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A SENIOR delegation from Texas in Australia this week is optimistic that Qantas will increase its flights to Dallas Fort Worth on 24 Aug, when QF ceo Alan Joyce makes an announcement about the future of the airline’s international operations. At a function this morning (see p4) Qantas confirmed it had experienced 90% load factors on the new service since it launched ten weeks ago, with regional gm Peter Collins saying the route had been one of the most important debuts for QF in recent years. “The bulk of our customers have been the leisure market and the flights give us six times more connections to other US destinations with our code-share partner American Airlines than Los Angeles,” he said. Dallas Fort Worth Airport vice president, Luis Perez, told TD the four times weekly flights had been “extraordinarily successful. “We’d like to see the airline operate daily, sooner rather than later,” he enthused. Collins said only three QF flights on the return journey from DFW to Brisbane had been diverted to islands such as New Caledonia due to an extreme pattern of strong headwinds, but this had had “little impact on travellers”. MEANWHILE rumours are beginning to swirl about changes to the Qantas and Jetstar networks as a result of the review. Neither carrier is commenting on speculation which emerged yesterday suggesting affected ports will include Frankfurt and Shanghai. |
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TRAVEL industry staffers enjoyed a tasty breakfast this morning at the Sydney Four Seasons Hotel, courtesy of a senior delegation from Dallas, Texas (see p2). Organised by the Visit USA committee, Qantas joined with the Dallas Convention and Vistors Bureau, the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tax Free Shopping and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to celebrate the direct Qantas flights to “one of the world’s most efficient airport destinations”. DFW ceo Jeff Fegan bragged about the destination, saying “there’s no better place to start than Dallas/Fort Worth because thereare quick connections to 139 cities”. Pictured above at the event are Geoffrey Hutton, Visit USA Chairman (left) with Luis Perez, vice president DFW Airport. |
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And also enjoying the hospitality at left are Monique Roos from the US Consulate in Sydney with Estela Martinez-Stuart, Tourism Fort Worth. |
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