Qantas’ Perth hub is expanding once more with the return of two international routes – Auckland and Johannesburg. Flown by a subfleet of long-haul-configured Airbus A330-200s, the jets will operate on a loop between the New Zealand and South African cities.
Cam Wallace, CEO Qantas International, says the two routes will enable passengers to connect to a broader range of services, including a new one-stop option for Perth-New York via Auckland.
“The response from customers since we announced these routes in May has been terrific. Today’s inaugural flight to Johannesburg is almost full, and we’re seeing positive forward bookings, so we know there is a strong appetite for direct travel between the West and South Africa, as well as Auckland.
“These routes unlock more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network, including to popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink in South Africa and for West Australians to New York via Auckland.”
Qantas previously attempted Perth-Johannesburg flights in 2023. However, it faced logistical issues with border processing – passengers had to disembark at T1, after which the plane was towed back to Qantas’ T3.
Check-in and the international lounge at Perth Airport
With all those issues fixed, QF65 (and the return QF66) now operate wholly out of Qantas’ T3 and T4 precinct at Perth Airport. At T4 check-in, ignore the kiosks and head to the right-hand side, where you’ll find staffed counters for international flights.
Business Class passengers and elite tier passengers with Silver or higher status can use the priority service lane on the left. It shouldn’t take long to send off your bags and get your boarding passes.
Next, be ready for two rounds of security. The first one is domestic-grade screening with modern machines, so you don’t need to remove laptops or liquids.
Once you’re through, head to Terminal 3 and look for ‘Qantas International’. Through here, you’ll pass through immigration and undergo international-grade screening. The equipment here is outdated, so you will need to remove laptops from your bags.
Qantas Perth International Lounge
Business Class passengers and Qantas Gold frequent flyers (and higher) can relax in the Perth International Lounge. Unfortunately, complimentary lounge passes aren’t accepted here.
Lunch will be in full swing, with a wide range of colourful salads and many hot and cold dishes. Be sure to venture out to the outdoor area where the grill cooks up fresh delights – right now, it’s a hearty cheeseburger.
Boarding is always at a gate nearby, so there’s no need to rush from the lounge. Check your boarding pass for your group number. Then get comfortable – it’s time for the 11 hr 20 min journey to Johannesburg!
Flying Qantas Economy Class on QF65
Seating and layout
There are 224 Economy seats on this version of the Airbus A330-200, arranged in a typical 2-4-2 layout – but a few centre rows are blocked out for crew rest. This configuration is handy for couples and families travelling together. Seats are 17.2″ (43.7cm) wide and have a standard pitch of 31″ (78.7cm). Testing out the legroom, there’s just enough space for my knees not to touch the seat in front.
Not all of Qantas’ Airbus A330-200s have in-seat screens, but the ones flying between Auckland, Perth and Johannesburg will. Screens are 8″ (20.3cm) diagonally and are based on the older Panasonic eX2 system. Unfortunately, it means screen resolution and responsiveness aren’t the greatest, but there’s also a remote in your armrest.
Food and beverages
The catering out of Perth is pretty good for Economy standards! After take-off, there’s a bar service with your choice of drink and some packaged nuts. Lunch is served soon after. The menu at the time of writing is:
- Pumpkin tortellini with creamy pea sauce, tomato and parmesan
- Beef brisket with adobo sauce, roast potatoes and onion salsa
- Railway chicken curry with baby beans and basmati rice
If you don’t mind some heat, I heartily recommend the railway chicken curry. It’s packed full of flavour and a higher-than-usual level of spice for that extra kick. Lunch is served with a slice of focaccia and cheese & crackers, followed by an ice-cream and Tim Tams.
The bar cart stocks a wide range of beers, wines, soft drinks and spirits. I’m delighted to see the Avro Gin Spritz – a favourite of mine in Qantas Business Class – is also available in Economy.
Don’t be shy – you can also ask the Qantas crew for drinks anytime throughout the flight, or visit the rear galley for snacks and drinks already on display.
Before landing, a light dinner is served. Expect options such as:
- Stir-fry noodles with spicy sour mushrooms, broccoli and water chestnuts
- Classic roast chicken and vegetables with thyme gravy
- Beef with mustard gravy, potato mash and roast vegetables
Flying Qantas Business Class on QF65
Seat and layout
Up at the pointy end, there are 27 familiar Qantas Business Suites in a 1-2-1 layout with one blocked for crew rest. This configuration has an extra lavatory at the expense of one seat, so there’s less queuing when it’s time to change out of your Qantas PJs.
Consider a bulkhead seat like 6A for extra space – it has a deeper footwell and a handy locker next to the screen.
Before take-off, the crew come around offering a glass of Champagne (today, it’s Jacquart Mosaïque Brut) or water. A colourful amenity kit is already at the seat, and later, the crew also offer PJs.
Lunch
Once you’re in the air, it’s best to get settled with a movie and a round of drinks with premium salted nuts first, as lunch isn’t served at a particularly fast pace. By the time I’m nearing the end of my film, the starters are served.
- Roast tomato soup with rocket pesto
- Australian tasting plate: Magra lamb salami, stracciatella, lemon myrtle tapenade, karkalla and lavosh
- Scallop and prawn dumplings with pickled fennel, cucumber, sesame and soy-braised wood ear mushroom
For the main course, there are four to choose from:
- Casarecce pasta with red wine-braised mushrooms, peas, spinach, asparagus, marinated Persian feta, and pangrattato.
- Ginger and shallot barramundi with stir-fried gai lan, king brown and shiitake mushrooms
- Roasted chicken breast with tomato, kale and pancetta braised beans, grilled broccolini and salsa verde
- Barrington Hinterland beef fillet with tarragon and black pepper sauce, potato puree and sugar snaps
If you fly Qantas international Business Class regularly, it’s not a very inspiring menu, as many of the options are similar on other routes out of Australia. But the barramundi is an excellent pick today – juicy and full of flavours, especially with the mushrooms and ginger paste.
For dessert, you can choose from a few options, including a cheese plate, a fruit plate, Pat and Stick’s ice cream sandwich (currently a Christmas special), or a mascarpone trifle.
Light dinner
Before landing in Johannesburg, Qantas offers a light one-tray dinner. Once again, there are four choices:
- Braised shiitake and king mushrooms with wheat noodles and crysanthemum greens
- Gremolata crumbed Humpty Doo barramundi with cherry tomato and caper salsa, rosemary potatoes and char-grilled broccolini
- Chicken in verjuice with parpika potatoes, buttered cabbage and peas
- Slow-roasted Margra lamb shoulder with creamy polenta, green beans and chives
My pick is the slow-roasted lamb, a dish so delicious that I was mopping up the sauce with the bread at the end.
I’ve had some pretty average meals in Qantas Business Class before, but the tasting plate, barramundi and lamb dishes today were all excellent.
Relax and work
The Qantas Business Suites are one of my favourite Business Class beds in the sky. It’s spacious and comes with a comfortable range of bedding.
Perth to Johannesburg is a wholly daytime flight that arrives in the evening, so it’s best not to sleep too much on board. Even so, I like to lounge around and work on the flatbed surface.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), these Airbus A330-200s still don’t have Wi-Fi installed. I prefer to work in-flight to pass the time faster, so the lack of Wi-Fi is a glaring omission for me.
Instead of working, you’ll probably want to sit back and enjoy the content on the 16″ touchscreen monitors. Qantas’ inflight entertainment systems feature a respectable range of new release movies, TV series (including collections from Paramount+ and HBO) and audio albums.
If you’re flying in Business Class, don’t forget that you can use the priority fast-track immigration lane at Johannesburg. At passport control, look to the left for signage.
Summing up: QF65 to Johannesburg
I’ve also flown South African Airways on the Perth-Johannesburg launch, so how does it compare with Qantas? SAA’s Airbus A340 is a much older product, so Qantas wins in terms of seat and entertainment. I’d say the food and service are broadly similar across both airlines.
Where South African Airways has an advantage is timing – the morning arrival is good if you want same-day onward connections. There are also significantly more reward seats (including in Business) available to book on South African Airways with Velocity Points, and they’re also relatively cheaper to book.
Qantas’ relaunched flight to Johannesburg is handy for West Australians and other interstate travellers who don’t want to detour via Sydney. Its departure is well-timed for Australian domestic connections, including interstate and regional WA flights – and I hear there are plenty of connections from places such as Broome, Adelaide and even Auckland.
However, the evening arrival in Johannesburg means you’ll probably need to stay the night before travelling elsewhere. Qantas codeshares with Airlink within South Africa, but these connecting flights are only bookable with cash via the Qantas website, not points.
Speaking of points, reward seat availability on the Perth-Johannesburg leg is disappointingly absent at the time of writing. If you were to find availability, a one-way Economy reward costs 36,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes, while Business Class costs 98,400 points + fees and taxes.
Platinum members and higher can call Qantas to release reward seats under certain conditions. Otherwise, you can consider putting in a points upgrade request, which ranges from 43,100 points (Flex) or 78,500 points (Saver). It could be worth it to travel in comfort and arrive refreshed for your next safari!
All photography by Brandon Loo, who travelled as a guest of TripADeal and Qantas.
