Qantas will launch flights from Sydney to Dallas Fort Worth this May, with the return leg routing via Brisbane. But the airline will drop existing flights from Sydney to San Francisco.
The four times-weekly service (departing Sydney on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) will commence on May 16, using Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The outbound leg will operate directly from Sydney to Dallas, while the inbound leg will route via Brisbane.
Interestingly Qantas says that the flight is being sold as a three-class offering (as opposed to the usual four-class economy, premium economy, business and first class offering). According to a regular poster on our forum the carrier will be running the service in a similar way to a temporary move in 2009/2010, where sales of first class were suspended on the London-Hong Kong route, with its most loyal passengers offered first class seating (albeit without the food and service) at business class prices – see online news May 21, 2009.
As a result of the new Dallas service, Qantas’ route between Sydney and San Francisco will be dropped on May 14. The carrier will also expand its commercial relationship with fellow Oneworld member American Airlines, whose primary hub is at Dallas Fort Worth.
Subject to regulatory approval Qantas will codeshare with AA on 13 new US and three new Mexican destinations, bringing the total number of Qantas-AA codeshares to 51 destinations in the US, Mexico and Canada. Qantas says that the expanded co-operation will also “provide a joint platform for the airlines to increase Dallas Fortworth services to a daily frequency”.
For more information qantas.com.au.
Report by Mark Caswell
