Qantas does Chicago!

Two new routes out of BrisVegas (Brisbane) are to be launched by Qantas once the USA Department of Transport gives its final approval of the joint venture between Qantas and American Airlines.

The two new routes are:

• Brisbane – Chicago
• Brisbane – San Francisco

Combined, the two new routes will chuck another 170,000 seats between Australia and the USA each year.

Hold your breath for the Windy City?

I wouldn’t start yet, since Qantas is only promising to commence flights jin 10 months time – in April 2020, and they will only be 4 times a week to the USA’s third largest city.

Here are some factoids about the Brisbane – Chicago flights that will make it the fourth longest passenger flight in the world.

• At 14,326km, the flight time will be around 16 hours and 20 minutes depending on wind
• Second longest Qantas flight after Perth – London (14,499km)

Chicago is one of my favourite cities, friendly, large, urban, gritty, artsy, and the home of House music, Frank Lloyd Wright and skyscrapers. Or as I call it – ‘New York, without the attitude!’

Qantas will be throwing some 787-9 Dreamliners at the route.

San Francisco gets flights out of Brisbane

As well, Qantas is promising to start a three times a week service between Brisbane and San Francisco. Again some factoids:

• At 11,367km, flight time around 12 hours 40 minutes (depending on winds)
• These additional three flights will make 14 flights per week across the Pacific from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to San Francisco

Longreach name to be preserved

As you probably know – Longreach is a significant Queensland town for the Qantas story. It is also the name of all the 747’s Qantas owns. Given that these will completely disappear from the Qantas fleet by mid-2020, the airline will pass on the name ‘Longreach’ to one of the new Dreamliner aircraft it will take delivery of later this year.

“This will give Qantas and American Airlines customers unprecedented access. These flights will make it one stop from Chicago to Hamilton Island or San Francisco to Townsville.”

Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce

Interestingly, Joyce thanks the Queensland Government, Brisbane Airport Corporation and Tourism Australia for “helping to make these new Dreamliner routes a step closer to reality” – so, presumably, they are all throwing money or in-kind goods and services at this initiative.

2PAXfly Take Out

I will do almost anything to avoid customs and immigration in Los Angeles, so the idea of a quick domestic flight to Brisbane, and then a direct flight to Chicago is quite appealing. I’ll reserve my judgement on the routes until a starting date, schedules and pricing are announced.