Qantas is gearing up to restart flights on 14 June from Sydney to New York for the first time since 2020, with a special edition of luxe pyjamas, amenity kits, and an NYC-inspired in-flight menu that’ll have premium cabin travellers rested and ready to hit the streets of Gotham City on arrival.
From 14 June, the national carrier will operate three weekly flights from Sydney to New York JFK, increasing to four per week from October.
This time though, the route will, for the first time, transit via Auckland before a 17+ hour onward direct flight to New York rather than through Los Angeles.
For a limited time, lucky Business Class customers on the New York route will be offered a swish navy sleeper suit designed by Australian designer Rebecca Vallance and featuring a monogram of the Qantas “Roo” incorporating the flight numbers QF3 and QF4 and a bespoke New York heart design.
They will also receive a custom-created Rebecca Vallance amenity kit featuring a range of Li’Tya skin care products with a matching eyeshade. In a nod to Qantas’ net-zero 2050 journey, all single-use plastics have also been removed from the kit.
Speaking at an exclusive launch event at Qantas HQ attended by Karryon, Vallance said how proud she was to combine her passion for travel and fashion to create the one-off Qantas design.
“It’s an honour to partner with the iconic Australian brand that is Qantas. New York has always felt like a second home to me, and I’m so proud to be working with the national carrier to offer travellers some keepsake PJs and amenity kits to enjoy long after landing,” said Vallance.
Remarking on a recent experience while photographing the new PJs and amenity kits at the airport, Vallance said, “I was on the tarmac the other day, and I stopped shooting and looked up and saw this fabulous 380 plane, and then the people from my team and the wonderful girls from Qantas. And I thought it just doesn’t get better than this. I’m so grateful. I’m so appreciative, and I don’t take it for granted for a second.”
Vallance also created two one-off couture gowns with metallic Italian fabrication and Art Deco-inspired patterns as part of the collaboration. Qantas Frequent Flyers who purchase Rebecca Vallance will go into the draw to win designer dresses as well as a personalised fitting session.
A New York-inspired Neil Perry menu
Bringing the NYC theme to the skies, Qantas Creative Director Food, Beverage and Service, Neil Perry, has created a range of New York-inspired dishes to be added to the inflight menu to coincide with the launch of the new route.
Travellers in QF3 and QF4 premium cabins will be able to graze in the sky on a range of New York-style’ street’ dishes, including spaghetti and meatballs, Reuben sandwiches, NY bagels, General Tso chicken and classic beef hot dogs with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.
“New York is one of the world’s culinary capitals, from its much-loved street food to its internationally revered fine dining Michelin-starred restaurants. We are using some amazing Australian produce to put our spin on some of New York’s most famous food experiences,” says Perry.
“It’s the stuff that’s on the street, in the delis and the stadiums,” Perry shares. “My first experience of a proper New York hotdog was at Madison Square Garden in 1988. I’m sure the hotdog tasted a lot better than it was, but because I was in New York and at a Knicks game, it was amazing.”
“Of course, all of these dishes have become famous for a reason; because they’re just so bloody delicious,” says Perry.
And for dessert? Of course, it had to be Pecan pie with crème fraiche, and New York-style baked cheesecake with blueberry compote.
The Qantas First Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne and the Auckland International Lounge will also feature a New York-inspired dish of the day for June, along with Manhattan Spritz and Garibaldi cocktails.
The relaunch of the New York flights brings Qantas closer to returning to 100 per cent of its international network pre-COVID capacity by March 2024.
Air New Zealand began its flagship three-time-weekly direct service between Auckland and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on 17 September 2022.
For more, head to: www.qantas.com/au
