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Qantas launches 1st nonstop flight from Australia to mainland Europe – ahead of Project Sunrise
June 23, 2022
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3 min read
Qantas launches 1st nonstop flight from Australia to mainland Europe – ahead of Project Sunrise
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On June 22, Qantas Airways flew directly from Perth Airport (PER) in Western Australia to Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) for the first time.
The new route will fly three times per week, and it’s Qantas’ first nonstop link to mainland Europe.
Australia’s flag carrier already offers a direct route from Australia to the United Kingdom, with nonstop flights from Perth to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) which launched in 2018. These flights were paused in 2020 due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions but recently resumed in May. Currently, Qantas is the only airline to connect the U.K. and Australia directly without stopovers. The journey on the Qantas Dreamliner covers 9,008 miles and takes 16 hours and 45 minutes.
These routes are precursors to Qantas’ Project Sunrise — the long-discussed plan to fly passengers directly from Sydney and Melbourne (which are located on the east coast of Australia) to London, Paris and New York City.
What is Qantas' Project Sunrise?
Project Sunrise is the (rather cool) name for Qantas’ efforts to introduce ultra-long-haul flights from Sydney and Melbourne directly to Europe and North America by the end of 2025.
Related: The best ways to use points and miles to fly from the US to Australia
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Qantas does currently offer U.K. routes to other Australian cities beyond Perth – Adelaide, Brisbane, Broome and Darwin, as well as Melbourne and Sydney – but these flights all involve at least one stopover (adding a varying number of hours to passenger journeys).
As for the U.S., a number of airlines offer direct flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other cities to Sydney and Melbourne – but none fly directly from New York or the East Coast.
The Project Sunrise route has already been tested: Qantas ran a historic test flight from New York to Sydney back in November 2019, called QF 787-9.
QF 787-9 left John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on a Friday at 9:27 p.m. and landed at Sydney Airport (SYD) on a Sunday at 7:43 a.m. It covered more than 10,000 miles and was in the air for 19 hours and 16 minutes, according to the plane’s captain.
Related: Behind the scenes: What it was like on the 19-hour Project Sunrise flight
Notably, the plane flew with the maximum amount of fuel possible, and a minimal number of passengers and crew on board.
Bottom line
Work on Qantas' Project Sunrise is still underway, but in the meantime, the airline has launched a new route from Perth to Rome. This impressive long-haul journey is the first nonstop flight from Australia to mainland Europe. Despite the pandemic putting a firm halt on all things travel in 2020 and 2021, Qantas confirmed in a May announcement that it had ordered 12 A350-1000 aircraft from Airbus, and said Project Sunrise is expected to launch in late 2025.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.