Four Airlines Add New Non-Stop Flights From The U.S. To Australia
Even as visits to the U.S. by Australians—and many other foreigners—drop in the current political climate, on the flip side, more and more Americans are heading Down Under. Along with a few other emerging global hotspots like Mexico and Japan, which I wrote about here recently at Forbes, outbound travel to Australia has been growing fast, with an 8% year over year increase from April 2024 to April 2025. In the time, the U.S. moved up to become the third largest foreign market for tourism to Australia, with 711,000 travelers. The trend began before the pandemic, and 2019 was the all-time record year before travel dropped off a cliff with COVID-19, but things picked up right where it left off, and trips more than doubled from 2022 to 2023 and are again approaching the all-time peak. One reason is more airlift, and that is going to continue, as four different airlines add new non-stop flights from the U.S. to Australia in the near future.
A strong dollar has greatly helped Ameircans travelling internationally in the past several years, thought it has weakened in most places in the past several months amid tariff turmoil and economic uncertainty. Still, while the exchange rate is down from recent highs, it remains near the highest peaks it hit in the last five years, and up about 20% from its 2021 low.
Australia a big country with a lot worth seeing. I have been several times, to the major cities, to wine country, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, to the red center of Alice Springs, and several times for golf, as Australia is a world class golf destination. This is especially true of Melbourne, a Bucket List trip, though there are also great courses in Syndey, Canberra and Tasmania. It is a huge destination for sports fans, between the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament, the unbelievably big Melbourne Cup horse race, F1 and many other international sporting events. Great Hiking, cycling, diving, and just about every kind of water sport and outdoor adventure can be found here. Culture abounds, from world class museum to Sydney's famous Opera House. Producing just about every kind of meat and plant that can be raised and sitting at the intersection of Western and Pacific Rim cuisine, the food scene is off the charts, while Australia is one of the world's greatest wine producers. An excellent national tourism website can help you plan your trip.
In short, whether you want to be active, enjoy urban bliss, hit the beach or just sit back and watch, there's something for everyone. But at the time I was traveling more regularly to Australia, back in the 1990s and early 2000s, the main flight choices were Sydney or Melbourne, usually via Los Angeles, and that has changed immensely. With the four new non-stops being added, all between December and January—peak summer season in Australia—you will be able to fly to four different Australian cities non-stop from five U.S. airports.
Before the new flights there were around 20 routes between the U.S. and three Australian cities Australia served by six carriers, with Qantas having the most airlift, followed by United, a situation that remains unchanged after the four new flights, with each of these carriers and American and Delta adding one.
Qantas already flies Dallas to Melbourne; Los Angeles to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; San Francisco to Sydney and Honolulu to Syndey. Qantas and American are in the Oneworld Alliance.
United flies San Francisco to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; Los Angeles to Melbourne and Sydney; and Houston to Sydney. United is in Star Alliance, which I believe is the best consortium.
Delta flies from Los Angeles to both Sydney and Brisbane, and is in Sky Team, while American Airlines flies Dallas to Brisbane and Los Angeles to Sydney. Hawaiian has just one flight, from Honolulu to Sydney, and low cost carrier JetStar, a subsidiary of Qantas, also flies from Honolulu to both Sydney and Melbourne.
The new non-stop flights from the U.S. to Australia are all rolling out in an eight week period at the end of the year. In order of their debut, these include:
American Airlines: Los Angeles (LAX) → Brisbane (BNE) launching on December 5, 2025
Delta: Los Angeles (LAX) → Melbourne (MEL) launching in December 2025
United: San Francisco (SFO) → Adelaide (ADL) launching on December 11, 2025
Qantas: Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) → Sydney (SYD) launching in January 2026
While Qantas, American and Delta replicate routes competitors already offer, the most notable is United and the addition of an entirely new city with first non-stop service to Adelaide, Australia's fifth largest city. Adelaide is one of the most enjoyable, full of museums, galleries and amazing cuisine, and is the gateway to the famed Barossa Valley wine region, less than an hour away. The Qanats flight from Dallas is also big as this is a major hub for American/Oneworld.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
11 minutes ago
- Skift
Japan Tourism Hits July Record, Sharp Declines From South Korea and Hong Kong
Japan had a record 3.43 million visitors in July, the highest ever for that month, even as growth slowed to its weakest pace of the year. The country brought in 3.43 million visitors last month, a 4.4% increase from 2024, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. And in the first seven months of 2025, Japan had 24.9 million visitors, an 18.4% jump from last year.
Entrepreneur
41 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
What a Stuffed Giraffe Can Teach You About Scaling Service
A stuffed giraffe's Ritz-Carlton adventure shows that true client loyalty comes from culture-driven service, not one-off gestures. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. A stuffed giraffe named Joshie broke the internet — and taught a masterclass in client service. When a three-year-old boy left his beloved stuffed giraffe, Joshie, behind at a Ritz-Carlton in Florida, the hotel could've done what any service-oriented company might: return the toy. Instead, they gave Joshie a vacation of his own. The giraffe came back in a box, safe and sound — accompanied by a photo album. Joshie lounging by the pool. Joshie driving a golf cart on the beach. Joshie getting a massage. The gesture went viral — not because it was a marketing stunt, but because it was business as usual for a company where service isn't a tactic. It's the culture. And it works. Related: We Have an Empathy Crisis on Our Hands. Here's How to Combat the Rising Trend of Poor Customer Service. Service isn't a slogan. It's a system. In a world where pricing can be matched and products copied, service is often the last true differentiator. But it's also where most businesses fall short. Here's what the data tells us: Nearly one in three customers says they'd walk away from a brand they previously loved after just a single poor experience. More than half of U.S. consumers believe that most companies still have work to do when it comes to delivering a satisfying customer experience. More than $3.7 trillion is lost globally every year due to poor customer experiences. That's a problem — especially for service-based businesses where loyalty is earned through trust, consistency and follow-through, not flashy perks. Related: Still Chasing Quick Wins? Here's How That Mindset Is Stopping You From Scaling Your Business Want better client service? Start behind the curtain. Most service breakdowns don't start with the client. They start behind the scenes. Businesses with high internal responsiveness — how quickly and clearly colleagues communicate — outperform their peers in both client satisfaction and profitability. Why? Because great internal service creates great external results. Clear communication leads to confident delivery. Fast handoffs mean fewer dropped balls. When your team is aligned, your clients feel it. Here are five steps to build a culture of service. 1. Build a shared service standard If you don't define what "great service" looks like, every employee will make up their own version. That's a consistency killer. Write it down. Make it specific. Train on it. Then keep it alive. Your service standard should include: How customer communications are handled Follow-up timelines Attitude and tone guidelines Response expectations, both internally and externally Most importantly, it shouldn't be a one-and-done onboarding checklist. Bring it into team meetings, use it in performance reviews, and tie recognition to it. Key takeaway: Clarity breeds consistency. And consistency builds trust. 2. Start your day like the Ritz Every Ritz-Carlton shift kicks off with a short, focused meeting on service. They call it "The Lineup." It's not a chore — it's their cultural glue. You can do the same. Even a five-minute huddle once or twice a week can keep service values top-of-mind. Talk about: A recent service win A client challenge someone handled well One simple improvement for the week These aren't just check-ins. They're momentum builders. Key takeaway: Small, regular rituals shape big, long-term behaviors. Related: The 4-Step Secret to Exceptional Customer Service 3. Share your "Joshie moments" You don't need a viral stuffed giraffe to build a service culture. But you do need stories. Create a shared space — a file, a Slack channel, even a corkboard — where team members can log standout service moments. Call it your "Joshie File." Highlight: Internal wins (teammates helping each other) External wins (client shout-outs or surprise solutions) Process fixes that improved service delivery Use these stories in onboarding. Feature them in meetings. Turn them into training moments. Celebrate them publicly. Because here's the truth: Culture isn't taught. It's caught. And stories are the best carriers. Key takeaway: Recognition drives repetition. 4. Make internal service count Want to truly embed service into your culture? Redefine how you measure performance. Too many organizations reward output but ignore how that output affects others. Start asking: Did this person communicate proactively? Were they a roadblock — or a bridge? Did they contribute to a team win or just focus on their lane? When internal service is part of the scorecard, people stop operating in silos. They start thinking like owners. Key takeaway: Reward the lift, not just the stats. 5. Empower your team to take ownership Want world-class service? Empower your people to make decisions without waiting for sign-off from four layers of management. Define the boundaries. Give your team tools, training and trust. Make it clear: If something needs fixing, they can fix it. That autonomy leads to: Faster response times Happier clients Employees who act like entrepreneurs And that's exactly what you want—people who take ownership because they can, not just because they have to. Key takeaway: When people feel trusted, they lean in. Culture over campaigns You don't have to send stuffed animals on vacation. But you do need to make people feel seen, understood and supported — consistently. Clients don't want perfection. They want to know that when something goes sideways, your team has it handled. That they matter. That someone's paying attention. And that kind of trust isn't built on policy. It's built on culture. If you're in the service business — and let's be honest, every business is now — this is your competitive edge. Not once. Not sometimes. But every time.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Alaska Airlines' New Loyalty Program Lets Members Choose How to Earn Points—Here's Why That Matters
Unlike many of its rivals, Alaska Airlines is giving members of its new loyalty program a choice on how they earn rewards points. The Alaska Air Group (ALK) carrier issued several press releases Wednesday, touting a premium credit card, free Starlink Wi-Fi, and a new membership program that is different than its peers' in one key way. Alaska Says Offering Under Its New Rewards Program Marks an Industry First Alaska Airlines on Wednesday announced the launch of its Atmos Rewards loyalty program, which combines its old Mileage Plan with Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles after the Department of Transportation cleared their merger last year. Under the new program, Alaska will allow customers to choose how they earn points: by distance traveled, price paid, or segments flown, in what the airline called the first offering of its kind in the industry. "We'll remain the only U.S. airline that offers points for miles flown," the carrier said. The move comes as other airlines have switched how they award loyalty points in recent years from distances flown to dollars spent. Alaska advised that for "thrifty travelers who take cross-country or international trips," earnings points for distance traveled might be the best option. For travelers flying in its premium cabins, getting points for dollars paid might be best, it said. "Flyers who take numerous short-distance flights, such as those between Neighbor Islands in Hawai`i or within California," can select that option and earn a flat 500 points for each segment flown, guaranteeing "a set number of points on every trip." Alaska Launches Premium Credit Card With Bank of America Alaska and Bank of America (BAC) are also introducing a new premium credit card, the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card, which comes with a $395 annual fee. Highlights include a new Global Companion Award redeemable in any class of service, eight passes each year to Alaska Lounges, points pooling with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members, and "an industry-first 3x points earning on all qualifying foreign spend," Alaska said. Free Starlink Wi-Fi Coming Next Year Building on Hawaiian Airlines' partnership with Starlink, Alaska said it will offer Elon Musk's high-speed, low-orbit satellite internet service "in 2026 and bring the technology to its entire fleet by 2027." The carrier is partnering with T-Mobile US (TMUS) to provide the service for free to all Atmos Rewards customers "beginning on select flights" next year. Rival carrier United Airlines (UAL) currently is rolling out free Starlink Wi-Fi, a division of Musk's SpaceX company, to its fleet. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
