American Airlines, Qantas Expand U.S.-Australia Service

American Airlines and Qantas are expanding their joint transpacific network with new and increased flights between the U.S. and Australia, including the launch of a route between Los Angeles and Brisbane.

Starting Dec. 5, American will operate three flights per week between Los Angeles International Airport and Brisbane Airport through January 2026 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The route will be American’s second service to Brisbane, complementing its winter-season flights from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which launched last October.

Qantas will also expand service, increasing its Dallas Fort Worth–Melbourne flights to daily operations beginning Dec. 3 through January 2026. In addition, starting in January, Qantas will operate all Sydney–Dallas Fort Worth flights with Airbus A380 aircraft, replacing the 787-9s currently used on the route.

Qantas already provides year-round service on the 7,163-mi. (6,225-nm) sector between Brisbane and Los Angeles, while Delta Air Lines serves the destinations during the northern winter season. Delta launched the service in December 2024, with the Queensland government projecting at the time that it would inject about A$208 million ($135 million) into the regional economy over three years.

Overall, American and Qantas currently offer 28,600 two-way weekly seats between the U.S. and Australia, giving the Oneworld alliance partners a combined 54.5% share of the market. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, United Airlines has a 28.2% share, with Delta on 8.2%, Hawaiian on 5.3% and Jetstar on 3.8%.

The announcement about the U.S.–Australia network plans come as Qantas unveiled two new international routes from Perth, connecting the Western Australia city with Auckland and Johannesburg. Service to Johannesburg launches on Dec. 7, while flights to Auckland start the following day. Both routes will be served 3X-weekly using A330 aircraft.