On Sunday, Qantas celebrated their inaugural service from Brisbane to San Francisco, California (US). The new route will be operated with a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and allow Queenslanders to fly nonstop to San Francisco.
Yesterday, Qantas celebrated the inaugural flight of their new service from Brisbane in Queensland to San Francisco, California in the U.S. The route will be operated with a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner linking Brisbane and San Francisco for the first time with nonstop service. The 12-hour 40 minute (11,367km) flight from Brisbane will be offered three days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Qantas currently offers daily service between Sydney and San Francisco as well as four weekly flights from Melbourne. Starting in April 2020, the airline will also introduce new Dreamliner service between Brisbane and Chicago. In Sunday’s announcement, Qantas International’s CEO, Tino La Spina said,
“These new services will link Australian corporate and leisure travelers with two lynchpin capitals of commerce and culture in the United States. Customers will save around four hours travel time compared to the one-stop options currently on offer. There are some inbound tourism benefits too. These direct routes put some of Australia’s most popular destinations like the Whitsundays just a one-stop flight away from a foggy San Francisco morning or Chilly Chicago day, and that’s great news for Queensland and Australian tourism.”
Regarding the drop in tourism related to the unprecedented bushfires, Mr. La Spina added,
“It’s been a difficult start to the year for Australian tourism but new routes like this help to stimulate interest and bring more visitors. The message we’re sending to the US is that Australia is very much open for business and it’s easier than ever to get here.”
Qantas will continue to promote Queensland destinations in the U.S. market to encourage Americans to visit the splendors of Australia such as the Great Barrier Reef and many other must-see destinations that haven’t been impacted by the bushfires. Also commenting on the new service, Queensland’s Tourism Industry Development Minister, Kate Jones said,
“This service will see a boost of 73,632 per annum inbound seats and $67.1 million for the Queensland economy over the next three years. It also means 700 jobs. We know direct aviation access is key to growing our state’s tourism industry and that’s why we’re continuously working with our partners to explore new opportunities for Queensland.”
In the U.S., both routes will also be promoted by Qantas partner American Airlines, the largest airline in the world. In Brisbane, inbound U.S. passengers transferring to domestic Australian flights will benefit from an increase in morning peak period transfer bus services, allowing seamless and hassle-free connections.
Source: Qantas