The new agreement is an extension of the 14-year partnership with Accor, with their team of hospitality professionals providing Qantas customers with world-class service across the airline’s network of domestic and international lounges.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the renewed agreement highlights the airline’s commitment to maintaining a premium travel experience for its customers across every part of their journey.
The announcement coincides with Qantas’ plans to fast-track the reopening of its First lounges in Australia in line with the launch of the two-way trans-Tasman travel bubble on 19 April 2021.
The national carrier is ready to welcome visitors to its First lounges in Sydney and Melbourne as well as its International Lounge in Brisbane, a year after they closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
While normally reserved for Platinum Frequent Flyers, Qantas will extend an invitation to customers travelling in Business, Gold Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members to visit the First Lounge until the neighbouring Business lounges reopen.
With Qantas’ lounges in New Zealand currently closed, Qantas will also offer Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members access to Air New Zealand lounges in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
First Lounge customers will be offered an a la carte dining experience designed by Neil Perry featuring some of the most popular menu items such as salt and pepper squid with green chilli dipping sauce, healthy bircher muesli for breakfast and the signature pavlova, as well as menu highlights from other Qantas lounges.
All Qantas’ 787-9s have been reactivated and are operating repatriation flights on behalf of the Australian Government and some freight-only services.
To help meet increased demand for low fares leisure travel and fill structural gaps in the Australian market, Jetstar will deploy six Airbus A320 aircraft on loan from Jetstar Japan on leisure routes.
Jetstar also expects to deploy up to five of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft, usually flown on international routes, in the domestic market from mid-year until international flying returns. On sale from today, these 335-seat aircraft will initially be flown between Melbourne/Sydney-Gold Coast and Melbourne/Sydney-Cairns.
The Group has also engaged Alliance Airlines to operate three Embraer E190 aircraft from May to provide capacity on existing Qantas routes in northern and central Australia. Under an agreement announced earlier this year, Qantas can access up to 14 E190 aircraft from Alliance Airlines, giving it the flexibility to respond to changes in demand.
During the fourth quarter, 90 per cent of the Group’s aircraft will be active, compared with just 25 per cent at the height of the national lockdown in mid-2020. Qantas and Jetstar will have more aircraft operating on domestic and resources markets than pre-COVID, including all Boeing 737s and Airbus A320/A321s. Some aircraft which operate international flights including the entire A380 fleet (which are in long-term storage) and some Airbus A330s and Jetstar 787-8s, have not resumed flying. ■