QANTAS: Sydney-Shanghai suspended, new Brisbane-Manila and more Singapore and India flights

Qantas is doing some flight housekeeping. It’s suspending flights between Sydney and Shanghai, adding a route to Manila, and increasing flights to Singapore and Bengaluru.

Sydney to Shanghai suspended from 28 July 2024

Qantas overestimated the demand for this route when it was re-opened after suspension during COVID-19. But they got it wrong. They will monitor the route, and it may resume if they think demand has returned. For the moment, if you want to fly Qantas, it will have to be to Hong Kong, and then onward to Shanghai with a partner airline like Cathay Pacific.

“Since COVID, the demand for travel between Australia and China has not recovered as strongly as expected. In some months, our flights to and from Shanghai have been operating around half full.”

Cam Wallace, Qantas International CEO

If you are already booked on a Qantas flight to Shanghai after 28 July, then Qantas will be in contact regarding alternative arrangements or a full refund.

Brisbane to Manila

This new route commences 28 October 2024, operating four days per week using an Airbus A330 aircraft on this 8 hour flight. Qantas hasn’t flown from Brisbane to Manila in the Philipines for over 10 years.

• QF97 departs Brisbane at 7.15 pm (Mon, Wed, Thu and Sat) – arrives Manila 1 am +1 day.
• QF98 Departs Manila 2.45 am (Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun) – arrives Brisbane 12.20 pm same day.

With these departure and arrival times in Manila, just make sure that you book your hotel for the right night. It’s unlikely that a hotel will give you an early check-in for the current day at 1am!

It still maintains a daily Sydney to Manila route.

More flights to Singapore from Sydney and Brisbane

Qantas is increasing its weekly flights between Sydney and Singapore from 14 to 17 from 11 December 2024.

Brisbane gets an extra two flights per week, taking the total from seven to nine return flights starting 27 October 2024. The timing of these flights is set to enhance total travel time between Australia and Heathrow by about 4 hours

Sydney to Bengaluru flights go daily

Currently running five days per week for the holiday season, extra flights taking the frequency to daily will operate from mid-December 2024 for four months to late March 2025.

2PAXfly Takeout

Always love a new route and some increased frequency. Qantas, given not enough planes to fly profitable routes, can’t afford to have aircraft on underperforming ones. I’m surprised about the Shanghai route. However, my understanding is that tourism in both directions with China is down across the board, so this is, in that respect, not a surprise.

The only direct route remaining will be that provided between Sydney and Shanghai by China Eastern. It runs a daily service, and sometimes twice-daily at approximately AU$ 4,700 for Business Class and AU$ 1320 in economy. Once Qantas drops the route, I’d expect those fares to rise.