Qatar Airways to serve Auckland from Melbourne and Brisbane

Qatar Airways continues to strengthen its presence in Oceania. This time, the Oneworld alliance member has announced its intention to extend two of its Australian long-haul routes to Auckland, New Zealand.

The Doha-Melbourne and Doha-Brisbane flights, each lasting approximately 13 hours and 30 minutes, will no longer stop in Australia. The aircraft, having just completed the crossing from Qatar, will continue on to Auckland, for a short hop of about 3 to 4 hours over the Pacific. The same aircraft will then take off again the same day to reach Melbourne or Brisbane, before returning to Doha.

This type of “tag flight,” permitted by fifth freedom rights, already exists with other airlines: Emirates has long operated it between Dubai, Sydney, and Christchurch, and Starlux is planning a similar arrangement between Taipei, Sydney, and Auckland. Notably, passengers will be able to book tickets for the Melbourne-Auckland or Brisbane-Auckland leg only, without having to travel from Doha.

This extension replaces the Adelaide-Auckland service, which will be discontinued from December 9, 2026. The Doha-Adelaide route will then revert to a direct flight without a connecting flight.

New flight times:

• Melbourne-Auckland (from December 10, 2026)

– QR904: departs Melbourne at 1:20 a.m., arrives in Auckland at 6:50 a.m.

– QR905: departs Auckland at 1:15 p.m., arrives in Melbourne at 3:10 p.m.

This rotation is expected to operate until the end of June 2027, at which time the service will switch to Brisbane.

• Brisbane-Auckland (from June 26, 2027)

– QR898: departs Brisbane at 12:55 a.m., arrives in Auckland at 5:55 a.m.
– QR899: departs Auckland at 11:20 a.m., arrives in Brisbane at 1:10 p.m., before departing again for Doha at 3:10 p.m.

Onboard comfort:

On this short trans-Tasmanian flight, passengers will enjoy a decidedly long-haul experience. The Boeing 777-300ER operated on both routes features the renowned Qsuite, Qatar Airways’ business class, recognized as one of the best in the world: fully reclining seats arranged in a flexible configuration, sliding doors offering true privacy, and some suite pairs that can be converted into a double bed for couples or families traveling together.

The catering also maintains the airline’s usual high standards, with a premium menu and attentive service, a far cry from what airlines typically offer on regional flights of this duration.

Another major advantage: all passengers, regardless of their travel class, will benefit from free Wi-Fi via the Starlink network, renowned for its speed—often superior to many ground connections.

Ticket prices:

The fares already displayed on the Qatar Airways website for these new routes are in the same range as those of Qantas and Air New Zealand in this market: starting from approximately AU$1,300 in business class and AU$550 in economy for a one-way ticket from Melbourne to Auckland or Brisbane to Auckland. A complete round trip has also been found for around AU$1,000, depending on the dates.

Bookings for these new routes are already open on the official Qatar Airways website and its mobile app.