Find cheap Qantas Airways flights

Qantas is Australia’s largest airline, flying a long-haul route from Vancouver, Canada to Australia and beyond. Fun fact: the name QANTAS is not derived from some cute Australian marsupial, but rather is an acronym of the airline’s original name: "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services."

Given that most Canadians fly Qantas on transpacific routes that have flight times upwards of 15 hours, it’s important to know the aircraft and carefully select your ticket class and seat to make the best out of such a long journey.

Qantas aircraft types

Qantas flies Boeing 787 Dreamliners from Vancouver on direct flights to Australia. If you're flying to Australia from other airports in Canada, you'll likely have to transfer in Vancouver or the US Pacific coast. For Qantas’ extensive domestic Australian flight network, the airline uses a wide range of aircraft, including turboprops for shorter regional routes.

For Boeing 747 Dreamliners, Qantas provides three classes of service: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. These more fuel-efficient planes can seat up to 236 passengers. There are 166 Economy seats, 28 for Premium Economy, and 42 seats for Business Class passengers. The Qantas Dreamliner also operates between Australia and several US airports, including Dallas, Honolulu, New York (JFK) and San Francisco Meanwhile, there is a route from Los Angeles that uses the Airbus 380 or 330 aircraft.

For the Dreamliners, Qantas provides three classes of service: Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

Qantas cabins and seat classes

Here’s a breakdown of what Qantas offers in each of its cabin classes.

First class

Qantas ultra-premium First Class seating is only available on Airbus flights, including the one from Los Angeles. The fourteen seats (or rather office cubicle-sized pods) are lined in a 1-1-1 pattern at the front of the aircraft’s lower level.

The 56 cm-wide First Class seats can be converted to lie-flat mode with the touch of a button. For sleep time, flight attendants can make the bed with an 8 cm-thick mattress atop the seat, with luxury sheets, pillows and Qantas signature pyjamas and amenities.

Meals in First Class can be made to order at any time, with a tasty selection of gourmet dishes designed by Australian celebrity chef Neil Perry, paired with fine wines from Australia, New Zealand and France. The pods even have another small seat in them so that a fellow First Class friend can join you for a meal.

While Qantas First Class doesn’t have the over-the-top private suites like some Middle Eastern airlines, it’s equal to that of any other airline going to Australia. If you can afford the price or upgrade, I’d recommend it as a luxurious, restful and relaxing way to transit the Pacific in case you’re going via LA.

Qantas Business Class

Qantas Business Class seating is identical across the A380s and the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The A380s offer 70 seats in this class, while the 787s have 42 available. The seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 setup. If you’re travelling solo, I’d say the window seats are the clear choice.

Pro-tip: the staggered seat setup means only the odd-numbered “window” seats in Business Class are actually next the window, with a privacy screen and work area separating them from the aisle, while the even-numbered seats are adjacent to the aisle with a table and storage area by the window. Given the seat and aisle width, you’re probably not going to be jostled, but I would definitely recommend the odd-numbered window seats.

The 58-cm wide Business Class seats can be converted into lie-flat mode, with flight attendants supplying a fitted mattress, duvet, pillow and PJs for sleep. The cotton pyjamas with the Qantas kangaroo logo are a comfy souvenir that I’ve worn for years. At around 190 cm tall, I still had room to stretch out and get hours of sleep on the journey.

I think meal service in Business Class is top notch. It has been upgraded with larger-sized entrees and a new menu from chef Neil Perry’s catering business, featuring local Australian items like grilled beef and lamb with paired wines. Dinner is usually served shortly after take-off from Vancouver, while light dishes can be prepared at request at any time.

Qantas Premium Economy

Qantas’ wide and comfortable Premium Economy seats are of a quality similar to Business Class on most Canadian or US domestic airline flights, arrayed in a 2-3-2 configuration. The seats are over 59 cm wide, with a decent 97 cm pitch. It’s no lie-flat luxury, but with a headrest with pillow space, and leg and foot-rests, even I’ve been able to get some quality sleep in these seats.

I’d recommend Premium Economy as the Qantas sweet spot in terms of comfort for the price. You don’t have to pay premium Business Class or First Class fares, but still get an elevated level of comfort and service that can make a huge difference on a long-haul flight.

On the A380, Premium Economy is located on the aircraft’s upper deck, complete with its open bar and snack lounge, so I felt kinda special (until I walked by the more luxurious business class pods).

Qantas Economy Class

It’s hard to look forward to sitting in an Economy Class seat for a 16-hour flight, but I think Qantas has made its budget seating and experience about as pleasant as it can be. Decent meals, free alcohol including Australian wines, an open snack bar and amenity kits help get you through the journey, and a well-stocked entertainment system on seatback screens can keep you distracted.

Qantas Economy Class seats in both the A380 and 787 are 44 cm wide with a 15 cm recline and a healthy 81 cm of “seat pitch” (a measurement of leg room). These dimensions are about average for long-haul carriers. At over 190 cm tall, my knees still had a little room between me and the seat ahead of me.

The A380 has nearly 40 rows of economy seats arranged in a 3-4-3 layout, so don’t count on a quick exit if you’re back in row 88. Bulkhead seats are a good call for legroom, as is the coveted aisle seat D71 with an empty space in front of it. The 787s have 166 economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. I’d recommend booking early to avoid that middle seat.

Qantas lounges

Travellers on Qantas can enjoy pre-flight access to a network of Qantas and Oneworld partner-run lounges in airports globally. Passengers flying First or Business Class get access to lounges, as do certain credit card holders and airline status holders from network airlines.

The Vancouver SkyTeam Lounge offers a luxurious environment for First, Business and Elite Plus customers flying on any of the alliance’s nine member airlines currently serving the airport. With a light colour palette, an impressive glass elevator and two separate wings to explore, the pre-flight experience here is excellent. It is located in International Concourse D, near Gate 53, and includes bar service, barista-made coffee and lounge dining. There are also showers available in case you need to freshen up.The Qantas US lounge highlight is definitely the Los Angeles First Lounge. I really enjoyed this expansive space, and it's the only lounge at LAX with a sit-down meal service. I sampled yummy menu highlights, including salt and pepper squid, seared seabass, Korean chicken tacos and a rotating Australian wine list.

In Australia, the Qantas Sydney First Lounge is a long-time top-rated airport experience, the airline’s flagship location with stunning architecture and runway views, great restaurant, showers and even spa services. I’ve come to the airport extra early just to take advantage of this lounge. Qantas is also in the process of upgrading its Sydney International Business Lounge and other global lounges over the next few years.

Baggage

For international flights from Canada, Qantas allows one free carry-on bag for Economy Class, and two for passengers in premium classes. The allowable size is 115 cm (the common 56 x 36 x 23 cm bag). Technically, there’s a 7 kg weight limit per carry-on bag, but I’ve never seen them weigh one.

The checked bag allowance for international flights to and from North America is one bag (weighing up to a hefty 32 kg) for Economy, two bags for Premium Economy or Business, and three bags for First Class. Extra luggage allowance is given to elevated status frequent flier members.

Qantas Wi-Fi

Qantas long haul flights from Canada currently do not have Wi-Fi, but the airline is in the process of upgrading 787s with service expected to be rolled out in late 2024. Qantas domestic flights in Australia have Wi-Fi available on select flights.

Qantas frequent flier programs

Qantas is part of the Oneworld network, which includes Alaska and American Airlines among others. Points and benefits are transferable between the airlines, with access to lounges dependent on status level. Unless you’re planning a ton of Australian travel, I’d recommend registering with other Oneworld-network partners for your flight booking rather than the Qantas Frequent Flier program.

In past years, Qantas had made it more difficult to redeem points for flights, but I’ve seen the redemption program value improving recently, both in terms of availability of seats and upgrades and booking costs.