Qantas has announced the return of international flying from the Gold Coast, with direct flights to Auckland on sale now and set for take-off in June 2026.
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Starting from 16th June, Qantas will operate 3 flights per week year-round from the Gold Coast to Auckland, connecting Queensland’s tourism capital with New Zealand and providing customers with enhanced connectivity across the Tasman. The new route will mark the first time Qantas international services have operated from the Gold Coast in almost 5 years, adding more than 52,000 seats annually across the Tasman and boosting tourism in both directions.
Qantas will be the only airline offering Business Class between the two cities, providing both leisure and business travellers with a premium option on the popular trans-Tasman route.
More connections to Apia (Samoa) with flights via Auckland
Qantas also announced the launch of flights from Sydney to Apia (Samoa) via Auckland, providing Australian travellers with additional options to reach the Pacific through Auckland. Operating on alternate days to the airline’s direct Brisbane–Samoa flights, the new service creates near-daily Qantas connectivity between Australia and Samoa.
New Auckland Lounge
Coinciding with the route announcement, Qantas has opened the doors to its new International Lounge at Auckland Airport on 17 December. The footprint of the new lounge is 60 per cent larger than the previous space, providing capacity for more than 370 customers across dedicated zones for dining, relaxing and working.
Key information:
– The new route will fly year-round on a Boeing 737 aircraft three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
– Gold Coast (OOL) to Auckland (AKL) will operate as QF209, scheduled to depart the Gold Coast at 1:05pm and arriving in Auckland at 6:10pm.
– The inaugural flight will take off on Tuesday 16 June 2026, with economy one way fares starting from AUD$364
– Customers will be able to connect via Auckland to 4 other domestic destinations across New Zealand on Jetstar including Christchurch and Queenstown, as well as Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.