Yahoo Finance NOVEMBER DATE SET: Qantas brings forward London, LA flight dates
Qantas has moved forward its scheduled flights to London and Los Angeles to mid-November amid Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that international borders will open within weeks.
The Flying Kangaroo has scheduled three weekly return flights from Sydney to London and Sydney to LA to commence from 14 November, the airline said in a statement.
The previous commencement date for these routes were 18 December, a Qantas spokesperson told Yahoo Finance at the time, back when the ban was expected to lift around Christmas.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce welcomed Morrison’s announcement and said that its international flights scheduled for December have already been sold out.
“We know Australians can’t wait to travel overseas and be reunited with their loved ones, and literally thousands are waiting to come back home, so this faster restart is fantastic news,” Joyce said.
Sydney-LA return tickets will begin from $1,662, and $1,869 for Sydney-London return flights.
The tickets are on sale for Australian citizens, permanent residents, their immediate families and “some visa holders”.
But Aussies racing to snap up tickets should know that the commencement dates for these routes “may need to be updated” depending on the exact date that borders will reopen.
International travel ban to lift in November
Fronting the press earlier today, Morrison said that international travel would happen some time in November but stopped short of naming a precise date.
But those who have snapped up the Qantas fares will be permitted free date changes until the end of December 2022. Cancelled flights will also see disappointed customers eligible for refunds or credit vouchers, the airline said.
“The early reopening of Australia’s international borders will mean so much to so many people and it’s made possible by the amazing ramp up of the vaccine rollout,” Joyce said.
Airlines are permitting only fully vaccinated people to travel internationally once borders open.
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