Qantas Continues Perth Expansion With New Flights To Johannesburg And Jakarta

Qantas has reaffirmed its investment to give Western Australians easier access to the world while boosting tourism to the state. The national carrier has announced two new routes departing Perth for Johannesburg and Jakarta, which are to begin later in the year. The flights are the latest of eight new international services announced by the national carrier since Australia’s international borders re-opened in November 2021. On the other hand, Qantas’ domestic flying continues to see huge cuts in response to rising fuel prices.

These direct services from Australia’s west to South Africa and Indonesia are being supported by the Western Australian Government’s Reconnect WA package, with the cooperation of Perth Airport. Qantas will also work to boost inbound interest into Perth and regional Western Australia.

The Schedule

The new routes are of course subject to government and regulatory approval but are already open for booking. November 1 sees the first service between Perth and Johannesburg, a route previously exclusive to South Africa’s embattled national airline which withdrew services in early 2020 as the pandemic set in.

This announcement adds to Qantas’s international reach from Perth with services to Singapore, London and Rome already up and running. Fares are now on sale with Perth to Johannesburg starting at $1800 return and Perth to Jakarta from $870 return.

Qantas will operate from Perth to South Africa with Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday services onboard its Airbus A330-200 aircraft. These aircraft cater for 251 passengers, with 27 in Business and 224 Economy seats. The schedule is as follows:

• QF65 departs Perth at 3pm to arrive in Johannesburg at 8:15pm the same day (11h15m)
• QF66 departs Johannesburg at 10pm to arrive in Perth at 1:15pm the following day (9h55m)

Perth to Jakarta will first depart on 30 November, with 12 Business and 162 Economy seats onboard Qantas’ Boeing 737 aircraft. Flights will depart three times weekly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, as follows:

• QF65 departs Perth at 7:05pm to arrive in Jakarta at 10:35pm the same day (4h30m)
• QF66 departs Jakarta at 11:55pm to arrive in Perth at 5:10am the same day (4h15m)

How To Book It With Points

While availability appears very limited, at least for the time being, the Classic Reward value on these routes is particularly good. Here’s how many Qantas Frequent Flyer Points you’ll need for a redemption:

• Johannesburg (Economy): 31,500 Qantas Points plus taxes
• Jakarta (Economy): 18,000 Qantas Points plus taxes
• Johannesburg (Business): 81,000 Qantas Points plus taxes
• Jakarta (Business): 41,500 Qantas Points plus taxes

TIP: Want to learn how to earn these Qantas Points fast? Check out our guide to the top three Qantas credit cards here.

Comments From Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce

Speaking in Perth with Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan and Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the new routes marked a major expansion of the airline’s international network from Perth.

“Western Australia has become an increasingly important part of our international network and we’re really excited to be launching two more routes from Perth,” said Mr Joyce.

“International travel demand continues to rebound as people make up for two years of closed borders. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome are selling really strongly, which gives us the confidence to add new routes from our western hub.