u/Gl0beTrotter2025

>Qantas will once again let frequent flyers earn Status Credits on points-based Classic Flight Rewards, but as a new perk of a premium credit card partnership.

"Qantas CEO promises we’ll see Classic Reward seats on Project Sunrise flights, even in first class", yeah, we'll see about that! The proof of this pudding will be when these flights go on sale and everybody is hammering away at the Qantas website looking for CR flights up to 350 days in advance!

>Qantas has committed the first six of its globe-striding Airbus A350-1000ULR jets to Sydney-London and Sydney-New York flights, due to launch from October 2027.

But the next six in that initial order of 12 aircraft – which will arrive from early 2028 through to late 2029 – aren’t locked in to giving Melbourne the same non-stop services.

Instead, with the flow of new twin-aisle aircraft still constrained and demand for international travel continuing to soar, Qantas appears to be pivoting on Project Sunrise.

Qantas now sees a role for the A350s as supplementing the existing long-range international network and freeing up its Boeing 787s.

The airline’s longest route to date – the popular Perth-London service – is considered a prime candidate for the A350.

>London, or New York? Qantas will next week reveal which city will see the first non-stop Project Sunrise flights, and when the “inaugural commercial services” are expected to take off from Sydney.

>Air Canada will add private business class suites to its Boeing 777 and 787 jets, as part of an expanded rollout of the airline’s new Glowing Hearted cabin design beyond the Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A321XLR fleets.

>“Computer says no” is about to become a very real thing for some Qantas passengers. The airline is trialling automated boarding gates which, among other things, help enforce Group Boarding based on cabin class, frequent flyer status and seat number.

>DELAYED could once again be showing on the departures board for Qantas’ non-stop flights to London and New York, with the airline pushing back the delivery of its first Project Sunrise jet from later this year to April 2027.

"The two Gulf airlines will each be permitted daily flights from WSI to their hubs at Dubai and Doha."

>Almost a dozen years to the day since Qantas opened its Los Angeles business class lounge, a major revamp has seen the mid-century modern look swapped for a fresh Californian coastal vibe.
The makeover has also delivered a much-needed boost in capacity, with a more space-efficient layout now accommodating 570 seats, up from the previous 500.
That alone will be welcomed by business class passengers and mid-tier frequent flyers – including Qantas Golds and Oneworld Sapphires – on the many Oneworld flights departing from Tom Bradley International Terminal, aka TBIT or more simply Terminal B.