Qantas and Jetstar will offer Frequent Flyers uncapped Classic Flight Reward seats for the first three days of travel when the two-way trans-Tasman bubble opens.

Qantas and Jetstar will offer Frequent Flyers uncapped Classic Flight Reward seats for the first three days of travel when the two-way trans-Tasman bubble opens.

Once the start date is confirmed, thousands of seats across all cabins will be available to be booked as Classic Flight Rewards over the 72-hour travel period. Customers can also pay for these seats.

Qantas and Jetstar will be adding significantly more flights between Australia and New Zealand across a number of routes, flying to all its pre-COVID destinations.

In addition to operating the Points Planes, Qantas Frequent Flyer will also add 50 per cent more Classic Reward seats on Qantas’ trans-Tasman flights for the remainder of the year.

New direct flights between Sydney to Hervey Bay to start in May by Jetstar - an $8 million boost to the Queensland economy.

Photo Hervey Bay | Visit Fraser Coast

Australian airline Jetstar, part of the Qantas Group has confirmed that in partnership with the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council, it will introduce new direct flights Sydney and Hervey Bay

Taking off from 26 May, the airline has scheduled in three flights per week, which will be operated by A320 aircraft and couple carry up to 50,000 visitors between the Fraser Coast and Sydney each year.  

Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said the new route to Hervey Bay marks Jetstar’s 20th domestic destination, as the airline continues to look for opportunities to expand its domestic network while international borders remain closed.  “We’re excited to offer the only direct service between Sydney and Hervey Bay.  With international borders closed, our customers are telling us they are keen to explore more of Australia.  With low fares to 20 destinations around Australia, we’re pleased to help more people travel for less, boost local jobs and support the economies of the communities we fly to. Launching in time for the mid-year school holidays, we expect our flights to Hervey Bay will be a really popular holiday option for travellers,”.

Qantas and Jetstar delay international flights until October

    Flights to most international destinations to now resume late October 2021

    Trans-Tasman flying to ramp up from July 2021

    New flexibility for international bookings, with unlimited flight date changes

 

Qantas and Jetstar have slammed the breaks on restarting international flights,  the Australian airlines are now planning to restart regular international passenger flights to most destinations from 31 October 2021 – a four-month extension from the previous estimate of July, which had been in place since mid-2020.

The date change aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete.

Capacity will be lower than pre-COVID levels, with frequencies and aircraft type deployed on each route in line with the projected recovery of international flying. International capacity is not expected to fully recover until 2024.

The Group remains in close consultation with the Federal Government around the reopening of international borders and will keep customers updated if further adjustments are required.

Jetstar starting direct flights from March 2021 between Melbourne and Hamilton Island

The low-cost Australian airline Jetstar has confirmed it will be starting direct flights between Melbourne and Hamilton Island on 29th March.  The Qantas Group airline will be linking Melbournians with the most popular Whitsundays island and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Operated by an A320 aircraft, the four-weekly direct flights will add around 1500 weekly seats between the two destinations.

The airline expects strong demand from Melbournians wanting to explore a leisure destination renowned for its natural beauty, proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and some of the most stunning beaches in Queensland.

Jetstar and Qantas head back to Queensland following border opening

Thousands of Qantas and Jetstar passengers took to the skies at the start of this month heading to the Sunshine State for the first time since August as the Queensland border opens to Victoria and Sydney.

Almost 9,000 passengers were booked to travel on 1st December with the first Qantas and Jetstar flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Queensland filled with customers heading north for long-awaited reunions with family and friends as well as on holidays.

The two airlines will operate more than 420 return flights per week across 19 routes between Queensland and both Sydney and Melbourne. This compares with around 40 return flights per week when borders were closed.

New mega sale from JetStar to boost tourism in Australia

Jetstar and Tourism Australia have partnered for the first time to launch the biggest airfare sale of the year to boost domestic tourism and help reunite family and friends after months of being apart.

The popular ‘Return for Free’ sale will see 400,000 return trips available across 51 of Jetstar’s domestic routes, with one-way fares starting from just $65 and the return flight free.

Travel periods are from February 2021 onwards and include popular destinations such as the Gold Coast, Cairns, Hobart, Uluru and Hamilton Island.

The sale follows Qantas’ centenary celebrations yesterday and complements Tourism Australia’s Holiday Here This Year campaign which encourages travellers to get out and explore Australia.

Qantas Group airlines to restart flights between Victoria and Tasmania

The Australian airlines Jetstar and Qantas have confirmed they will resume flights between Victoria and Tasmania as a result of border restrictions lifting from 27 November.

The Qantas Group will operate 84 weekly return services across three Tasmanian routes from Melbourne, providing more than 12,000 seats weekly between the two states.

Jetstar will resume flights between Melbourne and Launceston with 19 weekly services, and increase frequencies between Melbourne and Hobart with 26 weekly services, up from just five in October.

Jetstar will return to Avalon next month

Jetstar’s first flight from Avalon in almost nine months will take off in time for Christmas, with services between Avalon and Sydney resuming on 18 December with fares from $71^.

The twice-daily return service follows the New South Wales government’s announcement last week that borders will open to Victoria.

This will be the first time Jetstar has operated between the two destinations since 31 March, and represents around 40 per cent of flights on the route compared to the same time last year.

Qantas and Jetstar will operate thousands of flights to and from Melbourne and regional Victoria over summer following the New South Wales Government’s decision to open its borders.

Qantas and Jetstar will operate thousands of flights to and from Melbourne and regional Victoria over summer following the New South Wales Government’s decision to open its borders.

From 23 November, Qantas and Jetstar will operate more than 250 flights per week across five routes, offering travellers 48,000 seats between the two states. This compares with just ten return flights per week  operating between Melbourne and Sydney (the only route currently operating between NSW and VIC).

Both carriers will look to add more flights if there is sufficient demand.

The flights will see the Qantas Group’s overall domestic capacity increase from around 30 per cent per cent of pre-COVID levels to just under 40 per cent from late November, with more aircraft ‘woken up’ and more employees returning to work to support the additional flying.

New flights set to take off between Gold Coast and Hobart with Jetstar

New flights set to take off between Gold Coast and Hobart

Gold Coast to Hobart flights resume from 1 December

Jetstar has announced it will launch new flights between the Gold Coast and Hobart in December, providing the only direct link between one of Queensland’s most popular holiday destinations and Tasmania.

The announcement follows confirmation that Tasmania’s borders will be open to most states from 26 October.

From 1 December, Jetstar will operate three return services a week with an Airbus A320, providing more than 1,200 seats between the two cities each week.

The new flights will be available at jetstar.com from 11 am (AEDT) today, with a 24-hour flash sale starting from noon (AEDT).

Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand

Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand

Jetstar has announced on Monday today it will resume domestic services in New Zealand from 17 September. The decision comes after it was confirmed that on-board social distancing restrictions will be eased, allowing airlines to utilise the middle seat.

After a four-week suspension, the airline will resume up to 75 flights on six domestic routes, approximately 60 percent of its pre-COVID schedule.

In keeping with government requirements, masks will be mandatory on all services, with Jetstar’s Fly Well packs, which include masks and sanitising wipes, available at the gate and onboard.

Qantas Group to outsource ground handling at the cost of 2500 more jobs

In a horrendous blow to hard-working Qantas staff, the group has announced it will be seeking to outsource its ground handling division with the loss of up to 2500 jobs.  This is in addition to the 600 job cuts the Australian airline has already announced. 

Qantas and Jetstar directly employ people in various ground operations roles - including baggage handling and aircraft cleaning – at 11 large airports around Australia. 

Qantas is proposing to outsource its ground handling operations at the 10 Australian airports where the work is done inhouse. As part of this, a review will assess both external ground handlers and an in-house bid in search of making this function more efficient. Should the decision be taken to outsource the work, it could impact up to 2000 employees, including some management roles.

Qantas is proposing to outsource its bus services for customers and employees in and around Sydney Airport. A similar, but separate, review will also be conducted on this proposal. Should the decision be taken to outsource the work it could impact 50 employees.

Strong demand sees Jetstar domestic flights back to 90 per cent in New Zealand

More than 100 return weekly flights across six routes from August

Represents around 90 per cent of normal domestic schedule, up from 60 per cent in July

Wellington to Queenstown flights resume

Jetstar will resume 90 per cent of its normal domestic schedule in New Zealand from August, with travel demand exceeding expectations in the first month since Jetstar flights resumed.

The increased schedule will see Jetstar flying more than 100 return flights per week across six domestic routes, including the resumption of services between Wellington and Queenstown catching the peak of the winter season.

Jetstar plans to continue operating at 90 per cent capacity until at least the end of October and will closely monitor demand to determine the schedule from November onwards.

Customers with bookings on the remaining 10 per cent of flights until the end of October have been contacted and offered an alternative same day flight.

Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand

After three months Jetstar returns to the skies in New Zealand, with strong demand for the airline’s low-fares services.

The resumption of services will see Jetstar initially flying 75 return flights per week to five destinations in New Zealand; Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown, returning to approximately 60 per cent of its normal domestic schedule.

Jetstar will have a range of Fly Well measures to ensure a safe environment at airports and onboard aircraft, giving customers extra peace of mind. This includes contactless check-in, enhanced cleaning, and masks and sanitising wipes available to customers.

Qantas and Jetstar Launch Tourism Recovery Sales

Jetstar sale with 10,000 fares for $19

Qantas Frequent Flyers to earn triple points on all domestic flights

National carrier to play key role in driving tourism recovery

Qantas and Jetstar have announced discounted fares on 200,000 seats and points offers for frequent flyers, to reboot the domestic tourism industry and help families and friends reunite.

Jetstar is launching a sale on 35 routes, across 15 destinations, in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland.

There are 10,000 fares for $19 one-way on 22 routes including Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Gold Coast, Melbourne to Byron Bay (Ballina), Brisbane to Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) and Adelaide to Cairns.

Jetstar Pacific to be rebranded Pacific Airlines

                                     Vietnam Airlines (VNA) and Qantas will be changing the name of Jetstar Pacific to Pacific Airlines -  its original name as they try to make the sideline profitable again in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis. 

Pending government and regulatory approval, the low-cost carrier will return to its original brand name, Pacific Airlines, and feature a new logo and livery inspired by VNA’ brand colours and design. Jetstar Pacific is set to officially operate under the new name Pacific Airlines upon authorities’ approval.  The airline will also change its reservation system from Navitaire to Sabre, to allow the low-cost carrier to streamline its bookings, network and customer functions with VNA."

Vietnam Airlines Executive Vice President and Pacific Airlines Chairman, Trinh Hong Quang, said the change would unlock economies of scale and help the industry to embark on a post-COVID-19 recovery. "Low-cost carriers will play a certain role in supporting the return of travel as restrictions ease, and by streamlining functions, Pacific Airlines can remain competitive, inherit many of the efficiencies of Vietnam Airlines and continue to offer the low fares our customers expect.

Jetstar resumes domestic flights in New Zealand as restrictions ease

Jetstar has announced it will resume domestic flying across New Zealand on 1 July, with fares available from $21.

The resumption of services will see Jetstar flying 75 return flights per week to five destinations, returning to approximately 60 per cent of its normal domestic schedule. Customers with bookings on the remaining 40 per cent of flights have been contacted and offered a range of options.

Jetstar will closely monitor demand, with further domestic flights likely be added to the schedule in coming months.

LAUNCH OF FLY WELL

As part of the Qantas Group’s ‘Fly Well’ program, Jetstar will have a range of measures to ensure a safe environment at airports and onboard aircraft, giving customers extra peace of mind. This includes contactless check-in, enhanced cleaning, and masks and sanitising wipes made available to customers.

IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY FOR CUSTOMERS

To provide customers with greater flexibility and confidence when they book, for bookings made on jetstar.com between 8 and 30 June 2020, we’ll waive the change fee one time if customers decide to change the date of travel. Customers will have to cover any Fare Difference (if any) for the new booking. This offer applies for travel between 1 July and 31 October 2020 on any Jetstar Airways (JQ) domestic flights within New Zealand.

In the instance that a flight is cancelled by us, we will be in contact with impacted customers directly with a range of options.

Gareth Evans,  Jetstar Group CEO said "With a move to Level one restrictions across New Zealand, Jetstar is well and truly ready to take off.  We’re looking forward to bringing family and friends together and helping to boost local tourism by offering great low fares."

“Customers will notice a number of wellbeing initiatives as our flights resume, which have been developed based on best practice medical advice and customer feedback, such as masks and sanitising wipes."

“This is in addition to the measures we already have in place such as extra cleaning and HEPA filters onboard which remove 99.9 per cent of all particles, including viruses. To give customers further peace of mind, we’ve introduced more flexibility into bookings, enabling customers to book with greater confidence.”

DOMESTIC SCHEDULE

Jetstar’s New Zealand domestic schedule from 1 July includes:

Auckland to Christchurch (24 weekly return flights)

Auckland to Dunedin (3 return weekly flights)

Auckland to Wellington (27 return weekly flights)

Auckland to Queenstown (14 return weekly flights)

Christchurch to Wellington (7 return weekly flights)

Jetstar’s sale runs from today until Wednesday 10 June 23:59 and includes low fares such as:

Auckland to Wellington from $21

Auckland to Christchurch from $21

Christchurch to Wellington from $32

Auckland to Dunedin from $45

Auckland to Queenstown from $48

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Qantas and Jetstar increase domestic operations as restrictions are lifted

Travel restrictions are starting to be eased across Australia and Qantas and Jetstar will increase their domestic and regional flying accordingly for June and July.

The additional services will see capacity increase from 5 per cent of pre-Coronavirus levels, to 15 per cent by the end of June. This equates to more than 300 more return flights per week.

Additional flights will likely operate during July depending on travel demand and further relaxation of state borders, with the ability to increase to up to 40 per cent of the Group’s pre-crisis domestic capacity by the end of July.

Details of the additional flights include:

• More services on capital city routes particularly Melbourne-Sydney and a number of routes to-and-from Canberra.
• Increased intra-state flights for Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. Broome, Cairns and Rockhampton to see a significant boost in weekly flights.
• Flights will resume on eight routes not currently being operated.
• Qantas to commence flights from Sydney to Byron Bay (Ballina), after the route launch was postponed due to the Coronavirus.

(A state by state breakdown of the Group’s domestic and regional schedule can be viewed here)

Qantas and Jetstar will roll out 'Fly Well' - a series of wellbeing improvements to give peace-of-mind in preparation for domestic travel restrictions easing.

Range of measures introduced to ensure a safe travel environment and give extra peace of mind.
Masks on board, hand sanitising stations and enhanced aircraft cleaning among the improvements.
More flexibility added to bookings so people can plan with confidence.

Qantas and Jetstar will roll out a series of wellbeing improvements to give peace-of-mind in preparation for domestic travel restrictions easing.

The ‘Fly Well’ program brings together a number of temporary measures already in use by the Qantas Group, including on repatriation flights from virus hot-spots, and represents a combination of best-practice medical advice and feedback from customers.

Rolling out from 12 June, the key measures at each point of the journey will be:

Pre-flight

Information sent to all customers before they fly, so they know what to expect.
Contactless check-in (via online/app) and self-serve bag drop strongly encouraged, including use of Q Bag Tags.
Hand sanitising stations at departure gates.
Temporary changes to Qantas Lounges, including increased physical distancing, hand sanitising stations, enhanced disinfection of surfaces and adjustments to food and drink service.
Working with airports on other safeguards in the terminal, including regular disinfection of security screening points and installing hygiene screens at airline customer service desks, wherever practical.

Onboard

Masks provided to all passengers on each flight – while not mandatory from a safety point of view, they are recommended to be worn in the interests of everyone’s peace-of-mind.
Enhanced cleaning of aircraft with a disinfectant effective against Coronaviruses, with a focus on high contact areas – seats, seatbelts, overhead lockers, air vents and toilets.
Sanitising wipes given to all passengers to wipe down seat belts, trays and armrests themselves, if preferred.
Simplified service and catering to minimise touchpoints for crew and passengers.
Passengers asked to limit movement around cabin, once seated.
Sequenced boarding and disembarkation to minimise crowding.

In addition, the air conditioning systems of all Qantas and Jetstar aircraft are already fitted with hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.9% of all particles including viruses. Air inside the cabin is refreshed on average every five minutes during flight.

All airline employees are required to follow strict personal hygiene protocols, for the benefit of themselves and others.

All passengers are encouraged to download the Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app as part of improving the ability of health authorities to contain the spread of Coronavirus. In-line with public health advice, anyone with cold and flu like symptoms should stay at home.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “Safety is absolutely core to how we operate and that applies to new challenges like managing the risk of coronavirus so people can fly with confidence.

“From the early rescue flights we operated right into Wuhan and then more recently bringing Australians back from places like the US and Europe, we have a lot of experience at creating a safe cabin environment for passengers and crew.

“We’re relying on the cooperation of passengers to help make these changes work for everyone’s benefit, and we thank them in advance for that. Given the great job Australians have done at flattening the curve, we’re confident they’ll respond positively to these temporary changes to how we fly.

“We’ll continue to work with government and monitor the rollout of these measures closely, which are designed  with safety in mind and help people feel comfortable given the new norms that have emerged in response to the Coronavirus crisis,” added Mr Joyce.

Qantas Group Medical Director, Dr Ian Hosegood, said: “The data shows that actual risk of catching Coronavirus on an aircraft is already extremely low. That’s due to a combination of factors, including the cabin air filtration system, the fact people don’t sit face-to-face and the high backs of aircraft seats acting as a physical barrier. As far as the virus goes, an aircraft cabin is a very different environment to other forms of public transport.”

“Social distancing on an aircraft isn’t practical the way it is on the ground, and given the low transmission risk on board, we don’t believe it’s necessary in order to be safe. The extra measures we’re putting place will reduce the risk even further,” added Dr Hosegood.

The Fly Well program will be reviewed after its first month of operation and shaped by customer feedback and medical advice.

Flexibility

Customer research shows 98 per cent of frequent flyers are planning their next trip once restrictions lift. To help improve flexibility as travel restrictions are steadily adjusted, Qantas and Jetstar are introducing more flexibility from today.

Domestic : Customers can book any Qantas or Jetstar Australian domestic flight between 21 May and 30 June 2020, for travel between 12 June and 31 October 2020, and we will waive the change fee one time if you decide to change the date of your travel. Customers will have to cover any fare increase (if relevant) for the new booking.
International flight credit extension: Further flexibility has been introduced for international bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman). Customers with an existing Qantas or Jetstar international flight booking, for travel between 1 August and 31 October 2020, who wish to change their plans, can cancel their booking and retain the full value as a flight credit. Flight credits must be requested by 30 June 2020 and are valid for booking and travel across domestic and international services by 31 December 2021. Jetstar credit vouchers allow up to two years to travel from issue date. Customers will have to cover any fare increase (if relevant) for the new booking.

If a flight is cancelled by us, customers will be rebooked on the next available flight at no additional cost. Alternatively, customers can choose a flight credit or a refund.

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Qantas and Jetstar to suspend scheduled international flights from late March, following latest government travel advice

Qantas and Jetstar to suspend scheduled international flights from late March, following latest government travel advice

The Qantas Group has outlined the customer and employee impact of a huge drop in travel demand triggered by the public health response to the Coronavirus crisis.

Earlier this week, cuts to 90 per cent of international flying and about 60 per cent of domestic flying were announced by Qantas and Jetstar. With the Federal Government now recommending against all overseas travel from Australia, regularly scheduled international flights will continue until late March to assist with repatriation and will then be suspended until at least the end of May 2020. As the national carrier, Qantas is in ongoing discussions with the Federal Government about continuation of some strategic links.

More than 150 aircraft will be temporarily grounded, including all of Qantas’ A380s, 747s and B787-9s and Jetstar’s B787-8s.  Discussions are progressing with airports and government about parking for these aircraft.