United Airlines to launch Sydney-Houston flights in January 2018

U've completely forgotten that UA+NZ has a profit-sharing JV in the Trans-Pcf mkt.  NZ can now sell+profit fm IAH-SYD by UA under NZ codes just like UA has been selling+profiting fm LAX-AKL by NZ under UA codes.

On the contrary, I expect NZ to be very happy with IAH-SYD by UA as that new route 'thickens' UA+NZ Trans-Pcf network utility for customers in terms of departure choices & frequencies.  It helps their war against AA+QF in the S.Pacific theater.

"Americans will choose their own to fill those premium cabins and get the bang for their loyalty buck."

If U pay & fly J, U're pretty much guaranteed to earn the same miles+status credits regardless of whether your FFP is with NZ or UA(and also likely the same with any StarA carrier).  NZ miles are as good a currency as UA miles in the StarA network.  Americans can choose to fill NZ premium cabins and still get the same bang for their loyalty buck as if they've chosen to fill UA premium cabins.  

For those pax paying & flying deeply discounted Y, neither UA nor NZ will be really interested in how many are flying specifically UA or NZ metals or even which UA or NZ route due to the diff mileage earning rates for their respective FFP members....as long as those pax are NOT flying QF+AA instead.

I know my comment will be unpopular but the above is the truth re how airlines differentiate/value loyalty by which customer segment.

"If U pay & fly J, U're pretty much guaranteed to earn the same miles+status credits regardless of whether your FFP is with NZ or UA"

Bear in mind that US-based UA frequent fliers are also heavily driven by Premier Qualifying Dollars, not just miles and Premier Qualifying Miles.

Although you will earn the latter two on NZ (or as you point out pretty much any Star flight), you can only earn PQDs on UA metal or a UA codeshare.

It doesn't matter how many miles and PQMs you fly, you still need to make the PQD spend threshold (ticket cost before taxes and fees) to earn your status.

Doesn't really matter to UA either way as UA+NZ Trans-Pcf networks is a profit-sharing JV.

Heck, U can even buy a UA issued ticket on UA codes for IAH-AKL-MEL operated all the way by NZ or buy a NZ issued ticket on NZ codes for IAH-LAX-MEL operated all the way by UA.  No diff for UA nor NZ as they just don't want U to buy similar journey fm AA+QF.....LoL.

@Ozark:

I really don't think so when I look @ the boarder UA+NZ Trans-Pcf network picture.

"Sydney is the main game.."

SYD used to be the ONLY game in the N.America-AU mkt 1-2 decades ago.  Not any more.  This is not due to SYD mkt  getting smaller but because:

1.  SYD is becoming 'crowded' with far more players.

2.  Other smaller AU mkts are growing larger.

3.  Airplanes with practical Trans-Pcf range are getting smaller & cheaper to fly.

"...without the bulk of Americans who will probably go United..."

U forgot that "the bulk of Americans" hv been able to fly routes like IAH-LAX-SYD purely on UA metal for @ least 2.5 decades.  Then LAX-MEL by UA came along to further encourage Americans to go UA only and that still didn't deterred NZ fm launching IAH-AKL to enable routes such as IAH-AKL-SYD/MEL that appears like direct competition with UA(Consumer perception only though).  Why?

The truth is that UA still only has 2 direct access points in AU mkt(i.e. SYD & MEL) while NZ has far more AU mkt reach+frequency choices via AKL.  NZ is not dumb and knew there's demand these days @ YVR, SFO, LAX and of course IAH to/fm AU mkt outside MEL+SYD via AKL hub plus the AKL/NZ-U.S. mkt itself is no small potato.

"..will only be a concern if United prices the route a hell of a lot cheaper than what QF.."

U are so right.  That's how UA managed to survive LAX-MEL in the face of sacred+superior QF.  UA must be consistently under-cutting QF fares by "a hell of a lot" for 3yrs straight ever since they launched LAX-MEL.  Otherwise, it's impossible for UA to compete against QF in the same/similar route on other merits....

UA has deep pockets and no accountability to its shareholders+creditors so it can continue to enjoy wasting CapEx intensive hardwares like brand new 789 on LAX-MEL in order to generate peanuts fare/profit relative to QF....totally econ logical for a NYSE listed /S&P500 company with US$40b asset to do.

Looking @ the J class hard product std+specs, there's rationally/objectively no diff between SYD-IAH by UA vs SYD-DFW by QF.  Both are horizontal flat beds and both offer no direct aisle access for every J seat.

Service though is a more subjective matter based far more on perceptions & notions which may be valid or may be out-dated.

As a result, hard to conclude "...don't think Qantas has much to worry about."  However, I do recall similar comments when UA launched MEL-LAX to compete directly against QF.  3yrs passed and MEL-LAX by UA is still around today.... 

I do agree QF will continue to hv an edge over UA but not in terms of J product+service but due largely to FFP member population size+'stickiness'(As demonstrated time & again by readers' comments here about their preference to fly QF due to lounge access, seat/upgrade redemption opportunities, etc.).

I'm most amazed @ the speed in which UA has been spreading new ULR routes across the Pacific.  Within the space of a little over 18mths, UA has launched SFO->SIN last yr, LAX->SIN will be online nex mth and IAH->SYD coming in Jan18.  None of these is below 17h20m block time and duration-wise, 2 of them will match/exceed the block time of PER->LHR by QF that's generating much publicity around AU.

And some folks thought the 15h50m LAX->MEL launched by UA 3yrs ago was UA pushing their 787s beyond their limits....

Can't be much worse than the 17h20m in Y for PER->LHR by QF.... 

"A real threat to QF7 SYD-DFW? Won't dislodge QF and Oneworld loyalists.."

Totally agree.

"..Qantas A380 business class experience...seats are still quite comfortable.."

Probably but J seats on UA's 789 logically can't be worse.  Hardwares in the youngest QF 380 cabin are nearly 3yrs older than the oldest UA 789 cabin to be deployed on IAH-SYD....

"...meals are much better.."

No possibility that this is simply a function of catering more to Australian taste vs American taste?  What about those complaints I've read fm around here against Neil Perry's catering creation?

"..as is the SYD lounge"

It's perfectly reasonable for QF to hv a much better lounge than UA @ SYD.....SYD is the biggest/most important hub in QF network.

The key question is whether UA has a lounge in its hubs on par with QF's @ SYD or even DFW.  A clue: Learn about what exactly is the new Polaris lounge already in op today @ ORD hub and to be rolled out across other UA hubs @ SFO, LAX, IAH, EWR, etc. later in 2018.

It may shatter your preconceived notion about QF always has better lounges than UA.... 

"like the current UA flights the majority of business travellers will be Yanks coming and going or Aussies employed by US companies with a UA-centric travel policy."

Which is a moot point because the same in reverse is equally possible/likely - the current QF flights such as SYD-DFW the majority of business travelers are Aussies coming and going or Yanks employed by AU companies such as BHP or NewsCorp with a QF-centric travel policy....