narita
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