James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in...
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Building on its current flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Sydney (SYD), Qantas will add a second flight from the airport — this time to Melbourne (MEL), one of Australia’s 3 transpacific gateway cities.
The Timing
The new service to Melbourne will officially start on December 2, 2022, and will be operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft. Each Boeing 787 aircraft is equipped with 42 flat-bed seats in business class, 28 recliner seats in premium economy, and 166 standard seats in economy class.
The flight will operate Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays according to the following schedule:
- Depart Melbourne: 2:00 p.m. — Arrive Dallas 12:45 p.m.
- Depart Dallas: 7:10 p.m. — Arrive Melbourne: 5:45 a.m. (+2)
The flight from Melbourne allows passengers to connect from other Australian cities in the morning or for a free morning to do things in Melbourne. Arriving in Dallas by 12:45 p.m. will allow passengers to connect to most American Airlines flights.
With a mid-evening departure from Dallas, passengers have plenty of time to arrive on American Airlines flights throughout the country and arrive in Melbourne just as customs and immigration opens, allowing for folks to fly onward on other Qantas services.
Why Dallas
The main reason for Qantas adding additional capacity to Dallas is because it is a hub city for American Airlines. American can bring passengers to the Qantas flight from destinations throughout the country and when customers land from Australia, passengers can take those same connecting flights to cities around the country.
Hot Tip: Learn about the best ways to fly to Australia with points and miles in our detailed guide!
Other Qantas News
Qantas will be adding 4 additional Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) flights, up from the current 4. This means Qantas will fly 8 times per week from Melbourne to Los Angeles. Each of these flights will be operated by a 787 aircraft.
In addition to new services, Qantas will be reopening its Business Lounge in Melbourne, strictly for business class customers and Oneworld Sapphire members. The Qantas First Lounge, which previously was operating in a dual business class/first class configuration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be transitioned to a first class-only and Oneworld Emerald customer entry requirement.
Final Thoughts
Qantas adding a new flight to Melbourne from Dallas is a fantastic sign of Australia’s recovery. There is tremendous demand for people to visit that region, and now having an additional destination to choose from will make the travel experience even more seamless with passengers being able to avoid connecting in Sydney.
Featured Image Credit: Qantas
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About James Larounis
James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.
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