Qantas launches non-stop flights to Las Vegas
The direct ‘Sin City Express’ will take off in December.
By David Flynn, February 26 2026
Qantas is spreading its wings to the neon-lit Las Vegas Strip with non-stop flights between Sydney and Las Vegas taking off in from December this year, with tickets now on sale.
For the past two years the airline has been operating a handful of special charter flights to support season-opening NRL football matches held in the city’s 60,000-seat Allegiant Stadium.
That includes this Sunday’s double-header kick-off, in which the Bulldogs will take on the Dragons while the Knights go up against the Cowboys – and Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace previously noted the airline was “surprised by the unlocking of demand that those NRL rounds have given us.”
Thisis now shifting to a seasonal service of three flights per week – departing Sydney on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – from 29 December 2026 through to 12 March 2027.
- QF55 will leave Sydney at 9pm, touching down in Las Vegas at 4.55pm the same day
- QF56 will depart Las Vegas that evening to arrive into Sydney two days later
The 14-hour trek will bypass the conventional stopovers of Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner offering 42 flatbed business class suites, 28 premium economy recliners and 166 standard economy seats, plus fast free Wi-Fi for all passengers.
In addition to the traditional tourism pull of the world-renowned 24/7 resort city – with its legendary shows, massive themed hotel-casinos and high-energy nightlife – Las Vegas also hosts many of the world’s largest international conventions and trade shows.
One of the largest of these is the dazzling Consumer Electronics Show, which pulls in close to 120,000 visitors from around the world in January.
“Rome and Sapporo have shown us there’s real demand for seasonal services to destinations people want to visit at certain times of year, and we're continuing to expand those direct connections around the world,” says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace.
"Our historic fleet renewal is giving us the flexibility to deploy aircraft where we see demand, opening up route possibilities that simply weren't there before. Las Vegas becomes our 101st destination and is a great example of how we're using that capability.”
Las Vegas has often appeared on the shortlist of future US routes for the Flying Kangaroo, alongside Chicago and Seattle, although Seattle-Sydney could be flown by Oneworld partner Alaska Airlines.
Meanwhile, Executive Traveller understand that Qantas’ low-cost arm Jetstar intends to launch direct Brisbane-Las Vegas flights – or, as CEO Steph Tully has put it, “Bris-Vegas to Las Vegas.”
“It’s very Jetstar, we think,” Tully has previously remarked.
Those flights will capitalise on Jetstar’s Boeing 787 upgrade, which adds a crew rest area to extend the Dreamliner’s operational range to as much as 16 hours.
The business class cabin is being more than doubled to 44 seats – albeit recliners rather than flatbeds, using the same seat as Emirates’ premium economy – with satellite Wi-Fi, which will be free in business class and available at a price in economy.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2013
Total posts 151
You would think QF would prioritise BNE-HKG (which it has stopped), or restart China or India services, than go to Vegas. Australians are travelling to the US in lower numbers, especially the reason why they have cut back on A380 from MEL-LAX, and the USD being so strong for us, which is discouraging travel.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 601
If BNE-HKG was going to be so clearly profitable for Qantas it'd be back on that route like a shot. Ditto for China and India. Why do people not stop and think that Qantas is a business with a massive amount of data at its fingertips, dedicated teams crunching the numbers and in this case also people chasing the local tourism body for some form of financial 'support'? Qantas clearly reckons that a seasonal Sydney-Vegas service for those four months is worth doing.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 601
Keen to see how this one goes. December is good timing the holidays especially if the AUD stays a bit favorable against the USD. No doubt good for young people, couples, a group of mates etc, but not families. January is more of the same, CES is a bit of a bonus although we're not talking huge numbers from AU but it'll still get people who would rather do direct than via LAX or SFO. Get to March and I think demand will have softened and we'll see if this route makes a return in 2027-2028, but good on Qantas for giving it a go.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 93
If I lived in Brisbane I would be deeply offended by the “It’s very Jetstar” comment.
25 Nov 2025
Total posts 35
Maybe the immigration agents will actually have a sense of humour and a smile when you land, unlike LAX where your best chance of getting in is to say "I'm here to visit friends, I have an onward plane ticket and I will be leaving tomorrow" as soon as you walk up to the counter. I've never met anyone so hostile towards incoming tourists that are genuinely looking forward to visiting their country and spending money there.
Oh, and filling out the ridiculous US I-94W and DS-160 visa forms that asks absurd questions, that's always fun.
02 Mar 2026
Total posts 1
Has anyone noticed every single flight is showing as no points or status credits earned for the travel? I have looked at dates from December to March and every flight is showing a big red X next to points and status credits earned. What's that about?
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