What to Expect on Qantas Flight QF3 to New York (via Auckland)

In June 2023, Qantas resumed operating flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, USA.

Australia’s largest airline had previously flown to New York via Los Angeles, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the new QF3 service from Sydney to New York stops instead in Auckland, New Zealand.

You can now fly all the way through from Sydney to New York via Auckland on QF3, without having to change planes. You’ll still need to get off the plane and clear security in Auckland. But most travellers treat this as a welcome opportunity to stretch their legs, given it takes just over 21 hours for QF3 to cover the 16,371km (or 10,173 miles) from Sydney to New York via Auckland.

Qantas passengers can also connect through Auckland from Brisbane or Melbourne, continuing onto New York on QF3. It’s also possible to simply begin your journey in Auckland, or just to travel on the sector between Sydney and Auckland.

Qantas competes with Air New Zealand on the Auckland to New York JFK route.

In a few years, Qantas will remove the Auckland stopover and fly direct from Sydney to New York using Airbus A350-1000s. The Sydney to New York route will be one of Qantas’ first Project Sunrise flights.

Are you flying soon on Qantas flight QF3 from Sydney to New York via Auckland? Or perhaps you’re booked on QF4 from New York to Auckland and Sydney? Our guide explains what to expect on this premium Qantas international route…

Qantas’ Sydney-Auckland-New York schedule

Qantas flights to New York depart from Sydney and Auckland on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in the Big Apple on the same day (thanks to the international date line).

From 30 October 2023, Qantas will add a fourth weekly Sydney to New York flight departing on Mondays.

The travel time from Sydney to Auckland is 3 hours and 5 minutes, while the leg from Auckland to New York takes 16 hours and 15 minutes. The transit in Auckland is just under two hours.

This is the current QF3 schedule from Sydney to New York:

• QF3 Sydney 09:35 – Auckland 14:40
• QF3 Auckland 16:35 – New York (JFK) 16:50

In the other direction, QF4 also departs New York for Auckland and Sydney on the same days – arriving two days later. The sector from New York to Auckland takes 17 hours and 30 minutes, then it’s another 3 hours and 40 minutes for the final leg to Sydney.

This is the schedule of QF4 from New York to Sydney:

• QF4 New York (JFK) 19:30 – Auckland 05:00 (+2 days)
• QF4 Auckland 06:30 – Sydney 08:10

The aircraft operating QF3 to New York

Qantas uses a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class seating for QF3 to New York. This is a modern wide-body aircraft configured especially for long-haul flights.

Unfortunately, there is no Wi-Fi or Q-Streaming on the Qantas Boeing 787-9. With Qantas, you’ll only find in-flight Wi-Fi on Boeing 737-800s and selected Airbus A330-200s when flying over Australia. But Qantas does provide a personal in-flight entertainment system at every seat on the Boeing 787-9.

Here’s some more information about the seats you’ll find on the Qantas Boeing 787-9…

Economy Class

There are 166 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout. The legroom is quite good, with 32 inches of seat pitch, although the seats are slightly narrow compared to those found on other long-haul jets.

Qantas’ 787-9 Economy seats are a bit more comfortable than the Air New Zealand 787 Economy seats because they have more padding and slightly more legroom. However, Air New Zealand offers a few extras that Qantas doesn’t have. One is Economy Skycouch, which lets passengers lie down across a row of seats. Air New Zealand will also soon introduce “Skynest” bunk beds that Economy passengers can rent for several hours.

Premium Economy

In Premium Economy on the Qantas Boeing 787, you’ll find 28 seats that are wider and offer more legroom than Economy. Premium Economy is in a 2-3-2 configuration.

Qantas passengers in Premium Economy also receive amenity kits, better meals and a wider selection of drinks. But there’s no dedicated Premium Economy toilet on this aircraft – instead, you’ll need to use the Economy or Business Class toilets.

Business Class

Qantas offers 42 lie-flat Business Class suites on its Boeing 787-9. Every seat comes with direct aisle access, thanks to the staggered 1-2-1 seating configuration.

Qantas normally provides amenity kits and pyjamas to Business Class passengers on long-haul flights. But for the QF3 and QF4 services to/from New York, Qantas even provides special, limited-edition Rebecca Vallance PJs and amenity kits in Business Class.

Transiting at Auckland Airport

All passengers need to leave the plane during the transit in Auckland. During this time, the plane is cleaned and there’s a crew change.

If you’re connecting all the way through from Sydney to New York on QF3, after disembarking in Auckland, follow the signs to the transit security checkpoint. You’ll need to re-clear security before heading upstairs into the international departures area of Auckland Airport.

Unfortunately, there can be long lines to clear transit security at Auckland Airport. There’s only one screening lane and there can be a lot of transit passengers arriving at the same time. This is especially the case on the way back from New York when arriving in Auckland early in the morning on QF4. You could expect to wait between 15-45 minutes to clear transit security in Auckland.

You can read about several AFF members’ experiences on QF3, including the Auckland transit experience, on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum.

You may need a transit visa or NZeTA

Depending on your nationality, you mean need to apply in advance for a transit visa or request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) to transit through Auckland Airport. This applies even if you’re flying straight through from Australia to the USA or QF3, or back on QF4.

An NZeTA costs NZD17-23 (~AU$16-21) and is valid for two years.

New Zealand citizens, passengers travelling on Australian passports and New Zealand visa holders do not require an NZeTA or transit visa. See the New Zealand Immigration website for more details.

QF3 airport lounges

There are lounges available in Sydney Airport and Auckland Airport for eligible passengers.

Qantas lounges at Sydney Airport

On departure from Sydney, the following QF3 passengers can use the Qantas International Business Lounge:

• Business Class passengers
• Qantas Gold or Oneworld Sapphire frequent flyers in any cabin class
• Qantas Club members in any cabin class
• Anyone with a complimentary Qantas lounge invitation linked to the flight

The Business Lounge is fine, although it’s starting to show its age and can get a bit crowded in the morning when QF3 departs. If you have Qantas Platinum, Qantas Platinum One or Oneworld Emerald status, we’d suggest heading to the superb Qantas First Lounge instead.

Qantas lounges at Auckland Airport

Qantas currently operates both a Business Lounge and First Lounge in Auckland. They share the same entrance and the entry requirements are the same as the Business and First Lounges in Sydney.

Qantas’ Auckland lounges are currently among the oldest in the airline’s network. However, Qantas has announced that it will eventually replace the existing lounges with a new combined lounge. The new lounge will offer more space, better food and local New Zealand wine. There will even be an “edible herb garden”.

In the meantime, if you have a Priority Pass membership, you may prefer to head next door to the Strata Lounge. This lounge is larger and offers better food and drink options than the Qantas lounges.

Unfortunately, Qantas passengers flying to New York are unable to use the Emirates Lounge. That’s because flights to North America aren’t covered by the partnership between Qantas and Emirates.

Lounge access in New York for passengers on QF4

Qantas flight QF4 from New York to Sydney (via Auckland) departs from Terminal 8 at New York’s JFK Airport.

Business Class passengers, Qantas Club, Qantas Gold and Oneworld Sapphire flyers can access the Greenwich Lounge in Terminal 8, which is a combined American Airlines and British Airways First Class lounge.

Qantas Platinum, Platinum One and Oneworld Emerald members can use the American/British Airways Soho First Lounge.

In-flight meals on Qantas flight QF3

Qantas serves lunch on the first leg of QF3 from Sydney to Auckland. A full dinner is then served after departure from Auckland, followed by a full breakfast prior to landing in New York. Additional snacks and drinks are available between meals, including from the self-service snack bar.

Qantas has even prepared a special New York-inspired menu just for QF3 and QF4. In Business Class, you’ll find American classics like General Tso chicken…

Pecan pie for dessert…

And Lox bagels for breakfast.

By the way, if you notice that the flight attendants on QF3 have Kiwi accents, it’s probably because they are in fact New Zealanders. Qantas uses Jetconnect cabin crew based in New Zealand for its Auckland to New York flight (among other international routes).

Getting an upgrade on QF3

If you have an eligible ticket, you can request an upgrade on QF3 using either points or money. Or if you have Qantas points, we’d suggest placing a Classic Upgrade Reward request (i.e. upgrading with points) because these are processed before Bid Now upgrades.

If you’re flying all the way through from Sydney to New York on QF3, you’ll need to request an upgrade for the whole flight. It’s possible to upgrade on just one part of the flight if you’re only booked on one leg. Note that Economy Sale tickets are not eligible for upgrades.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your upgrade request will be successful. Qantas does not confirm international upgrade requests in advance. Instead, you’ll be notified up to a week before departure – and potentially even as late as at the boarding gate – if your request is successful.

If your Classic Upgrade Reward is approved, the required amount of points will be deducted from your Qantas Frequent Flyer account.

How many Qantas points does it cost to upgrade on QF3?

The number of Qantas points required to upgrade on QF5 or QF6 is shown in the table below. You can also check on the Qantas website.

Need more Qantas points to upgrade your flight to New York? These credit card offers may be of interest…

A history of Qantas service to New York

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas had flown to New York for decades. Until 2020, it operated daily flights from Sydney to New York as QF11/12 via Los Angeles. This was an A380 service between Sydney to Los Angeles, while a Boeing 787-9 was used for the Los Angeles to New York portion of that service.

Seats on Qantas’ pre-pandemic Los Angeles to New York service could only be sold in conjunction with a Qantas international ticket. But the airline’s Brisbane to Los Angeles and Melbourne to Los Angeles flights were timed specifically to offer easy connections for the Qantas service to/from New York. (Qantas has since changed the timing of its Brisbane to Los Angeles and Melbourne to Los Angeles flights.)

From 2012 until 2018, Qantas operated Boeing 747-400s to New York on a Sydney-Los Angeles-New York rotation as QF11/12 (from 2015) and QF107/108 (up to 2015).

Before 2012, Qantas operated Airbus A330-200s on a Sydney-Auckland-Los Angeles-New York routing. However, the flight number changed on each sector. It was QF113 from Sydney to Auckland, then QF25 to Los Angeles and finally QF107 to New York.

Back in the 1960s, Qantas’ “Southern Cross route” connected Sydney and London with stops in Nadi, Honolulu, San Francisco and New York.

History of the QF3 flight number

Until 2020, Qantas had used the QF3 flight number for its popular Sydney to Honolulu flight. Until the early 2000s, that flight had continued onwards from Honolulu to various destinations in mainland North America including San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto as QF3.

In 2021, Qantas changed the flight number of its Sydney-Honolulu route to QF103.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.