This year marks the 75th anniversary of Qantas’ maiden flight to Hong Kong. On June 26, 1949, a Qantas Douglas DC-4 Skymaster aircraft from Sydney landed at Kai Tak Airport. The flight, which is now about nine hours, took 20 hours back then – similar to the flying time of the upcoming Sydney to New York and Sydney to London direct routes that Qantas will begin operating in 2026.
They will be the longest direct flights in the world. On a recent visit to Australia, Style got to experience the Qantas business class cabin on three different flights: an overnight flight from Hong Kong to Sydney, a domestic flight from Sydney to Melbourne, and finally a day flight from Melbourne back to Hong Kong. How does Qantas compare to fellow Oneworld airlines Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways? If you’re a frequent traveller based in Hong Kong, you would probably agree that Cathay Pacific, the city’s flagship carrier, has seen better days.
Both its fleet and its service are not what they used to be, which is why savvy fliers and members of Marco Polo (Cathay’s loyalty programme) often opt for partner airlines such as Qantas and Qatar Airways, which offer the same perks, such as priority boarding and lounge access – and mileage points – often at much lower prices than Cathay. The business class pods on Qantas flights are in much better shape than those on most Cathay flights, and while they’re not as luxurious and private as Qatar Airways’ Qsuites, they’re spacious and comfor.