This has been a big week for Australia's flag carrier Qantas, with a swag of financial and strategic announcements released in the past few days. The Flying Kangaroo has certainly got its bounce back, and this month will take a giant leap when it launches nonstop flights from New Zealand to New York.

From June 14th Qantas is restarting flights from Sydney to New York, albeit with a stopover in Auckland before the unbroken stretch over the Pacific to the Big Apple's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). This new service marks the return of Qantas to New York after a three-year pandemic-induced suspension, with the stopover in Auckland rather than Los Angeles.

Initially the service, flights QF3 and QF4, will operate three times weekly before increasing to four times weekly from October. On Monday Qantas farewelled its original Boeing 717-200 and presented the aircraft that will be operating the New York route, one of the three new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that are making the service possible.

Up front is the place to be on this flight

Qantas flight QF3 will depart Sydney Airport (SYD) every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 09:30 for the three-hour hop across the Tasman Sea. After the two-hour stopover, the Dreamliner departs Auckland Airport (AKL) at 16:35, arriving in JFK at 16:50. With a flight of around 17 hours passenger comfort is key to this service, and the premium-heavy Qantas 787-9s offer plenty of that, with 42 lie-flat seats in business, 28 recliners in premium economy and 166 seats in the economy cabin.

Adding to the comfort in business class will be a special range of themed sleepwear and amenity kits, while passengers will also be treated to some New York City-inspired dishes from celebrity chef Neil Perry. Qantas Group chief customer officer Markus Svensson said that New York is a favorite destination for Australians and these new initiatives are celebrating the new route.

"Qantas is one of the few airlines in the world to provide Business Class passengers with complimentary pyjamas, and we're excited to launch a limited edition pyjama and amenity kit range in partneship with leading Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance."

For a limited time, business class customers will receive the navy sleeper suit featuring a monogram of the Qantas Roo and Rebecca Vallance logo, incorporating the QF3 and QF4 flight numbers. They will also enjoy using a new Rebecca Vallance amenity kit produced especially for the New York route, as distinct from the one handed out across the international network.

For those who can't make the New York flights, Qantas is selling a 'small number' of the collectible pyjama and amenity kit sets for just AU$69 ($46) or 12,000 Qantas Points online at the Qantas Marketplace, a considerable discount to the business class airfare.

Discover more aviation news for Australia and Oceania here

What about the food?

Celebrity chef Neil Perry said his menu uses some amazing Australian produce to "put our own spin on some of New York's most famous food experiences." He added:

"From a Reuben sandwich and a classic hotdog to New York style spaghetti and meatballs and General Tso chicken, New York does food its own way and the result is a melting pot of amazing flavours which we are excited to incorporate across our menus."

Some of the other dishes available include:

• NY bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers and lemon
• Seared beef fillet with creamed spinach and baked potato with sour cream and chives
• New York style baked cheesecake with blueberry compote.

Launching the Sydney-Auckland-New York route will be a success for Qantas and will speed up the return to pre-COVID international activity, which will hit 100% by March 2024. It is also a teaser for the launch of Project Sunrise nonstop flights from Sydney to New York, slated to begin in late 2025.

What do you think of the new route via Auckland? Let us know in the comments.

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  Qantas

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  QF/QFA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Brisbane Airport, Melbourne Airport, Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport

  Year Founded:

  1920

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  CEO:

  Vanessa Hudson

  Country:

  Australia