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Qantas and Singapore Airlines are two of the most dominant international airlines servicing Australia. With bases in every major Australian airport and regular flights to the world’s top destinations, they are both trusted by thousands of Aussies every day.
So which one should you fly with? We’ve compared everything from baggage allowances to in-flight entertainment to help you decide which airline best suits your needs.
| Feature | Qantas | Singapore Airlines | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it fly to? |
|
| Both fly to all major centres. While only Qantas flies to Tel Aviv, Singapore Airlines has more destinations throughout Asia. |
| What star rating is it? | 4 stars | 5 stars | Singapore Airlines has a higher star rating. |
| What classes are available? | First class, business class, premium economy, economy. | First class, business class, premium economy, economy. | Both offer the same flight class options. |
| What is the baggage allowance? | Economy: cabin baggage: one cabin bag + one small personal item with a combined weight of up to 7kg, checked baggage up to 30kg. | Economy: cabin baggage: one cabin bag + one small personal item with a combined weight of up to 7kg, checked baggage up to 30kg. | Both have generous economy baggage allowances and options to increase your baggage allowance if needed. |
| Where does it fly from in Australia? | Cairns, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Canberra, Uluru, Bundaberg, Kangaroo Island, Hamilton Island, Broome, Lord Howe Island, Gold Coast, Alice Springs, Tamworth, Exmouth, Launceston, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Port Lincoln, Rockhampton, Newcastle, Mackay, Longreach, Devonport, Mount Isa, Albury, Cloncurry. | Cairns, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Canberra. | Qantas has many more Australian destinations. |
| What's the in-flight entertainment like? | Games, apps, music, podcasts, companion app, 500+ hours of films and TV shows with a good range of language options, updated monthly. Wi-Fi, including subscription services like Netflix, coming soon. Texts and calls available on payment plans. | Games, apps, variety of music, companion app, large selection of old and new films and TV shows with a good range of language options, updated monthly. Wi-Fi, texts and data roaming available on payment plans. | Singapore Airlines offers Wi-Fi and data payment plans, while Qantas is rolling out a similar service. |
| Can I make changes / cancellations? | Yes – depending on your fare type. | Yes – depending on your fare type. | Both offer options for cancellation and changes. |
| What type of plane will I fly on? / Do they have an A380? | Boeing 747, Boeing Dreamliner, Airbus A330 orAirbus A380. | Boeing 777, Airbus A330, Airbus A350 or Airbus A380. | Both offer services on the same planes. |
| Which frequent flyer programs is it with? | Qantas Frequent Flyer. | KrisFlyer and The PPS Club. | Both belong to larger frequent flyer programs. |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | Coming soon. | Yes, on a payment plan. | Singapore Airlines currently offers Wi-Fi, while Qantas does not yet. |
| Can I price match? | Yes, within the Australian market. | No. | Both airlines price match, though Singapore Airlines is more flexible. |
| Does it serve alcohol? | Yes. | Yes. | Both airlines serve alcohol. |
| Is there online chat? | No. | No. | Neither airline has online chat. |
| Does it charge for infants? | No. | No. | Neither airline charges for infants. |
| Does it fly pets? | Yes. | Yes. | Both airlines allow pets on board. |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Qantas offers a wider range of payment options. |
| Can I book round the world fares? | Yes. | Yes. | Both offer round the world fares. |
| Can I book multi-city fares? | Yes. | Yes. | Both allow you to book multi-city fares. |
| Any features to find the best price? | "Flexible with dates" option helps you compare prices on surrounding dates. | No. | Qantas makes it easier to find and compare prices. |
To work out which airline has the lowest prices, we searched for the same flight on the same date with both Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
Qantas offered two fare types within the economy class, Saver and Flex, with the Sale category unavailable for this flight.
Singapore Airlines offered Economy Flexi and Premium Economy.
A Qantas Saver seat starts from $767, with a Flex seat starting from $1,190.
In comparison, Singapore Airline’s Economy Flexi starts from $985.40, and Premium Economy starts from $1,789.84.
Check out the screenshots below:
The verdict?
Qantas offers significantly better prices in this scenario.
Qantas has a 4-star Skytrax Airline Rating, while Singapore Airlines is one of just ten airlines to be awarded a 5-star Airline Rating. Qantas' Skytrax customer rating is 7/10, with reviews giving an average of 4 stars for inflight entertainment, seat comfort, staff service and value for money, and 3 stars for food & beverages.
In comparison, Singapore Airlines has a customer rating of 8/10, and reviews give the airline an average of 4 stars in all categories.
The verdict?
Both Qantas and Singapore Airlines are excellent choices, with Singapore Airlines edging ahead thanks to its more appealing range of food and beverages and better connectivity with in-flight Wi-Fi.
Singapore Airlines is an Asian airline servicing the world and generally covers announcements in both English and the native language of the destination. However, if your first language is not English, chances are someone onboard will be able to communicate with you.
Like all airlines, Qantas strives to employ multilingual crew members and as an Australian-based company they tend to cater better to English-speaking travellers.
Qantas’ international flight deals tend to favour the Australian crowd, with excellent deals between Europe and Australia, with a number of domestic and rural deals also on offer.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines offers an enormous number of international flight deals to destinations within Asia and Australia.
The verdict?
If you’re looking for a good deal within Australia, Qantas is the way to go. However, if you’re flying internationally, both airlines have a great selection of flight deals to choose from.
Up to 50% off Qantas flights
Qantas sale: Domestic flights from $199 each way
Thailand flights from $699 return
Singapore flights from $576 return
Alice Springs flights from $175 each way
Up to 50% off Australia flights
Western Australia flights from $100 each way
Bonus Status Credits and international flight rewards are coming back too.
The airline has confirmed December 2021 dates for you to return to international skies.
Find out where the 2 Australian favourites placed this year.
EXPIRED: Nobody puts Qantas in a corner.
EXPIRED: The two major airlines are gearing up for battle on the Sydney to Melbourne route.
EXPIRED: You've got two days to lock in next year's holiday, don't wait.
Find out how you're saving yourself $58 on a return flight with this Qantas sale.
EXPIRED: These fares come with unlimited free changes until January 2022.
Airlines can survive coronavirus by pivoting to longer flights, as Linus Bauer from the University of London explains.
Health screenings, added time at the airport, digital hotel check-ins and restaurant ordering are just a few things to expect when travelling during COVID-19.
