My Experience on One of the First U.S. to Australia Flights After 2 Years

A lively atmosphere filled with Vegemite, kangaroos, and Tim Tam’s welcomed travelers on Monday as the first international Qantas flight arrived in Sydney, Australia — and I was lucky enough to be one of them.

A Festive Welcome

Stepping off a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles — skipping over a whole day — and landing in Sydney just after 6 a.m. local time on Monday, the once-typical route for Qantas flight QF12 made history as it carried the first group of American tourists entering Australia in nearly two years.

Upon exiting baggage claim, I was greeted to the land down under with flowers and welcomed by a giant kangaroo mascot, a stuffed koala bear, and a basket full of Australia’s favorite snack foods. This festive welcome certainly capped off the long flight nicely.

The Pandemic Shutdown

Like much of the world, Australia shut down in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic began to spread globally. For the next 23 months, the country maintained some of the strictest border restrictions, effectively closing off to nearly everyone and implementing hotel quarantines for those few who were allowed entry.

Australia’s Reopening

Late last year, Australia started welcoming back some visitors, including Australian citizens who were abroad, before finally opening to travelers from select countries like South Korea and Japan.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would reopen to vaccinated travelers from other nations on February 21, including those from the United States. Consequently, I was excited to be booked on the first Qantas flight back to Oz.

The Journey Begins

With a negative test and appropriate paperwork in hand, I checked in for the flight at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and caught a connection to the West Coast. Once en route to Australia, I aimed to catch some sleep to mitigate the inevitable jet lag, taking breaks in Qantas’ premium economy cabin to raid the onboard snack basket for Kit Kat bars.

As we approached our destination, my excitement surged. After savoring a final coffee with oat milk and squeezing in a few moments of rest, I caught my first glimpse of Sydney.

Looking Ahead

Currently, Qantas offers direct flights to Australia from two U.S. cities: Los Angeles and Dallas. Furthermore, in addition to the LA flight, Qantas operated several other international flights on Monday, including those from Vancouver, Singapore, and London.

“It’s fair to say we’ve all been waiting a long time to welcome visitors back to Australia. The thousands of international tourists arriving this week and many more over the coming months will greatly support the tourism industry which has struggled over the past couple of years,” stated Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. “We can clearly see from the Australian Government’s announcement that there is a strong desire for travelers to return to Australia, reflected in the robust bookings emerging from the U.S., UK, South Africa, and Canada.”

A Qantas spokeswoman also mentioned that the airline has plans to resume operating Project Sunrise flights in 2024 or 2025, which will focus on reintroducing ultra-long-haul non-stop flights between New York and London, as well as Sydney. This initiative aims to reinvigorate international travel as it recovers.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for iBestTravel. When she’s not in New York City, she loves spending her time at the beach or discovering new destinations, with a goal to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.