In a first for passengers travelling between Australia and South Africa, Qantas’ inaugural Airbus A380 Sydney-Johannesburg flight has taken to the skies today.
This is the first time Qantas’ superjumbo will fly to the continent of Africa, ferrying 485 passengers directly to Johannesburg. The four-cabin A380 features 14 First Class suites, as well as Qantas’ signature upper deck lounge exclusive to Business and First travellers. Premium Economy seating will also more than double on this route.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace highlights that ‘the A380 is a favourite among our frequent flyers’.
‘We are seeing strong demand for our Johannesburg services and, by upgrading to the Superjumbo, we will nearly double capacity during peak periods, adding over 130,000 seats per year between the continents.’
Qantas’ direct flight from Perth to Johannesburg is also slated for a relaunch from mid-2025.
Qantas launches codeshare partnership with Airlink
In addition to increased capacity on its Johannesburg route, Qantas has announced a new partnership with South African airline Airlink.
Domestic flights on the Johannesburg-based carrier will carry the ‘QF’ code, allowing for seamless connections from Australia to Johannesburg and then onwards to nine destinations in South Africa, including Cape Town.
Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on QF-coded flights operated by Airlink.
‘This extra capacity, combined with our new codeshare with Airlink, will significantly expand the options for Qantas customers heading to Africa, strengthening the connections between family and friends, business and trade as well as supporting the tourism industry on both sides of the Indian Ocean,’ says Wallace.
Qantas American Express Ultimate
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Points¹
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- 1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.
- Annual Fee:
- $450 p.a.
- Offer expires
- 5 May 2026
- Earn 70,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus an additional 30,000 Qantas Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 5 May 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) This card includes an annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit, two Qantas Club Complimentary Lounge Invitations after eligible Qantas spend each year, complimentary international travel insurance, and Qantas Wine Premium Membership (valued at $99). Earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 on everyday spend, 2.25 on Qantas purchases, and 0.5 on government payments. The annual fee is $450.
Fly Qantas’ A380 to Johannesburg using points
You can now book fares to Johannesburg on the A380 via the Qantas website from today.
To book a Classic Flight Reward, here’s how many Qantas Points you’ll need.
| Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First | |
| Sydney to Johannesburg | 37,600 | 71,100 | 94,900 | 142,300 |
Images courtesy of Qantas.
Also read: Qantas Airbus A380 First (Los Angeles – Sydney)
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By pure coincidence I was on the inaugural flight of the A380 from JB to Sydney, in Business. It was a bit of a shocker. The boarding was a fiasco, the wrong food was loaded on the plane and as a result the food and service was pretty terrible. The crew were nice but it just wasn’t their day. Not a great way to start. But the plane itself was magnificent and I expect this was just a teething problem. Funnily enough we were also on an Airlink flight from Maun to JB so understand how useful the codeshare will be.