(09 Mar 2021)
Qantas has unveiled plans to launch three new routes
to Cooma and Albury, the gateways to the snowfields in New South
Wales and Victoria.

From 1 July to 26 September 2021, the national
carrier will fly:

Sydney to Cooma – thrice daily;

Brisbane to Cooma –
two flights per week; and

Brisbane to Albury – thrice weekly.

From Cooma, customers can access the
popular resorts of Perisher Valley, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass in
New South Wales. From Albury, customers can access Falls Creek and
Hotham resorts in Victoria.

All flights will be operated by
QantasLink’s turboprop Q400 aircraft, offering more than 15,000
seats on the routes through winter.

John Gissing, QantasLink CEO, said, “With
international border closures meaning more Australians are
planning their next holiday closer to home, we are creating more
travel options where there is demand. We’re expecting these flights will be popular with skiers and
snowboarders who might not have been able to hit the slopes
through COVID last season in Australia or overseas.”

Flights from Sydney to Cooma are timed to allow
travellers to depart after work on a Thursday or Friday and return
Sunday evening, which enables them to enjoy a long weekend of
skiing without needing to drive. The flights from Brisbane will
also offer Queenslanders the only direct airline connection to the
snowfields this season.

“Our
new direct flights to Cooma and Albury will mean ski enthusiasts
can spend less time on the road and more time on the mountain,”
added Mr Gissing. “We’ll be working with the major ski
resorts and transport operators to promote these new flights to
millions of our frequent flyers around the country, with
connections from our large domestic network through Sydney or
Brisbane making a trip to the snowfields more accessible.”

To help offset some of the uncertainty on
borders, Qantas is offering unlimited flight changes through to at
least February 2022, for flights booked until at least the end of
April 2021. The flight date can be changed to any available for
sale at the time (up to 355 days in advance). Qantas will waive
the change fee, though a fare difference may apply.

See latest

Travel Industry News,
Video
Interviews,
Podcasts
and other
news regarding:

COVID19,

Qantas,

Ski,

Snow,

Australia.