Qantas to DALLAS
 

Some good news for Qf 400 drivers, Sydney-Dallas-Brisbane. To start next year.

The routes will have to be flown by the B744ER. Great Circle distances SYD-DFW 8578mi & DFW-BNE 8303mi (the tracks go over the Baja Peninsular and Mexico). The headwinds on the way back obviously dictate BNE in lieu of SYD. It's probably in QF's interest to develop another port as a hub and geographically BNE is the obvious choice. I suspect that they may leave P class fitted to the ER's for this route as it is aimed at Business traffic with AA connections (DFW is AA's main hub).

Since when? My hot tip is it is going to be Santiago with a Rio stop..

Sounds a bit like pie in the sky... :sad: Whats the market that wants to goto Dallas...:}

Maybe the market that wants to avoid LAX (and fly in a decent plane halfway across the US)

Main issue will be filling it back.
Who wants to fly SYD/MEL-DFW-ORD/MIA-DFW-BNE-SYD/MEL
when you can fly SYD/MEL-LAX-ORD/MIA-LAX-SYD/MEL
even with the LAX factor.

DFW is a major hub for alliance partner American Airlines, among others.
Also a very busy air cargo airport.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I will use it, avoid LAX.....woo hoo. It will save me going via SIN or HKG to EWR or JFK (which I do now to avoid LAX) If only QF service will be as good as SQ or CX.

Any news if SFO will continue once Dallas starts?

That rumour has been around for at least ten years maybe fifteen so I'll believe it when I see it, just like all the other rumoured destinations I've heard about over the last 22 years.

It'd be nice though.

Regards,
BH.

I'll use it.

Every time I go skiing in Colorado I have to deal with the LAX nightmare to get onto a AA flight (if I'm using FF points) that takes me through DFW anyway. To get off in DFW saves me a sector. Bring it on!!

IIRC that is what they were originally ordered for, before 11 Sep 2001 caused a rethink.

DFW is AA's main hub and the idea was to be able to plug straight into that rather than have to put everything through LAX.

DFW in, SFO out. Makes some sense, but I will believe it when I see it.

That aircraft called the 777 would have been handy for DFW direct

Tailly, yes they did have DFW in mind when they ordered the ER's but the plan was to have the option for a second Aux tank fitted. The extra 10 tonnes of fuel would have given the aircraft the range to do DFW-SYD but when they did the sums, they found the payload would be too restricted (10 tonnes more fuel means 10 tonnes less pax & baggage).

All the businessmen who have connections on AA to 90% of the AA network - that's the market. As two other posters have said, avoiding the nightmare that is LAX and having one less sector makes flights direct to DFW very attractive.

I don't believe that there is going to be a reduction in SFO services in order to fly to DFW. As the Dugong takes over more of the LAX services, there is sufficient capacity in the B744 fleet to do both SFO & DFW.

Another vote here for "I'll believe it when I see it".

Only 10 years in QF and I lost count a long time ago of how many of these destination rumours I've heard. It still amazes me how excited we get about them, until the rumour just fizzles out eventually.

As a rule, QF mainline doesn't open new destinations. It only closes off old ones or siphons them off to code-share or cheap offshoot airlines. Marketing gurus that our crowd are. :hmm:

If it happens, great! Living in Orlando (MCO) now so getting back to Oz is multi-hop pain. Most of the time requiring routing via Atlanta & LAX because MCO-LAX is either too infrequent, wrong time or full.

Plenty of flights with AA to Dallas so that would make it a two sector flight with plenty of flight options and avoiding the LAX cesspit.

Qantas Engineering head seen en-route to Dallas yesterday.

Sorry for asking, but can someone confirm that 8500 miles is within the range of a 747-400ER with full pax and some freight. When this route has been previously discussed, I thought a stop in Auckland was a possibility.

8500 miles looks like a 787 sort of distance.

The still-air distances are (from great circle mapper):

SYD (33°56'46"S 151°10'38"E) DFW (32°53'49"N 97°02'17"W) 7454 nm
DFW (32°53'49"N 97°02'17"W) BNE (27°23'03"S 153°07'03"E) 7215 nm

The distances previously quoted are statute miles.

As a comparison, LAX-MEL is about 6900 nm. Given that DFW-BNE would have a lower headwind component, the air distance would be comparable, and with tailwinds, SYD-DFW would be fine for an ER as well, though I'd expect it to need full fuel and the possibility of reduced payload. You'd still get a full pax load (about 310) but reduced freight.

N

... so they say in the brochure, but the reality may be different ...

I wish DFW was on QF's radar! But as someone once said to me "theres not one imaginative bone in QF's body"

They just dont seem interested in building the brand and spreading the wings anymore. I would have thought DFW if the rumour is true might be a nice cash cow. Lots of money in Texas! (Reckon there might be some good leisure coin too!)