Qantas launches Melbourne-Jakarta flights

Qantas continues to grow its international network from Melbourne with non-stop flights to Jakarta taking off just after the Easter break.

From 16 April 2023, the Roo will run three return flights per week between the capitals. These will be served by the airline’s Airbus A330 jets, offering Business and Economy. They also complement the airline’s existing Sydney-Jakarta flights, which run daily.

The move follows Qantas’ launch of flights between Melbourne and Dallas/Fort Worth in December 2022.

Qantas’ Melbourne-Jakarta flight schedule

Looking to book Qantas’ new non-stop Melbourne-Jakarta route? Here’s when you’ll find it flying.

Route	Flight number	Days	Departure time	Arrival time	Duration
Melbourne to Jakarta	QF39	Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays	3:10 pm	7:15 pm	7 hr 5 min
Jakarta to Melbourne	QF40	Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays	9 pm	6:40 am (+1)	6 hr 40 min

All flights will be operated by Airbus A330 aircraft. These will bring Qantas’ Business Suites to the Melbourne-Jakarta route. Behind the curtain, Economy comes in a 2-4-2 layout. Many people prefer this configuration when travelling as a pair. That’s because neither passenger would be stuck with the middle seat when sitting in those window-side pairs.

Victoria is an incredibly important part of our network and we’re seeing strong demand for travel to and from Melbourne. We expect these flights to be popular with Victoria’s large Indonesian expat community wanting to visit family and friends back home as well as offering a new gateway for travellers looking to explore the region.

Indonesia is a rapidly growing economy and home to more than 270 million people. As one of Australia’s closest neighbours, these new flights will also help support the growing trade and investment links between our two countries.

– Andrew David, CEO Qantas Domestic and International, 2 February 2023

Booking Qantas’ Melbourne-Jakarta flights using Qantas Points

With flights between Melbourne and Jakarta now on sale, Classic Flight Reward seats can also be booked using Qantas Points. But unlike previous international route launches, Qantas isn’t kicking this service off with a ‘Points Plane‘. Reward seats are instead subject to availability throughout the year, much like any other service.

The good news is that at least some dates have reward seats open in Business. Economy is also relatively easy to book using Qantas Points.

From Melbourne to Jakarta, you’d need 20,300 Qantas Points plus $125 per person, one way in Economy. Booking Business on the same route requires 57,000 Qantas Points plus $195 – also per person, one way.

Where reward seats aren’t available – or on the days where Qantas isn’t flying direct – alternatives may be available on Qantas via Sydney.

Summing up

Qantas has served Jakarta for many years, but only from Sydney. The addition of Melbourne-Jakarta flights makes it easier to reach the Indonesian capital using Qantas Points.

While Garuda Indonesia already offers direct flights between Melbourne and Jakarta, Garuda isn’t partnered with any Australian frequent flyer program. You can earn and redeem Etihad Guest miles on Garuda flights, though – and Etihad Guest is a transfer partner of programs like Amex Membership Rewards. However, Etihad’s redemption rates aren’t great.

On a comparable Melbourne-Jakarta flight, you’d need 50,000 Etihad Guest miles for a Garuda Economy Class seat. Compared to spending Qantas Points on Qantas’ new flight, that’s roughly two and a half times as many points for a comparable booking.

For Garuda Business Class, you’d need 70,000 Etihad Guest miles one way. Again, greater than the number of Qantas Points needed for a Qantas flight on the same route. The gap here is much less than in Economy though, so booking Garuda through Etihad Guest could still appeal – especially if there’s better reward seat availability.

Either way, Indonesia remains a popular destination with Australian travellers – especially to Denpasar (Bali).

Also read: Planning a 3-day stay in Bali? Try out this itinerary!

Featured image courtesy of Qantas.

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