QANTAS & JETSTAR: new international routes to Seoul, Korea and Bangalore, India. Codeshare with IndiGo

Qantas has been rolling out some new routes post its international pandemic shutdown, including Delhi in India and Rome in Italy. Now we have two further additions, both Qantas and Jetstar will fly to Incheon Airport, Seoul, Korea, and Qantas is initiating a new route to Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India’s financial and technology hub. The Korean flights by Qantas, represent a return to Seoul – last flown in 2008.

India Code-share with IndiGo

With Australia and the subcontinent signing a free trade agreement this year, Qantas is planning to augment its new direct flights to Bengaluru with a codeshare arrangement with India’s largest domestic carrier IndiGo, allowing one-stop access to more than 50 Indian cities. Alternately, Qantas passengers will be able to seamlessly join IndiGo flights from Singapore and Delhi as well as Bengaluru. The codeshare agreement will also mean Qantas frequent flyers status will also be recognised in IndiGo.

Points Planes

Qantas and Jetstar are offering some of the initial flights as Points Planes – bookable using Qantas Frequent Flyer points.

The first 3 return services between Sydney and Bengaluru, and Sydney and Seoul, can be booked using Classic Rewards until the end of April 2022. Seats on these flights can also be purchased with cash.

Classic Flight Reward seats between Sydney and Bengaluru will cost a minimum of 37,600 points or in business for 94,900 one way and Sydney-Seoul starts at 31,500 points, or for business class 82.500 points one way, of course excluding taxes, fees and carrier charges.

Sydney to Bengaluru – Qantas

Here are the details of the flights:

• Frequency: 4 flights/week
• Commencement: 14 September 2022
• Aircraft: A330
• Duration: 12 hours
• Price: on sale from $1,349 return

Sydney to Seoul – Qantas

Here are the details of the flights:

• Frequency: 4 flights/week – Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday, Sunday,
• Commencement: 10 December 2022
• Aircraft: A330
• Duration: 11 hours
• Price: on sale from $1,224

Sydney to Seoul – Jetstar

Here are the details of the flights:

• Frequency: 3 flights/week
• Commencement: 2 November 2022
• Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
• Duration: 11 hours
• Price: sale fares from $398 return starting today until 4pm on 14 April.

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.

This continues the Qantas roll-out of international leisure routes including Rome now it has returned to international flying. Both are great additions, and also very tempting. Seoul has been tempting me for some time, and being able to fly to Bengaluru as an alternative to Delhi is a great option.