Qantas Resumes New York Flights with New Onboard Additions
With a new aircraft, new pajamas, and new menu items, the airline is gearing up to restart the route, which was paused in 2020
Photo: New York-inspired Amenity Kits. Courtesy of Qantas.
Australian carrier Qantas is restarting flights to New York, which paused in 2020 during the pandemic. With the relaunch, the airline is rolling out a bunch of new additions, including onboard amenities by an Australian designer and New York-inspired menu items.
For the first time, the flights will transit through Auckland instead of Los Angeles. The flight is a prequel to the launch of Project Sunrise, which will launch the new world’s longest flight in 2025 with a nonstop route from Sydney to New York.
Photo: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Courtesy of Qantas.
Service will start on June 14 and operate thrice weekly from Sydney to New York. In October, Qantas plans to upp the route to four times weekly.
Custom Rebecca Vallance Amenity Kits
While onboard, Business Class customers will receive brand new pajamas and amenity kits created by Rebecca Vallance, an Australian fashion designer.
The designer created the bespoke Rebecca Vallance design as a tribute to one of the most energetic and thrilling cities in the world.
The pajamas feature a Qantas ‘Roo’ monogram alongside the brand’s logo with the flight numbers (QF3 or QF4) within a new New York heart design. In addition, customers can expect to find a custom-created amenity kit by the designer, which includes a matching eye mask and skin care products from Li’Tya. For the limited time it’s available, it will replace the Koskela amenity kit that is typically onboard the international network.
Newly Launched New-York Inspired Menu Items
Alongside the new pajamas, Qantas’ Creative Director of Food and Beverage Service, Neil Perry, created a selection of New York-inspired dishes that will be added to the inflight menu onboard the route relaunch for the premium cabins. This comes in addition to the recently upgraded dining options onboard all Qantas flights, which now include more menu options alongside plant-based options.
Photo: New York-inspired in-flight menu. Courtesy of Qantas.
“New York is one of the culinary capitals of the world, from its much-loved street food to its internationally revered fine dining Michelin-starred restaurants. We are using some amazing Australian produce to put our own spin on some of New York’s most famous food experiences,” explains Perry.
Photo: New York-inspired in-flight menu. Courtesy of Qantas.
Onboard options will include dishes like a classic Reuben sandwich, NY bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers, and lemon, and a New York-style baked cheesecake with blueberry compote, to name a few.
A New York-style spaghetti and meatballs, a classic beef hot dog with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard, and pecan pie with crème fraiche are a few other options.
“From a Reuben sandwich and a classic hotdog to New York style spaghetti and meatballs and General Tso chicken, New York does food its own way, and the result is a melting pot of amazing flavors which we are excited to incorporate across our menus,” says Perry.
Photo: New York-inspired in-flight menu. Courtesy of Qantas.
During June, the Qantas First Lounges in the Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland airports will also celebrate the route relaunch. Each of the lounges will feature a New-York inspired dish of the day, along with a Manhatten Spritz and Garibaldi cocktails.
With the relaunch of the route, the carrier is getting closer to its international network capacity, which was decreased during COVID.
