Qantas has announced that it will commence non-stop services between Melbourne and Tokyo Haneda from 29 March 2020. This flight will replace the current service between Melbourne and Tokyo Narita.
The Haneda service will be operated by the Airbus A330 aircraft. The A330 is a 2 cabin aircraft, offering a Business and Economy cabin. There is no First or Premium Economy cabin on the aircraft.
The Qantas A330 features the ‘business suite’ product in a 1-2-1 layout.
The change to the service has come after the Japanese government released two new slots at Haneda for Australia Airlines. The other slot will be used by Virgin Australia to operate a Brisbane-Haneda service.
The announcement of the change came on the same day that Qantas kicked off a seasonal Sapporo service.
Haneda
At present, Qantas operates a single service into Haneda – a daily service from Sydney. The big advantage of Haneda over Narita is that it is much closer to central Tokyo. As such, Qantas suggests that arriving into Haneda saves an hour of commuting compared to Narita.
Qantas is also making changes to its ground handling in Haneda. Eligible customers are now able to access the Priority Lane at the airport’s security checkpoint. In addition, they will also have access to Japan Airlines’ Sakura Lounge.
Seasonal service to Sapporo commences
The announcement comes as the airline’s new seasonal flights from Sydney to Sapporo take off today. The flights coincide with the ski season in Japan.
Qantas will also extend its seasonal service to Sapporo for another year. The flights will operate three times per week during the 2020-21 ski season from 14 December 2020 to 27 February 2021 with the airline’s upgraded A330.
