Qantas and Jetstar accelerate restart for flights to Singapore, Fiji and more

The airlines have brought forward restart dates to more destinations, returning to some countries much sooner than anticipated.

Qantas is ramping up for international travel today bringing forward the dates for 5 more destinations serviced by itself and Jetstar by up to 2 months earlier than previously announced.

All 5 routes resuming will depart from Sydney. It's all been possible, the airline says, because of the New South Wales government decision to scrap quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers.

The updated schedule is as follows:

• Sydney to Singapore via Qantas will resume from 23 November 2021 and via Jetstar from 16 December.
• Sydney to Fiji (Nadi) will resume from 7 December for Qantas and 17 December 2021 for Jetstar.
• Sydney to Johannesburg via Qantas will resume from 5 January 2022.
• Sydney to Bangkok via Qantas will resume from 14 January 2022.
• Syndey to Phuket via Jetstar will resume from 12 January 2022.

Additionally, the airline is planning to launch a new route from Sydney to Delhi from 6 December, but that is subject to Indian authorities' approval.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said, "Australians rolling up their sleeves means our planes and our people are getting back to work much earlier than we expected.

"This is the best news we've had in almost 2 years and it will make a massive difference to thousands of our people who finally get to fly again.

"We know that Australians are keen to get overseas and see friends and family or have a long-awaited holiday, so bringing forward the restart of flights to these popular international destinations will give customers even more options to travel this summer."

When are international Qantas and Jetstar routes scheduled to restart?

Qantas previously announced that a majority of these routes will be serviced by Boeing 787s and Airbus A330s while flights to Fiji will be serviced by 737s and A320s.

The airline will use Darwin as an alternative hub to Perth for non-stop flights between Australia and London. Its Delhi flights from Sydney will run via Darwin as well with non-stop flights from Delhi to Sydney.

Additionally, Qantas is hopeful that the two-way Australia and New Zealand travel bubble will restart both ways in mid-December. New Zealand closed the bubble on 23 July due to outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria but one-way travel from New Zealand to Australia has recommenced.

When can you book Qantas international flights?

You can start booking international flights with Qantas now but you will need to be vaccinated in order to fly. You may pick up a reward from Qantas in the process.

There are more rules in place than there were for travel pre-pandemic, so be sure you're aware of quarantine, proof of vaccination, visas and more before you book.

Where else is Qantas looking to fly to?

Qantas is focusing its initial efforts on destinations with high or increasing vaccination rates, as they'll be more likely to be classed as low-risk countries for Aussies to be able to visit and return from.

Which international destinations are off the table for now?

Destinations that have lower vaccination rates and higher levels of COVID-19 infections will be pushed from the December 2021 goal.

However, the good news is, you may be able to book travel to these locations, taking off from April 2022.

Capacity on international flights will depend on government decisions and any hotel quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers.

How does this affect flexibility or Qantas Status Credits?

Qantas recently extended its "Fly Flexible" policy, which offers customers who book international flights before 30 April 2022 unlimited "fee-free" date changes when travelling before 31 December 2022. You may have to pay the fare difference.

Qantas Frequent Flyers who don't plan to travel internationally soon will be happy to know the airline is offering status extensions to eligible members.

Note: This article was originally published on 26 August 2021 when Qantas first announced it was planning to resume international flights. We've updated the article to reflect that Qantas has brought forward dates for a number of routes and provided details where available.

Here's a peek at what international flights with Qantas could look like soon