Qantas boosts Cairns, Townsville, Sunshine Coast, PNG flights
By Chris C., December 13 2018
Qantas is ramping up its flights to Queensland with more domestic services to Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Mount Isa, along with new business class options for travellers jetting from Sydney and Melbourne to Far North Queensland.
Joining that, QantasLink will also resume its Cairns-Port Moresby flights, complementing the Qantas Group's existing international flights from Cairns to Bali, Osaka and Tokyo, which are all served by Jetstar.
Here's what you need to know.
Cairns gets Airbus A330s, Business Suites
Passengers travelling between Sydney and Cairns and also Melbourne and Cairns will find Qantas' Airbus A330s appearing on selected flights from March 31 2019, featuring the airline's international-grade business class Business Suites...
... promising every passenger direct aisle access, plenty of space to work and relax, and as time permits on these three-hour flights, a fully-flat bed for a quick nap:
AusBT Review: Qantas domestic Airbus A330 Business Suites
Qantas is also rolling out free WiFi on its domestic Airbus A330 flights and plans to provide this across its entire domestic A330 fleet, as will serve Cairns.
More domestic flights for Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Mount Isa
From the same date, the Roo's flights between Sydney and the Sunshine Coast will increase from daily to double-daily on weekdays, boosting the total number of weekly return flights on the route from eight to 13.
Brisbane travellers will also gain extra flights to Cairns and Mount Isa.
On the Brisbane-Cairns route, Qantas currently provides up to four daily return flights, but from late March, 11 additional weekly return services will be added to the schedule.
Travellers bound for Mount Isa will also have more flights to choose from with services from Brisbane climbing to an almost double-daily frequency at 13 return flights per week.
However, the current mix of Boeing 737s and two-class Boeing 717s on this route will be swapped over to the all-economy QantasLink Boeing 717s as of April 1 2019, removing the option of business class on these flights.
Six additional weekly return flights will also be added between Brisbane and Townsville.
Qantas resumes international flying from Cairns
As of March 31 2019, QantasLink will resume its international flights between Cairns and Port Moresby: a route that was axed in 2016, leaving Air Nuigini as the only option for the 85-minute hop.
These flights will be served by QantasLink's 74-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft, which come in an all-economy, 2-2 layout.
Qantas is currently refreshing these planes with new leather upholstry and seatback tablet holders for iPads and the like, and expects these revamps to be completed on every Q400 by the end of 2019:
Photos: QantasLink upgrades Q400 aircraft seating
Qantas' existing flights between Brisbane and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea will continue as-is, using a Boeing 737 aircraft offering both business class and economy.
Also read: Qantas launches direct Sydney-Bendigo flights
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
30 Jul 2018
Total posts 6
The resumption of QF on POM-CNS is most welcome! PX have been steadily increasing fares on this route since QF left in 2016. Even although they said they wouldn't!
01 Sep 2018
Total posts 26
Great news for Cairns, and great news for anyone travelling there!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jun 2015
Total posts 37
Still no non-stop Townsville flights to Sydney or Melbourne. JQ does count!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 444
Don't live/work in Townsville then.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jun 2015
Total posts 37
Thanks for your most insightful and learned reply.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 May 2013
Total posts 33
I agree Chris
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
Let's keep the conversation constructive, on-topic and on-track...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Yes it’s dissapointing, direct flights to Australia’s main airport would be a game changer for a lot of us in TSV, so it’s via BNE or fly VA for the for the time being.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2011
Total posts 148
Fly VA to SYD then... If it doesn't make commercial sense for flights, you can't expect them to fly the route.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jun 2015
Total posts 37
I do and it’s full.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 381
Great move QF. Would be good to see QF push further into SWP with own flights, understand Fiji may be on the cards with 737.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Oct 2018
Total posts 6
As someone who regularly flies POM-CNS this is a very welcome move. Nicely done Qantas.
09 Jul 2012
Total posts 25
Great news on QF resuming CNS/POM route. PX service is good, but it's a monopoly and prices are high. As a regular flier on this route I appreciate the opportunity to once again earn QF points.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2018
Total posts 13
All 717s BNE-CNS. Doesn’t feel good to me but I understand why having flown this route a number of times recently.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Yes that’s a valid observation, it’s really just a plane swap with more 717 replacing 737 services and providing a few more services to compensate, I would suggest the increase in actual seats on the CNS - BNE and TSV - BNE services is virtually non existent and that most of the increase is in the return of a CNS- POM service and the upgrade to the 330 , as usual it’s always in the details.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2018
Total posts 13
Yes I think you are right.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
I flew QantasLink's Boeing 717 from Brisbane to Cairns recently and didn't mind it (although have flown it before). There's the standard 2-2 business class up front, but even in economy, I actually prefer it over the Boeing 737s when travelling with a partner because of the 2-3 seating layout, so you can select a pair of seats together on the left, without having an extra seatmate or resigning one of you to a middle seat, ha.
(If you're the taller traveller of the couple, I'd recommend selecting the aisle seat as there's a little more space for your feet, and if you have noise-cancelling headphones, do pack them!)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2014
Total posts 20
I'm not sure the A330s are actually increasing capacity into Sydney either since the previous 17+ weekly 737s have been replaced by a daily A330 and single daily 737.
14 Jun 2018
Total posts 10
Are all the services now going to be B717? The article makes that reference to Mt Isa. Does it apply to Cairns as well?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Almost all of them, 35 of 39 weekly BNE- CNS flights will now be in the 717
05 May 2016
Total posts 619
Hmmm. I used to like flying MEL-BNE-CNS return in J on DSC for status runs. Guess I'll have to find a new route or do it in Flex Y if J is no longer available for BNE-CNS. Very disappointing.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
Qantas has two different Boeing 717 configurations - one is all-economy as will fly to Mount Isa, while the other offers 12 business class seats as often flies to places like Canberra and Hobart, and as already regularly appears on many Brisbane-Cairns flights. Forward schedules continue to show this two-class jet serving Brisbane-Cairns, so business class will still be available.
24 Apr 2018
Total posts 1
Can anybody please advise what flight numbers and days will be served by the A330 for MEL-CNS-MEL?
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