Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, operates non-stop services to Los Angeles, California, from 3 Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Of these three, Brisbane sees the least amount of traffic to the largest airport on the West Coast, with flights being operated by the A330-200 or 787-9, while Sydney and Melbourne both see A380 service to LAX.
In the case of the 787-9, it has seen service between the capital of the Australian stae of Queensland and Los Angeles from 2018-2020 and in 2022 following the resumption of services after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Currently, the route is operated by Qantas’s specially-configured Airbus A330-200s, but as these aircraft are getting long in the tooth and are scheduled to be replaced in the coming years by additional 787s, the Dreamliner from Down Under will likely be a common sight between Brisbane and LA again.
Server: Solo
Airline: Qantas
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Origin: Brisbane Airport, Brisbane, Australia (BNE)
Destination: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California (LAX)
Flight Number: QF15
Route: YBBN-KLAX
Seat: 20K (Premium Economy)
Time En Route: 13 Hours 7 Minutes
Boarding for our flight at the International Terminal at BNE. Our flight, normally scheduled for a veteran A330-200, has been upgauged to a 787-9. This particular aircraft, registered as VH-ZNA, is Qantas’s first Dreamliner and is fittingly named “Great Southern Land”.
Settling back for a good night’s sleep as we take off
Sunrise just south of the Equator
Mid-afternoon finds us somewhere between Hawaii and California at 34,000 feet over the Pacific
Downwind descent into Los Angeles, with the western departure ends of the runways at LAX just barely visible to the extreme left
The marine layer is starting to settle in as we make our final approach
Evening arrival in LA
Parked at the Tom Bradley International Terminal and ready to go get dinner and explore LA