Qantas could move to year-round daily Auckland-Perth flights as both a feeder for its new non-stop Perth-London Boeing 787 service and a challenge to competitor Air New Zealand.
The airline currently flies a seasonal Airbus A330 service on the route, while Air New Zealand runs its own Dreamliner – but Qantas would position the daily flights to bring Kiwis to London via Perth.
Air New Zealand's flagship NZ1/NZ2 route lopes from Auckland to Los Angeles to London in a 22 hour stretch.
The Qantas alternative would total 24 hours from Auckland to London via Perth.
"We are considering it, " Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans told Australian Business Traveller in Seattle, ahead of the delivery of the airline's first Boeing 787-9.
"Clearly we want (Auckland passengers) to go over to Perth on services to London, it's a much nicer way to get there."
Evans says the airline will make its decision on daily Perth-Auckland flights in" three to five months' time."
David Flynn is visiting Seattle as a guest of Qantas and Boeing.
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.
27 Jul 2017
Total posts 19
Do it! Speaking of the seasonal flights, I did a search for PER-AKL this Christmas period and no direct QF flights came up. Are they not doing them this year?
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 79
Did you search weekend dates? Although seasonal, it wasn't daily during that time.
27 Jul 2017
Total posts 19
Yip, my mistake. Seems like weekends only.
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 113
Wasn't there some talk of Air NZ also flying PER-LHR?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Dec 2016
Total posts 30
It’s not confirmed
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Dec 2016
Total posts 30
Great idea. If demand between Perth and Auckland is high, Qantas can really take advantage of this before Air New Zealand takes advantage of this.
NZ
13 Aug 2016
Total posts 65
NZ has already taken advantage of this in recent years, last peak season between AKL/CHC per was pretty much getting an double daily service by NZ.
16 Oct 2017
Total posts 2
It's great that they're plotting more flights between Perth and Auckland..., but the story should be reporting that all direct flights between the two cities for October have been cancelled... A lot of travellers, who paid premium for the Qantas direct experience, are finding themselves stuck with an inconvenient Melbourne stopover...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Dec 2016
Total posts 42
Not enough demand, or no no spare A330's?
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qantas plots daily year-round Perth-Auckland flights