Qantas has begun flying the Airbus A380 between Sydney and Johannesburg, This marks the first time that Qantas has flown the A380 to the African continent.
Overall, swapping the A380 onto the route will almost double the number of passengers that Qantas can carry between the two continents. It will mean that there are and extra 130,000 seats available each year.
First Class returns
It s more than just a capacity increase. The A380 is also the only Qantas aircraft at the moment that offers a First Class cabin. As a result, using the A380 will bring First Class to the route for the first time since the 787s started taking over from the Boeing 747 aircraft. In the case of South Africa, that the Qantas 747s last flights were in 2018.
On the A380, Qantas First features 14 individual suites arranged in an exclusive 1-1-1 configuration. When it comes to to sleep, these can convert into a 212-centimetre bed.
The other cabins will see a boost in capacity. In the case of Premium Economy, the A380 has 60 reclining seats, which is more than double the 28 in the 787. Business also get a boost up to 70 lie-flat beds, compared to the 42 that are found on the 787.
According to Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace:
We are seeing strong demand for our Johannesburg services and, by upgrading to the Superjumbo, we will nearly double capacity during peak periods, adding over 130,000 seats per year between the continents.
Qantas has a rich history of flying to South Africa over the past 72 years, having operated Constellations and Super Constellations, Electras, 707s, 747s, Dreamliners and now the A380.
The A380 is a favourite among our frequent flyers and it will be great to see the Flying Kangaroo in the land of the springbok.
Qantas also intends to relaunch direct flights from Perth to Johannesburg from mid-2025, subject to meeting border agency requirements.
Qantas codeshare partnership with Airlink
But wait, there’s more. Qantas has also announced a new codeshare partnership with South African airline Airlink.
Under the codeshare arrangements, the Johannesburg-based carrier will carry the ‘QF’ code on domestic flights within South Africa. This will allow for seamless connectivity between the Qantas flight and nine destinations in South Africa, including Cape Town. These destinations include Capetown, Durban and Hoedspruit.
As this is a codeshare arrangement, with Airlink carrying the QF flight number, Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits,
