Qantas SYD-HNL route to become QF103/104

[Mattg]

Qantas' SYD-HNL flight has always been QF3 (and HNL-SYD QF4) for as long as I can remember. It's a throwback to the time when Honolulu was a necessary stopover on Qantas' flagship QF3/4 service to/from mainland USA. But having a look at the planned schedule for December 2021 and beyond, this flight is now being listed as QF103/104.

I wonder if this is to free up the QF3/4 flight numbers for future Project Sunrise flights? Noting that QF5/6 (previously SYD-SIN-FRA) is also not currently allocated.

 

[docjames]

I'd say that's a pretty good rationale. Single digits to all be ULH.

 

[Matt_01]

It's a throwback to the time when Honolulu was a necessary stopover on Qantas' flagship QF3/4 service to/from mainland USA.

Yep, and at some point in the past QF3 went onto SFO and YVR and QF4 was the return. As a kid in 1978 we travelled QF4 SFO-HNL, got off for a few days and then got back on HNL-SYD. With the ADF travel rules at the time (my Dad was in the Navy) it was also our first trip in QF F.

 

[levelnine]

I'd say that's a pretty good rationale. Single digits to all be ULH.

Except for poor old QF10?

 

[Mattg]

FWIW, QF103/104 also ties in well with QF101/102 which is Qantas' service to Nadi.

 

[jb747]

I'd say that's a pretty good rationale. Single digits to all be ULH.

That's fair. Be about how much fuel they have at the end....

 

[Matt_01]

OT, is there a definition of what is now considered to be ULH, has it changed? With the likes of PER-LHR, SIN-JFK, SYD-DFW and others these are long flights, are flights such as SIN-LHR, HKG-LHR (or LAX) now just considered to be LH (long haul not the airline code)

 

[justinbrett]

I thought they already said that QF3/4 would be SYD-JFK - the original Southern Cross route was QF3/4 that went to JFK

 

[AIRwin]

There's always JQ3/4...

 

[Franky]

Yep, and at some point in the past QF3 went onto SFO and YVR and QF4 was the return. As a kid in 1978 we travelled QF4 SFO-HNL, got off for a few days and then got back on HNL-SYD. With the ADF travel rules at the time (my Dad was in the Navy) it was also our first trip in QF F.

Matt - 'six points of separation' or 'it's a small world' adages come to mind. I did the reverse trip as a Chief in the Navy in January 77 PER/SYD/NAN/HNL/SFO/SLC/DC on the way to a new posting working for the Naval Attache in our Embassy. I assume he was posted there to pick up one of the FFGs? During your time in the the US, I would have been managing your father's affairs as far as HR matters were concerned. I believe the F rules for family travel at that time died an early death when they realised how expensive it was to get that many sailors and their familes to and from the US.

 

[tomlee1986]

I wont be surprised if the QF3/4 is used for other project sunrise flights to be honest

 

[Matt_01]

Matt - 'six points of separation' or 'it's a small world' adages come to mind. I did the reverse trip as a Chief in the Navy in January 77 PER/SYD/NAN/HNL/SFO/SLC/DC on the way to a new posting working for the Naval Attache in our Embassy. I assume he was posted there to pick up one of the FFGs? During your time in the the US, I would have been managing your father's affairs as far as HR matters were concerned. I believe the F rules for family travel at that time died an early death when they realised how expensive it was to get that many sailors and their familes to and from the US.

I will digress a little and go OT to respond to @Franky. My Dad was also a Chief at that time, he was not posted to US rather we had spent the previous 12-18 months in Scotland as he was one of the engineers working on and building the boats (O class). I am not sure what the rules were at the time but our trip to the UK was on a 707 (QF7?), SYD-PER-BOM-LHR in Y and from what Dad has told me F travel was only allowed if all kids were between a certain age. I would have liked to post that the QF trip was my first ever trip in F however that dubious honour goes to TWA (LHR-LAX). Dad had worked out that there were not to many rules in getting back to AU so he had arranged to come back via LA so we could go to Disneyland and HNL hence the QF4 trip. From what I have been told the Navy sent him back to Scotland within 6 months of returning to AU to be the Chief of the boat that was to sail back to AU, it was not the same one he worked on or was posted too. The posted Chief had kids and elected to fly home, most likely in F and Dad just understood this was just the swings and merry-go-round.

 

[Franky]

I will digress a little and go OT to respond to @Franky. My Dad was also a Chief at that time, he was not posted to US rather we had spent the previous 12-18 months in Scotland as he was one of the engineers working on and building the boats (O class). I am not sure what the rules were at the time but our trip to the UK was on a 707 (QF7?), SYD-PER-BOM-LHR in Y and from what Dad has told me F travel was only allowed if all kids were between a certain age. I would have liked to post that the QF trip was my first ever trip in F however that dubious honour goes to TWA (LHR-LAX). Dad had worked out that there were not to many rules in getting back to AU so he had arranged to come back via LA so we could go to Disneyland and HNL hence the QF4 trip. From what I have been told the Navy sent him back to Scotland within 6 months of returning to AU to be the Chief of the boat that was to sail back to AU, it was not the same one he worked on or was posted too. The posted Chief had kids and elected to fly home, most likely in F and Dad just understood this was just the swings and merry-go-round.

Thanks Matt - when I thought about it a bit more, I realised that your trip was a bit early for the FFGs, and thought perhaps hewas on an exchange posting in the US. But the numbers applicable for the FFGs were in the several hundreds, and the F jolly didn't last much longer. Another reason for reverting to economy, was that the senior officers who were travelling in the same airarft as the crews had older kids, and had to travel in Y, which I am sure was a major factor in the decison!

 

[bernardblack]

Interestingly, I have been monitoring a fare DUB-DFW-HNL-SYD-MEL, with stopovers in the continental US and HNL, in J, for late May to early June. It was pricing out a couple of days ago using the QF HNL-SYD flight (although I didn't take note of the flight number) but today isn't working. It looks like they're currently selling only Y on that sector (QF104) for dates around then, even though equipment shows as 333. Anyone got a theory? Are they prepping to move everyone to JQ metal? Is HNL in the plan for then (they mentioned LAX in the press release, and SFO as an A330 destination from BNE), and if not, why even sell Y?

 

[serfty]

Here's a picture of low QF flight numbers from 21 years ago:
(Note where QF3/QF4 fly to/from on different days)

 

[AIRwin]

Here's a picture of low QF flight numbers from 21 years ago:
(Note where QF3/QF4 fly to/from on different days)
View attachment 257448View attachment 257448

Wow I remember flying on some of these flight numbers since but on a different routing:
QF15 SIN-LHR (which originated from PER)
QF25 MEL-AKL (which also continued on to LAX)
QF25 SYD-HND
QF29 MEL-HKG-LHR
QF35 MEL-SIN
QF36 SIN-MEL

 

[docjames]

QF29/30 was MEL-HKG-LHR vv for quite some time.

 

[SYD]

There's always JQ3/4...

With points options - unlike QF103/4….

 

[BravoJuliet]

I thought they already said that QF3/4 would be SYD-JFK - the original Southern Cross route was QF3/4 that went to JFK

View attachment 256549

In 1967 I flew the VJet from SYD to HNL via Nadi for refuelling.
It was a beautiful trip for a 12 year old.
After a few days I went on from HNL to LAX. Could that have been a QF service?

 

[justinbrett]

In 1967 I flew the VJet from SYD to HNL via Nadi for refuelling.
It was a beautiful trip for a 12 year old.
After a few days I went on from HNL to LAX. Could that have been a QF service?

Are you sure it was LAX and not SFO?

Back in those days SFO was the main gateway, and the standard Southern Cross route was SYD-NAN-HNL-SFO. Some went direct SYD-HNL.