It could be a long wait until the Flying Kangaroo returns to the Big Apple.
While Qantas continues to rebuild its international network, New York could remain off the map until the launch of non-stop Project Sunrise flights in 2025.
Qantas flights to most North American destinations have resumed – among them Los Angeles, Vancouver (now promoted from a seasonal route to running year-around) and Dallas Fort Worth, which will see Melbourne-DFW join the current Sydney-DFW service in December 2022.
The sole hold-out is San Francisco, with the Sydney-San Francisco route now scheduled to return on July 29 – although there’s no date pencilled in for Brisbane or Melbourne, both of which also hosted flights to Fog City in pre-pandemic times.
Most of these flights feature the Qantas Boeing 787, which remains the airline’s workhorse for long-range international flights – and which in September 2018 took over the LAX-New York leg from the Boeing 747.
This bicoastal connection has long ferried Qantas travellers all the way from Australia to New York City, with passengers breaking their journey at Los Angeles.
However, Qantas was not permitted to sell tickets for just this stateside leg between Los Angeles and New York.
And while Qantas expects to add three more Boeing 787s to its fleet this year, swelling the number of red-tailed Dreamliners to 14, they’ll be stretched across boosting the number of flights on existing routes as well as spearheading new destinations such as Rome and Chicago.
In the meantime, the Qantas’ website continues to list US airlines as providing the missing link between Los Angeles and New York.
Qantas flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Dallas Fort Worth are also expected to continue their appeal to many New York-bound travellers.
When approached for comment by Executive Traveller, Qantas said it had no updates to share on its plans for New York.
However, with non-stop Qantas flights from Sydney to New York tipped for 2025 – presuming the ambitious Project Sunrise gets the green light in the coming months – Qantas might see little appeal to justify running its own cross-country flights from Los Angeles to New York and back across the next few years.
Speaking to the media on February 24, Qantas Group Chief Financial Officer Vanessa Hudson said the airline was “feeling really confident around the demand” for Project Sunrise.
“We’ve done market research… that shows that demand for this kind of (non-stop) service is increasing across all cabins of the aircraft.”
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed that, should Project Sunrise go ahead under the current timetable, the long-legged Airbus A350-1000s needed for these marathon 20 hours flights would arrive “in the middle of 2025.”
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 818
At one stage Qantas had a 767 doing LA to New York, several times the 747 and 767 went via the Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon and in the far distance you could see Niagara Falls on the final leg into New York. Good on Qantas for remembering to do the sight seeing as well.
28 Oct 2021
Total posts 2
I flew often SYD/LAX/JFK & don’t remember a 767 ever flying that route & don’t remember ever flying north enough to see Niagara Falls
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 818
Gees your trying to make an old man remember the date, maybe 2013 2015 they had the 767 than they swapped it out to the 747 all the way.
Etihad – Etihad Guest
10 Apr 2019
Total posts 5
QF never flew the 767 to New York. They did have an A330-200 do Auckland-Los Angeles which would connect with the flights from SYD/MEL/BNE . The A330 then did a NYC return and flew back to Auckland. The NYC flight went to the 747 when they stopped the direct Auckland-Los Angeles A330 service in mid 2012.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 388
To best honest, I would be surprised if Qantas did bring back the LAX-JFK-JFK flights. Very expensive even on the fuel-efficient Boeing 787 for the number of passengers plus the need for extra crew for this. Holding out until Project Sunrise makes much more sense.
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 315
Also makes sense from a operational perspective. Would also allow a potential rotation of BNE-LAX-BNE-PER-(Europe Destination)-PER-BNE in the future as the final few 787-9s get delivered to QF.
28 May 2020
Total posts 6
I live in New York. Tried doing AA A321 from JFK-LAX then QF789 from LAX-MEL last Christmas. Did the same on the way back just with Alaska 739 on the LAX-EWR leg. Won’t do that again, horrible experience on AA and AS. Will be flying United with their frequent wide-body transcon aircraft and premium economy from NY through to Melbourne until Qantas gets it together. Booked for a MEL trip in AUG and DEC this year, both in United Premium Economy. The pros, far cheaper, no terminal change in California and a real premium economy product between NY and CA, also easy business upgrades with more availability that won’t drain your miles. Not impressed with Qantas. New York always did well, any other suspicions as to why it won’t come back?
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 818
@newyorkaviation Sounds like a solid plan specially to burn some of my VA points on United.
09 Apr 2018
Total posts 4
I will fly ana or jal until qantas resumes nyc service. The connection in lax is too risky.
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1387
@newyorkaviation
Suspect the preferred route to/from SYD/MEL will be via DFW, so you avoid LAX and only have a short flight on AA.
Also some chance of BNE-ORD being rehannoubced soon which will provide another option for BNE.
28 Aug 2020
Total posts 5
I am not surprised they want to focus on project sunrise. It makes complete sense from a operational perspective if they can just use the existing Alaska airlines or American flights. However I too have had bad experiences with American.
So QF if you are reading this please work with your partners at American/Alaskan to make flights available. The last time I tried to book it gave me all sorts of weird options.
United Airlines – Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 341
Did Qantas one time only – and decided never to again, after an A30 SYD-LAX, then a 747 from LAX-JFK. Despite the Qantas feeder from Sydney being very late, they didn’t keep the 747 LAX-JFK waiting and rebooked us all on American Airlines. When resume travel to NYC from Australia, will stick to United Business via SFO, All Nippon via NRT/IAD then to LGA on United, or hopefully Cathay Aus-HKG (Business) the CX F to JFK
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1387
@cbourl.
Sometimes you gotta make the tough decisions. QF108 (or 1-0-late, took feed from SYD, MEL and BNE) and had a fairly tight turn in JFK to feed the same on the way back.
Some time you have to disadvantage passengers from one flight to keep multiple others on time.
11 Apr 2018
Total posts 29
Have recently looked at options to connect between JFK and LAX and went with the A 321 from AA – before I read NYaviation post ! It’s certainly far from ideal with no Qantas metal now. Can’t really book on AA US site as require a Credit Card with US billing address – same with PayPal. They switch you to Aussie site and “good prices” are gone even allowing for currency conversion.
@newyorkaviation – can you expand more on the problems you had on JFK LAX flight please ? Have allowed plenty of time between arrival at LAX and Qantas flight home. Couldn’t justify the extreme price for business class on Aussie site but did pay for exit row in Main cabin ……
12 Apr 2022
Total posts 1
@Flashman181 search ways to book on the American site. I think you can enter your Australian address and just add an American post/zip code. There are certainly ways to do it…I have managed it several times. Regards
12 Apr 2022
Total posts 1
I fly to NYC 4 or 5 times a a year but rarely on Qantas. United – and now Air New Zealand – are just more attractive options given the change of aircraft / carrier in LAX, and the fact that invariably QF is a couple of grand dearer! Just not worth it for a few status credits.
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Feb 2015
Total posts 25
if only NZ had a decent J class product…
03 May 2013
Total posts 658
Project Sunrise is all well and good but the hard product and spacing will make or break using the service. Being stuck in an aircraft for 18-20 hours wont be much fun-whichever class.
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 238
I’ve done the LAX-JFK Boeing 747 and 787, and to be honest I’ll miss the end-to-end Qantas experience. It was just so nice to step back onto a Qantas plane at LAX and continue the flight in the same comfortable business class and familiar surrounds, and likewise stepping onto a Qantas flight at New York. Not nearly as much a fan of changing to American Airlines unless it’s a proper business class, like on the AA Boeing 787s, instead of a ‘first class’ that’s more like a domestic business class recliner.
05 Feb 2020
Total posts 31
Totally agree Joe, flew Dallas to Sydney with Qantas recently and economy was a sardine can. Joyce should get out of First class and see what he does to economy flyers for 16 hours.
Velocity
23 Feb 2016
Total posts 22
I’ve done the Virgin-Delta double to and from New York each year for work – using points to upgrade to Business across the Pacific on the rare occasion I can nab a seat.
The LAX-JFK and JFK-Seattle domestic legs in economy have been the most painful flights I have almost ever done – not to mention needing to change terminals in LAX on the way out to JFK. US domestic airlines are a punish – even Delta which has the reputation of being the best one.
Thankfully I’m now eligible for business (just in time for Covid 🙄) so will be taking advantage of Qantas the entire way… bring on Project Sunrise please asap please!!
United Airlines – Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 341
Thats why you need United Polaris transcon LAX/SFO-JFK/EWR on 757 or better 787-10. Or you can use American Air Transcon A321t with First 1-1 with the biz flat beds on Cathay and Flagship First Lounge AND Flagship First Dining Room which are 2 different concepts.. No brainer aka No Delta
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Oct 2016
Total posts 68
“We’ve done market research… that shows that demand for this kind of (non-stop) service is increasing across all cabins of the aircraft”. Sure sure. Everyone wants it. Everyone says they’d love it. Everyone says they’d do it. But when the flights are up on the website and tickets for sale, will everyone pay the costs? Its like PER-LHR, expensive so I just fall back to QR or via SIN… I’d end up doing the same with USA.
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Sep 2013
Total posts 14
With Air New Zealand offering direct AKL-JFK later this year (with great connections into SYD and MEL), Qantas runs the risk of (more) people leaving and never coming back (Project Sunset?). Having a better option for getting to NYC, whether that’s on their own metal or better codeshares, might eventually help transition people over to Sunrise. Right now, QF isn’t top of mind when needing to fly across the Pacific, especially for anywhere that’s not LAX.
Qantas – Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 372
My bet if you took a look at the P&L on JKF you would see it running at a loss most of the year or maybe break even over a few peak months. The stop at LAX with equipment change and all the associated costs coupled with no domestic sales permitted on LAX-JFK have been a ball and chain around it’s leg since NY was added. The only way JFK will be viable is non-stop so hope the sun does rise in 2025.
25 Jun 2018
Total posts 31
Totally agree with Gold4Life about the difference between QF and AA. Chalk & cheese.
Flashman181 is correct about prices, QF is gouging its captive customers.
02 Nov 2017
Total posts 14
I’m pretty sure AA have fully lie flat seats in either A320 or Max in business and first class. Most of the plane is First and Business. Trick will be to identify those flights. Btw business in lie flat on AA is perfectly acceptable and not really inferior to Qantas apart from the jaded US flight crew!
United Airlines – Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 341
Only select A321T and its ok but it is 2-2 AA Transcon First is much better on the A321T 1-1 1A all the way for me and you get the Flagship First Lounges AND Flagship First Dining Rooms which are different, champagne and al la Carte dining. In the Flaship First Lounges its just buffet but still Bollinger instead of Moet etc
Thai Airways International – Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 432
with so many feeder options on a US Carrier do they even need their own service to New York onwards from Los Angeles or Dallas.Granted a Business Class passenger might find themselves downgraded for the sector in the USA down to Economy on United or Delta or American but it offers greater frequencies than other would be the case with everything feeding into the LAX-JFK services. You might get in at the other end close to say 8pm on the alternatives playing it on the safe side if the plane that does sydney or melbourne or brisbane to LA arrives between 7am and 8pm and you get a 1pm onward flight.
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