Qantas
Australia's flag carrier and a oneworld founding member. Home of QF9 and QF10 (London to Perth, the world's longest 787 route) and the upcoming Project Sunrise non-stops to Sydney from London and New York.
Cabin Classes
What You Get on Qantas
Qantas runs the full long-haul ladder on its 787 and A380 fleets - Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First (A380 only). Economy is solid for short and medium hauls and tight on the 17-hour QF9/10 sectors. Premium Economy is the underrated middle ground and worth seeking out on long flights. Business Class is the brand's signature - lie-flat, direct-aisle access, Neil Perry-designed menus, and lounges that match the cabin experience. First Class is A380-only and limited to a handful of routes.
Economy
ReviewedPitch
31-32"
Config (787)
3-3-3
Meal
Included on long-haul
Baggage
30kg international
Solid long-haul Economy. Better than the European low-cost Economy product but tight on QF9/10's 17 hours.
Premium Economy
Pitch
38-40"
Config (787)
2-3-2
Meal
Enhanced
Baggage
40kg
The product to consider on QF9/10 if Business is out of budget. The extra recline matters on a 17-hour flight.
Business
Pitch
Lie-flat
Config (787)
1-2-1
Meal
Neil Perry-designed dine-on-demand
Baggage
40kg
Direct-aisle access on the 787 and A380. Strong Australian cellar, well-paced service. The Qantas signature.
First Class
Pitch
Suite
Config (A380)
1-1-1
Meal
Neil Perry tasting menu
Baggage
40kg + extras
A380 only. Onboard suites and one of the strongest First products outside the Gulf carriers. Limited routes - SYD-LAX, MEL-LAX, SYD-DXB, MEL-LHR via SIN.
My Reviews
Qantas Reviews on Planet Patrick
LHR → PER · Economy
ReviewedQF10 · Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
The world's longest 787 route - 17 hours direct from London Heathrow to Perth in Economy. What 17 hours in seat 30A actually feels like.
7.0/10
PER → MEL · Economy (Sector 2)
ReviewedQF10 Sector 2 · Boeing 787-9
The continuation of QF10 into Melbourne - included as a separate sector if you want to extend the journey east, or stop in Perth and pick it up later.
7.5/10
QF9 and QF10
London to Perth Direct
QF9 (Perth to London) and QF10 (London to Perth) opened in 2018 as the longest 787 routes in the world, at around 17 hours and 14,500 km, and changed the UK-Australia map - you could fly direct from London to Australia for the first time in commercial aviation history.
Update, March 2026: the route no longer runs direct in both directions. London to Perth (QF10) still flies nonstop, but the return does not: Perth to London now routes via Singapore as QF209 and takes upwards of 20 hours. Airspace closures across the Middle East after the 2026 Iran crisis added enough distance that the 787-9 could not hold the nonstop without cutting payload, and the Singapore stop lets Qantas carry around 60 more passengers a flight. No date has been published for restoring it, so check the routing on your own dates before booking (Simple Flying has the full background).
Practically: eastbound (QF10 from London) is a daytime arrival in Perth around lunchtime; you can connect to most Australian east-coast cities the same day, or stop in Perth.
Project Sunrise is the next chapter - non-stop London-Sydney and New York-Sydney on a customised A350-1000. The first aircraft flew its maiden test flight in June 2026, with delivery to Qantas planned for April 2027 and commercial routes following.
The Qantas Explorer
The Multi-City Add-On Worth Knowing
The Qantas Explorer pass is one of the more useful airline group-fare products. Bolted onto an international Economy ticket on Qantas, it lets you add multiple internal Australia and New Zealand flights at heavily discounted rates - typically around £100 per leg compared to the £200-400 you would pay booking each domestic separately.
I have used the pass on a 5-week, 8-city Australia trip including Uluru, Alice Springs, Darwin, and Adelaide alongside the major coastal cities. Full breakdown in my Qantas Explorer guide and the pricing breakdown. Note: Premium-cabin international tickets do not qualify - it is Economy only.
Lounges
Qantas Lounges on the Long-Haul Route
The strongest Qantas lounges sit at the airline's home hubs - Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth - with the international First Lounges in SYD and MEL designed by Marc Newson and serving full Neil Perry menus. The London Heathrow lounge in T3 is shared between Qantas and oneworld carriers and serves both QF1 (via Singapore) and QF10 (direct to Perth). All three of the long-haul lounges I have personally used are covered in the review below.
Route Network
Where Qantas Flies
Qantas operates one of the smaller flag-carrier international networks (around 30 international destinations) but a vast Australian domestic network through Qantas, QantasLink, and Jetstar. International flights from Sydney and Melbourne reach London (via Singapore on QF1 and direct from Perth on QF9), Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Vancouver, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Auckland, and Johannesburg. Project Sunrise will add direct London-Sydney and New York-Sydney from late 2026 onwards.
Booking Tips
How to Book Qantas Smartly
Qantas is a premium-priced carrier - you rarely book it because it is cheapest. The value comes from the cabin experience, the lounge access, the Explorer pass for multi-city trips, and the network of routes that cannot be matched on a single ticket from any other carrier (QF9/10 direct to/from Perth especially).
For frequent flyer crediting, Qantas's own programme is competitive but the British Airways Executive Club via the oneworld partnership often delivers more usable Avios for short-haul European redemptions. If you are flying QF9/10 in Economy, credit to BA and use the Avios for short Eurohops back home.
For Business Class on QF1 (the Singapore one-stop), watch the Singapore Airlines competition - on certain dates SIA undercuts Qantas significantly on the same Sydney-London routing, with a marginally better cabin product on the A380.