Qantas will launch a new Auckland-Perth service* and a new trans-Tasman schedule as the joint Qantas and Emirates network opens for bookings today.

The new Auckland-Perth service will operate during the holiday season with a twice-weekly A330 service from early December this year through to 1 February 2014.

Among a suite of trans-Tasman schedule enhancements aimed at providing more convenience and better connections for New Zealand travellers, Qantas has retimed its existing Christchurch-Sydney service* to a morning departure enabling more international connections from Sydney.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the new Qantas schedule is one of many benefits to flow from the Qantas and Emirates partnership in New Zealand.

“Our new Auckland-Perth service will cater for demand over the busy holiday season and our new trans-Tasman schedule offers better flight times and more connections to flights both in Australia and around the world,” said Mr Joyce.

“With the joint Qantas and Emirates network now open for bookings, New Zealanders have access to aligned fares, codeshare services and frequent flyer benefits.

“The new Qantas and Emirates schedule offers around 130 services per week from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown across the Tasman to a joint network covering more than 175 destinations in Australia, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the UK and Europe.

“New Zealanders now have full advantage of the joint network that complements the comprehensive trans-Tasman schedule and world class travel experiences including lounges, frequent flyer benefits, a new luggage allowance of 30 kilos for economy passengers and a vast range of international destinations,” added Mr Joyce.

President Emirates Airline Tim Clark said the code-sharing, aligned fares and frequent flyer benefits would all add value for the customers of both Emirates and Qantas.

“These are the first significant signs of the Qantas-Emirates partnership at work across the Tasman and the advantages for our customers will continue to increase as the relationship grows,” said Mr Clark.

“We can expect to see benefits for the tourism industry as well, and that has got to be good news all round.

“Through the partnership, the Emirates network has now been opened up to include Queenstown and Wellington in New Zealand in addition to the 55 destinations in Australia already on offer to our customers,” said Mr Clark.

In addition to the wide range of destinations, customers in New Zealand who book with Qantas and Emirates will gain access to the following benefits:

• Ability to earn Frequent Flyer or Skywards points when flying with either airline on the joint network.
• Redeem existing Qantas Frequent Flyer or Emirates Skywards points for flights to 175 destinations worldwide, on both airlines, including trans-Tasman services.
• Lounge access for eligible Qantas and Emirates passengers into either airline’s network of lounges in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the UK and Europe.
• Reciprocal status recognition for frequent flyers (e.g. priority check-in for Qantas Gold Frequent Flyers when flying Emirates).
• Harmonised baggage policies, including a 30kg allowance for economy passengers.
• Door-to-door chauffeur drive service for Business and First passengers on flights over 12 hours long**.
• Access to the world’s largest joint fleet of A380s. The ability to book any Emirates-operated trans-Tasman flight under a ‘QF’ code and vice versa.

See table below for Qantas’ new schedule. The following are key among the changes;

• A new seasonal twice-weekly service between Auckland and Perth (Dec-Jan), adding almost 1,000 seats per week to what is currently a monopoly route over the busy Christmas and summer holiday period.
• First service from Perth will be 6 December 2013 and the last service from Auckland will be 1 February 2014. The aircraft will be an internationally configured A330 with Skybeds in Business.
• QF112 will depart Auckland at 11:40am and arrive in Perth at 2:05pm
• QF111 will depart Perth at 8:30pm and arrive in Auckland at 7:50am
• The dedicated Christchurch to Sydney service (QF138) will move from an afternoon departure to a 7:30am departure and Sydney to Christchurch will move to a 6:50pm departure. The Qantas code will be available on the Emirates flight from Christchurch, which leaves at a similar time as Qantas’ current service.
• The retiming removes the need for South Island residents to fly via Auckland to connect with key international flights out of Sydney and complements the existing Emirates service by providing a double daily service scheduled at either end of the day.
• Qantas flights between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to Australia will be retimed to increase the number of onward connections to the Australian domestic network, Asia, the US and UK and Europe, and reduce overlap of Qantas and Emirates flights.
• Changes to flight numbers, providing more sequential alignment.
• The schedule is being progressively loaded from today for travel after 27 October 2013.
• All Qantas customers with existing bookings for travel from 27 October 2013 and who are impacted by the changes will be contacted progressively from 14 August 2013 by Qantas or their Travel Agent and appropriately reaccommodated.

Qantas schedule effective 27 October 2013 – retimed services and changes to flight numbers

Click here to download a fact sheet on the Qantas and Emirates partnership in New Zealand.

* Subject to regulatory approval

** Must connect to a flight over 12 hours in duration

Media Enquiries:          

Qantas – Joanne Fulham M: +64 21 145 7701 E: Joannef@thisismango.co.nz

Emirates – Bob Wallace M: +64 29 979 2000 E: Robert.Wallace@ppr.co.nz