Qantas has opened for business new routes from Brisbane to Chicago and San Francisco for the first time.
The new routes will be operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and see the Australian national carrier grow its US network from one to three non-stop destinations from Brisbane.
The announcement follows the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) final approval of Qantas’ joint business with American Airlines on Friday (19 July).
San Francisco flights will begin on 9 February 2020 and operate three times per week, complementing Qantas’ existing flights from Sydney and Melbourne and offering customers the choice of double daily Dreamliner services from Australia’s east coast to the popular Californian city.
Chicago flights will begin on 20 April 2020, operating four times per week. By flying direct, flyers will save more than six hours on a return trip compared with today.
The 14,326km flight from Brisbane to Chicago will be the fourth longest in the world, and the second longest flight on Qantas’ network, and take approximately 16 hours and 20 minutes (depending on winds).
Qantas International acting chief executive officer, Naren Kumar said there had been “widespread interest” in the new Brisbane flights since they were announced last month.
The new routes will see a total of 14 weekly services year-round between Brisbane and the US, including the daily 787 Brisbane to Los Angeles service that continues to New York.
In addition to the new routes, Qantas will increase flights between Brisbane and Los Angeles from ten to 13 per week during the peak season from 2 January to 8 February 2020.
