American and Qantas boost US-Australia flights
May 6, 2025
American Airlines and Qantas will bolster transpacific connectivity this winter with new services linking the United States and Australia, as demand for travel between the two countries continues to rise.
From 5 December 2025 until the end of January 2026, American will introduce a new route between Los Angeles (LAX) and Brisbane (BNE), operating three times a week with Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
On the same timeline, joint business partner Qantas will upgrade its Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Melbourne (MEL) service to daily operations and transition all DFW–Sydney (SYD) services to Airbus A380s starting in January.
“American is proud to partner with Qantas to increase travel options for customers to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this winter,” said Steve Johnson, American’s Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer.
“Together, we offer the most comprehensive service connecting the United States with Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. For our customers, this means more ways to plan vacations to visit friends and family or jet off for a new adventure in one of the most picturesque regions of the world.”
Qantas Group CEO of International, Cam Wallace, added: “The strength of our partnership with American Airlines continues to bring great benefit to our customers around the world.
“We know Australia remains very popular with U.S. travelers, and these changes will provide increased connectivity onto our vast domestic network to some of Australia’s most unique destinations.”
American’s new LAX–Brisbane flights will complement its existing DFW–Brisbane service, which returns on 26 October after a successful debut last year.
All American flights on the route will feature the airline’s newly outfitted Boeing 787-9 aircraft, equipped with 51 Flagship Suite seats and 32 Premium Economy seats.
Separately, Qantas is set to expand its international network from Perth, adding direct services to both Auckland and Johannesburg from December 2025.
Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International, said: “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes, unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network.
“By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state. These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network.
“Our new Perth to Auckland route offers a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink.
“We would like to thank Perth Airport, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, and Australian Border Force in working together to make these new flights possible.”
