QANTAS: More routes & frequency and Dreamliners on domestic routes

With domestic demand going gangbusters – I even got put in a holding pattern in Sydney on my return from Hobart last weekend – Qantas is opening up new routes, putting more flights on existing routes, and re-purposing long haul Dreamliners to some of the services from the east coast to Perth.

New Routes

We now have 7 new Qantas domestic routes we can book – some using the 94 seat Embraer 190 jets leased from Alliance Airlines:

Route	Start Date	Return flights per week	Aircraft
Adelaide – Townsville	August 2021	3 per week	E190
Adelaide – Cairns	August 2021	4 per week	E190
Adelaide – Hobart	September 2021	Up to 7 per week	E190
Sydney – Townsville	September 2021	7 per week	E190
Melbourne – Townsville	September 2021	7 per week	E190
Perth – Gold Coast	September 2021	3 per week	B737
Sydney – Uluru	March 2022	5 per week	B737

You can book these new routes from today, and some come with special introductory fares like:

• $139 on Adelaide-Hobart,
• $179 on Sydney-Townsville
• $229 Perth-Gold Coast

A330’s and wide bodied Dreamliners on longer range domestic routes

Enjoy business suites usually reserved for the international crowd on 236-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners between east and west coast.

If you luck out on a Dreamliner, likely you will be on an A300-200 formerly assigned to international routes to Asia. Expect to see these also on Darwin to Sydney and Brisbane routes.

Route	Added or upgauged flights	Aircraft	Total weekly flights
Sydney-Perth	Up to 9 per week	787 Dreamliner	34
Sydney-Perth	Up to 4 per week	A330	34
Melbourne-Perth	Up to 24 per week	A330	37
Sydney-Darwin	Up to 7 per week	A330	12
Brisbane-Darwin	Up to 3 per week	A330	9

Using these big birds is going to get Qantas domestic flying over and above pre-COVID levels. We just want to fly domestically these days – can’t keep a good flyer down!

“Qantas is also the only airline in Australia operating these widebody aircraft which offer Business Suites and inflight entertainment for all customers.”

Andrew David, Qantas Domestic and International CEO

Flexible flying

Remember, that up until the end of July, you get unlimited changes without fees being charged, for flights through until 28 February 2022. Although remember that you will need to pay if there is any fare change.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.