Qantas is running repatriation flights from these 4 airports this month

Qantas will be operating regular (but limited) flights to get Australians home. This guide will detail the services that are running, how much tickets will cost and what passengers can expect.

Where is Qantas operating repatriation flights during COVID-19?

During the month of April and into early May, Qantas is operating scheduled repatriation flights for Australian citizens from four overseas ports: Auckland, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and London.

Auckland and Hong Kong flights operate twice a week, whilst services from Los Angeles and London run once a week.

All flights are operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

These flights are in addition to one-off repatriation flights by Qantas from places like Argentina, Peru and South Africa.

Virgin Australia is also operating a smaller number of services from Hong Kong and Los Angeles to Brisbane.

Why is Qantas operating these flights?

As the national carrier, we’ll operate a small number of international services between Australia, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong and Auckland to support the Federal Government in bringing Australians home and maintain crucial freight links.

How much do tickets for these flights cost?

There is a set price for each ticket, which varies according to origin airport (estimated price in Australian Dollars):

• Auckland: $310 (compared to $348 on Air New Zealand)
• Hong Kong: $707 (compared to $604 on Virgin Australia)
• Los Angeles: $740 (compared to $745 on Virgin Australia)
• London: Unclear

What can passengers on these flights expect?

Basically, a safe journey home. Service on these flights is vastly reduced.

• Limited food and beverage service
• No inflight entertainment
• Economy Class only

• Seat selection unavailable
• No points or Status Credits earn
• No upgrades

Upon arrival back to Australia, passengers will go into a forced 14-day quarantine at a hotel.

Where can I find more information about these flights?

Go to this page on the Qantas website. Stranded passengers can tickets for these flights on the Qantas website, through the Qantas App or over the phone.

Summing up

It’s good to see Qantas getting in the skies and operating some international flights for the benefit of both transporting freight and repatriating citizens back to Australia.

However, these flights are definitely not going to be comfortable, with limited food and beverage and no inflight entertainment. Plus, the tickets are not cheap.

Supplementary images courtesy Qantas.