Qantas Chicago flights start 2020, is non-stop to Seattle next?
By Chris Chamberlin, June 18 2019
Qantas plans to begin non-stop flights from Brisbane to both Chicago and San Francisco by the end of April 2020, but that doesn't mean Seattle has been crossed off the list.
Speaking with Executive Traveller at the announcement of the direct Chicago flights, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce says there are potentially more US destinations to come.
“When we’ll start off, Brisbane-Chicago is four flights a week, and Brisbane-San Francisco is three flights a week. We’ll want to get to daily flights as fast as we can, and that will be our first priority,” says Joyce.
“We’re also very keen on other destinations in the US, and as we have more Boeing 787s coming, as we show that these (existing) routes make sense, we’ll be looking to further growth."
Seattle was widely considered as a Plan B should the US Department of Transport not agree to Qantas' proposed joint venture with American Airlines – a partnership now tentatively approved and awaiting the formality of a rubber stamp – and would see Qantas deepen its relationship with Alaska Airlines.
As home to technology giants such as Microsoft and Amazon plus 'satellite' offices of Silicon Valley-based companies like Google and Facebook, along with a wide range of start-ups, Seattle's tech cred is an obvious drawcard and comes second only to San Francisco as the USA's top tech market.
However, Seattle is also a refreshingly different US city with plenty of appeal in its own right; serves as a gateway to Canada via Vancouver; and anchors a sizeable cruise market into Alaska and tours through the Canadian Rockies, with several cruising and travel companies already booking blocks of seats on Air Canada flights between Australia and Vancouver.
As to why Chicago and San Francisco won over the likes of Seattle or Dallas/Fort Worth, Joyce explains: “We did a real review of all of the potential routes we could do (out of Brisbane) with American Airlines, and our partner Alaska Airlines.”
“We did the maths, we did the numbers on it, and we felt that Chicago and San Francisco are the two best routes for us.”
Chris Chamberlin is the Associate Editor of Executive Traveller and lives by the motto that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a great latte, a theatre ticket and a glass of wine!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
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It is great to see QF diversifying it's old "Air Sydney" international model to finally share the love around its vast Australian network. SYD, MEL and BNE are their three largest network markets. The real challenge will be to extend this philosophy to Australian international gateways including PER, ADL and DRW where SE Asian carriers such as SQ, CX, CZ and MH are eating QF's lunch daily.
With the eventual development of Project Sunrise running in parallel with the B787 strategy, one has to wonder if QF will at some time consider a non-stop MIA service from the East Coast? Or perhaps, greater emphasis on South Africa non-stops to JNB and CPT (Capetown)?
Specialist routes such as these are some 5-8 years off at the earliest, but are those that could lead the way back to QF dominating the Australian international travel market. The new era of efficient smaller, long haul frames will upend the market in ways yet unimagined.
27 Apr 2017
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From the article: "Brisbane has an advantage: it’s closer to a lot more (US) destinations than Sydney or Melbourne, so that gives us the ability to do things like Dallas, or to do other cities in the States that we can’t do from any other state in Australia,” Joyce adds.
Once Project Sunrise comes online and Qantas has the aircraft to do all these destinations from SYD/MEL, not BNE, it is unlikely that Qantas will continue to diversify beyond SYD/MEL. If anything, it is likely that there will be a shift back to SYD/MEL.
04 Feb 2013
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American Airlines - AAdvantage
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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05 May 2016
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As for Asia QF has already upped capacity by sending A380s to Singapore again.
QF would go with routes that stack up the best first then move on to less popular routes.
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02 Jul 2011
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And for Europe the 787 doesn't have the range, which is why Qantas is looking at Proj Sunrise
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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23 Aug 2011
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Mel based and having used BNE transfer from Intl to Dom and VV it's a pain, but in saying that if I am travelling to ORD it would have to be better than transferring in LAX.
MEL is without doubt the best terminal for transfers in Aust. Just wish QF would sort out their Intl J lounge it gets worse every time I use it; food average, tables grubby, at times looks like it needs a good clean.
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jan 2017
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If I have to go to BNE first to catch the flight, so be it.
17 May 2017
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Great thinking ads086 ..... I recently did a YVR-LAX flight and pre-cleared US customs in YVR. Got to LAX, hopped off the plane and walked out. Fantastic.
Imagine pre-clearing in Oz, arriving at LAX and being able to take some fast track lane through customs ..... heaven on a stick !!
Should be part of Project Sunrise considerations
03 Nov 2015
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Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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09 Aug 2015
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Qantas is ready to do Perth-Paris, has been banging on about it for a long time, but there's a bit of a barney between Qantas and Perth Airport which is holding things up.
https://www.executivetraveller.com/qantas-pauses-perth-paris-plans-over-perth-airport-stoush
09 Aug 2015
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13 Jan 2017
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For others not living in Sydney, a BNE transfer, while not ideal, is far more palatable to many than a SYD one.
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Not sure what has SQ and New York got to do with this, but while we're on that subject, I find the best way to go to NY is with Cathay Pacific. Happy to avoid LAX, don't have to collect and recheck my bags, great lounges at HKG and great business class all the way through. I tried the SQ flight but it was just a few hours too long for my liking. I think I get to 16 hours and that's my limit!
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Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qantas Chicago flights start 2020, is non-stop to Seattle next?