AFa340-300E From France, joined May 1999, 2084 posts, RR: 28 Posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 1056 times:
Hello,
I know Qantas Airways operated the route until the mid-1990's. Since United Airlines, which was also operating the route has upgraded its services to daily.
Could anyone give me some information regarding that route please?
When did Qantas start to operate it and when did they discontinue the flights? Why?
I assume they used a Boeing 747-400 on it.
What about United Airlines? I assume they started not so long ago, using the 747-400 either. When did they upgrade to daily please?
Trvlr From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4430 posts, RR: 24 Reply 1, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 936 times:
QANTAS still flies from SFO to SYD. I do not not know when they started (or then restarted) the service, but In October I was in SFO and I saw an operating QANTAS lounge and in May of this year I saw a fully loaded QANTAS 744 take off. It was truly a great sight.
V Jet From Australia, joined May 1999, 718 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 916 times:
Qantas has not operated into SFO with its own acft since well before the mid 1990s. QF codeshares with AA out of SFO to LAX where pax connect with the QF flt. If there was a 744 in SFO in May this year it would have been a diversion or some other type of non scheduled operation.
Trvlr From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4430 posts, RR: 24 Reply 3, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 898 times:
I don't know why QANTAS would divert to a fogged-in SFO, because that is when I saw it. It was probably non-scheduled or something. But then why was there a marked lounge there?
Tullamarine From Australia, joined Aug 1999, 1146 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 891 times:
Until the early 80's QF did not service LAX at all and all there US services went through SFO. As QF was an all 747 airline at the time all the planes were 747-200s. Typically they flew SYD-HNL-SFO or MEL-NAN-HNL-SFO.
QF started servicing LAX at about the same time they acquired their 747SPs which along with Pan Am inaugurated the non-stop SYD-LAX route.
Flygga From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 868 times:
QANTAS has not flown to SFO for many years. All flights have been via a code share connection to LAX. First is was US Air and then they switched to Reno Air and now AA. Not sure when QANTAS stopped SFO service. I now they originally stopped back before the B744's. I only saw old colors QF 742's at SFO. No new colors. I remember they resumed service for a short time via HNL with with B767-300, but that did not last long. As far as when they started, it was a long time ago. I remember growing up near SFO as a kid in the 60's, QF 707 "V-Jets" flying by.
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 833 times:
QANTAS took over from British Commonwealth Pacific Airways (Airlines?) in about 1954, I think. Seems to me they flew 1049E/G's all the way from Sydney to London via SFO.
Trvlr From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4430 posts, RR: 24 Reply 9, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 810 times:
V Jet: It was probably the latter, I don't know because I did not go in or anything. I just remember seeing a sign on the door that said QANTAS with their logo, but since I was walking quickly by to catch my connecting flight and I did not see if there was a lounge sign or button that you press to go in.
Johnboy From United States of America, joined Aug 1999, 2472 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 799 times:
This was probably a common lounge for QANTAS passengers and others. Probably was the Admiral's Club in the American Airlines (and formerly Reno Air and Canadi>n Airlines) concourse at SFO. Cathay Pacific also flies out of this concourse (although they land at the current international terminal).
There are QANTAS signs/logos everywhere in that particular concourse (as they're all oneworld alliance members).
Qf747sp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 801 times:
I am new to this forum, but this thread interested me. Qantas does not fly into SFO with their own aircraft at present and hasn't for a number of years now. The last QF 747s I saw into SFO were the SPs which flew the SYD - SFO route (I last flew this in about 1988). It was interesting because the SP would arrive at SFO around midday if my memory serves me correctly and did not depart until about 9pm that evening. Driving along freeway 101 (which runs along side of SFO), you could always see the QF SP parked next to the TWA Cargo building awaiting to be towed back over to the International terminal to be made ready for departure. I have some great pics of this.
Anyway, the QANTAS direct SFO-SYD route was stopped in the the late 80's early 90's. It then appeared to be replaced with a 767 flight that routed Cairns - Honolulu - SFO. If you continued to Sydney instead of Cairns, you would chnge planes in HNL and transfer to a SYD bound 747-200/300 which originated in LAX.
When Qantas decided to hub all its US services to LAX, SFO like Vancouver where dropped in favor of codeshares with Canadian, USAir, American, Reno Air amongst others. Today, there is a Qantas check in counter at SFO at the end of the American Airlines desks (along with Cathay Pacific). If you go to the departure gates in the AA terminal in the morning or mid afternoon, you will nearly always see a QF/AA flight number on the SFO-LAX route.
It amazes me that Qantas has not again started service to SFO with its own aircraft. I live in the Silicon Valley and have flown the Reno Air/QF, USAir/QF and American/QF flights and the service level is nowhere nere usual Qantas standards. Also, it leaves United with a monopoly on SFO-SYD flights. United's flights are nearly always full and daily, so I think the demand exists even if SFO is a United hub. And Qantas has just announced they will start 767 services to Vancouver and Toronto in addition to their New York service. Hopefully, San Francisco will be added next.
BTW, does anyone remember the short lived Air New Zealand service to Dallas/Ft. Worth?
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 12, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 790 times:
Stroud tells us that QANTAS replaced British Commonwealth Pacific Air Lines in May 1954, and that the transpacific Constellations were extended to New York and London in January 1958. Of course they also flew Sydney-London via India, but I don't think there was ever a through plane all the way around the world.
Trvlr From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4430 posts, RR: 24 Reply 13, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 764 times:
Thank you for your info, Qf747SP! When I saw that QF 744 in SFO in May I should have tried to track it on the computer when I got home! What other cities does anyone think QANTAS should start service to in N. America now that they have some more 767s?
QF747sp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (12 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 749 times:
Qantas talked a long time ago about routing SP's from Sydney to Tahiti and then New York. Certainly would have been an interesting trip. I am sure it would have probably been popular with the NY folks as well giving them an exotic vacation spot (with a direct flight!) instead of just the carribean.
I would like to see Qantas add more direct flights to the US that bypass LAX, I really do not like the international terminal there. Qantas is talking about buying long-legged A340/777 soon, maybe that will open up more direct flights. I think that if they added SFO (along with LA, NY, Vancouver and Toronto), they would be hitting a rather good route network. BTW, every time I go to Las Vegas, the place seems to be crawling with Aussies...maybe that would be an interesting new destination!
V Jet From Australia, joined May 1999, 718 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 706 times:
Alain,
Can you tell me where on the QF website you found that info. It is incorrect as the SYD/HNL/SFO flts were discontinued well before 1995.
Rgds Maurice
V Jet From Australia, joined May 1999, 718 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 691 times:
I would have thought at least late 80's or very early 90's.
I'm at work right now and have asked someone who might know
and they are getting back to me. I checked out the webpage and
1995 is when the regional office moved to LA ok but the flights to SFO
were earlier. I will post again when I get a more definitive answer
Rgds
Maurice
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 19, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 677 times:
AFa340-300E From France, joined May 1999, 2084 posts, RR: 28 Reply 20, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 666 times:
Hello,
V Jet: Well it seams like they did both:
"In 1995, Qantas moved its US regional headquarters to Los Angeles and discontinued flying to San Francisco..."
But maybe they made a mistake while writting this, as the person who wrote the piece can be not aware of the Qantas history and was asked to put that into a html page.
That would be nice if you could find me anything about that.
Qf747sp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 670 times:
I am sure QANTAS operated the route SFO-HNL with a 767 as late as the end of 1993 as I flew on it! Usually, it was one of Qantas' PW powered 767-238ERs and I think I remember seeing some of the 338ERs. Not sure what happened after that, as I was living in Australia at the time and can't remember when I read with dissapointment that the route was discontinued. The 767 through HNL was the last of that service though.
It used to depart about 9PM and would use the runway that would take off to the east (not the usual long haul take off runway). This was great as you would get a good view of her as you traveled down the 101 freeway.
Qf747sp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 663 times:
Sure, I will try and locate them.
I think they are down in Australia though, in storgae. I might have them here (US). I also have a shot of a QF 747SP in the old flying kangaroo livery at HNL in about 1983 or so, maybe latter as well as some early 80's shots at SFO.
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6082 posts, RR: 56 Reply 24, posted (12 years 10 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 645 times:
and UA started the route when Qantas stopped, Oct95. First five days a week and a year later the flight was daily. The SFO - SYD route usually is less full than LAX - SYD for UA, and UA has very good feed to SFO, so I don't think that Qantas will restart the route any time soon. The777Man
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