Qantas First Class (2026): The A380 Routes From the US, First vs Business, and the Points Prices We See
Two US routes, one aircraft and some of the longest first class flights anywhere: where Qantas First flies, what it costs over business, and why the rest of the Pacific is a business class story.
By Biirdee Travel, Luxury Travel Concierge · Updated September 23, 2026
The Short Answer
Qantas First flies on the refurbished A380, which the desk library calls Qantas's best aircraft today, with first class and a 1-2-1 Business Suite behind it. From the US our data puts it on two routes to Sydney: Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth. Both are routes our desk has ticketed and our Qantas award scanner has seen first class seats released on; Dallas/Fort Worth–Sydney runs an estimated 17h 20m.
The rest of Qantas's US flying is a business class story. Qantas serves five US airports in our schedule data, and the desk library's note is that most of that flying is on 787-9s with 2014-era business seats without doors. The fix is still coming: Project Sunrise, the Sydney–London nonstop, starts in October 2027 with sales from February 2027.
On price, our fare scans put Qantas First at $16,365 round trip from Los Angeles against $9,026 in business. On points, our Qantas award scanner saw Sydney–Los Angeles first at 195,400 Qantas points one-way in September 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Qantas First from the US, in our data: Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth, both to Sydney on the A380.
- First vs business at published fares, from our scans: 1.8x on Los Angeles–Sydney.
- Qantas points prices our scanner recorded in September 2026: 195,400 for Sydney–Los Angeles and 227,800 for Sydney–Dallas/Fort Worth, one-way.
- Cathay Asia Miles booked 3 of the 4 Qantas First tickets our desk issued; Qantas points in turn booked 8 of our Emirates First awards.
- Project Sunrise (Sydney–London nonstop) starts in October 2027, per the desk library; until then the A380 is the Qantas aircraft to book.
Every Qantas First Class Route in Our Data
Routes where our desk has ticketed Qantas First or our Qantas award scanner has seen first class seats released, confirmed against our schedule data on 2 September 2026.
| Route | Cabin | Distance | Est. flight time | Status | First-party evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles–Sydney | First (A380) | 12,061 km | 15h 13m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee; Award scan; Fare scan |
| Dallas/Fort Worth–Sydney | First (A380) | 13,808 km | 17h 20m | Seen in our data | Ticketed by Biirdee; Award scan |
| Sydney–Singapore | First (A380) | 6,293 km | 8h 10m | Seen in our data | Award scan |
| Sydney–Johannesburg | First class | 11,024 km | 13h 57m | Seen in our data | Award scan |
Qantas First vs Qantas Business
What each cabin looks like in 2026, per the desk library (September 2026), and what our fare scans say the step up costs (median published round trip per person).
| First | Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | The refurbished A380 | The A380's 1-2-1 Business Suite; the 787-9s, which fly most US routes, carry 2014-era business without doors |
| From the US | Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth | Every Qantas US route (five airports in our schedule data) |
| Los Angeles–Sydney | $16,365 | $9,026 |
| What is coming | Project Sunrise, Sydney–London nonstop, from October 2027 | A doored business seat on the Sunrise A350-1000s from 2027 |
What Qantas First Costs in Cash
Median published round-trip fares per person from our fare scans, nonstop, 2026. First and business come from different requests and travel dates; negotiated fares typically land below published levels.
| Route (round trip) | First, median published fare | Business, median published fare | First costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles–Sydney | $16,365 (2 travel dates) | $9,026 (20 travel dates) | 1.8x |
Booking Qantas First With Points
Our Qantas award scanner is the best window we have into Qantas First. From 18 to 23 September 2026 it recorded first class seats on Sydney–Los Angeles on 3 departure dates at 195,400 Qantas points one-way, Sydney–Dallas/Fort Worth on one departure date at 227,800, Sydney–Johannesburg on 3 departure dates at 170,800, and the Singapore–Sydney sector of the London service on 2 departure dates at 123,100. A few departure dates at a time is what Qantas First space looks like: plan early and stay flexible.
Partner programs reach it too: Cathay Asia Miles booked 3 of the 4 Qantas First tickets our desk issued between November 2024 and September 2026, and Citi, Capital One, Bilt and Wells Fargo transfer to it at 1:1 and Amex at 5:4; our Asia Miles guide covers the program. And Qantas points are worth holding for more than Qantas: 8 of the Emirates First awards our desk ticketed were booked with them.
The Traps We Steer Clients Around
The aircraft. First class is an A380 product at Qantas; the 787-9s that fly most of its US routes have no first class and older business seats without doors. When a trip hinges on first, the route has to be an A380 route.
Waiting for Sunrise. The Sydney–London nonstop is not flying until October 2027, and the desk's rule is not to promise a product before it flies. Until then, Qantas First to London means the one-stop Sydney–London service via Singapore, whose Singapore–Sydney sector our award scanner has seen first class seats on.
Where These Numbers Come From
Every route in these tables is checked against the schedule snapshot behind our route pages, so a route appears only if the airline flies it; distance and flight time are the same estimates those pages use. The evidence column says how we know first class is on it: "Desk library" is Biirdee's own carrier and aircraft reference, updated September 2026; "Ticketed by Biirdee" means our desk has issued first class tickets on that airline there between November 2024 and September 2026; "Award scan" means our award scanners have seen first class seats released on it; "Fare scan" means our fare scans have priced a first class fare on the nonstop. Data as of 23 September 2026.
Our desk issued 4 Qantas first class tickets between November 2024 and September 2026, 1 for cash and 3 on miles. Points prices are what our Qantas award scanner recorded in September 2026, one-way, before taxes and carrier charges.
Qantas First Class FAQs
Which US routes have Qantas First?
In our data, the A380 routes to Sydney from Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth. Qantas's other US routes fly mostly 787-9s, which have no first class.
How many points is Qantas First from the US?
Our award scanner recorded 195,400 Qantas points one-way for Sydney–Los Angeles and 227,800 for Sydney–Dallas/Fort Worth in September 2026, on only a few departure dates. Cathay Asia Miles booked 3 of our 4 Qantas First tickets.
Is Qantas First worth it over business?
On Los Angeles–Sydney our fare scans put first at 1.8x business at published fares. The A380's Business Suite is already 1-2-1, so first is about space and service on one of the longest flights you can take; on the 787-9 routes, first is not an option at all.
When does Qantas Project Sunrise start?
The Sydney–London nonstop starts in October 2027, with sales from February 2027, per our desk library. Until it is bookable, plan on today's aircraft.
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