Qantas’ newest destination in the United States isn’t necessarily what you might expect, though in fairness, the route also won’t be around for that long.
Qantas will fly nonstop to Las Vegas for first time
Qantas plans to launch a new seasonal route between Sydney (SYD) and Las Vegas (LAS), marking the first-ever regularly scheduled nonstop flight between Australia and Las Vegas. The service will operate 3x weekly between December 29, 2026, and March 12, 2027, with the following schedule:
QF55 Sydney to Las Vegas departing 9:00PM arriving 3:55PM
QF56 Las Vegas to Sydney departing 8:20PM arriving 6:35AM (+2 days)
The 7,720-mile will operate in both directions on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. The eastbound flight is blocked at 13hr55min, while the westbound flight is blocked at 15hr15min. Qantas will use a Boeing 787-9 for the route, featuring 236 seats, including 42 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 166 economy seats.
Here’s how Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace describes this:
“Australians’ appetite for international travel continues to be incredibly strong. Rome and Sapporo have shown us there’s real demand for seasonal services to destinations people want to visit at certain times of year, and we’re continuing to expand those direct connections around the world.”
“Our historic fleet renewal is giving us the flexibility to deploy aircraft where we see demand, opening up route possibilities that simply weren’t there before. Las Vegas becomes our 101st destination and is a great example of how we’re using that capability. This growth also creates real opportunities for our people, particularly our pilots and cabin crew, as we expand where we fly.”
This seems like a sensible but unique route addition
Ultimately we’re talking about a very limited time service here, as we’ll see 30(ish) flights operated in each direction. So, is there merit to this route?
The timing for this service is strategic, not just coinciding with peak season for visiting Australia, but it also operates during some of Las Vegas’ biggest global events and expos, including the Consumer Electronics (CES), as well as the Las Vegas Festival, an annual National Rugby League (NRL) event, which is popular with Australians.
It’s also noted how Australia ranks as the top international market without a nonstop flight to Las Vegas, and over 250,000 Australians visit Las Vegas each year.
So this seems like a smart, strategic route, and I’m sure the airline will have no issues filling these planes with good yields, especially given the short season. However, I wouldn’t expect year-round service, and think it’s much more likely that we see nonstop flights from somewhere in Australia to Chicago (ORD), Seattle (SEA), etc.
Bottom line
As of late 2026, Qantas will be launching a new seasonal route between Sydney and Las Vegas. The route will operate 3x weekly for a little over two months, and it’s well timed around CES and other peak season travel. It’s very cool to see a nonstop link between a city and a country for the first time, though yeah, I wouldn’t expect this route on a year-round basis anytime soon.
What do you make of Qantas adding Las Vegas flights?