Qantas joins with Mercedes-Benz to trial airport transfers for First passengers in Sydney. AI Summary - NZ Perspective Qantas and Mercedes-Benz have launched a trial offering airside terminal transfers in a Mercedes-Maybach for selected First Class passengers at Sydney Airport. While this luxury service currently benefits international travellers connecting through Sydney, it highlights the ongoing premium fleet partnerships adopted by major airlines. Original Excerpt Selected Qantas First customers will be driven airside between Sydney Airport's international and domestic terminals in a new Mercedes-Maybach transfer trial. The post Qantas joins with Mercedes-Benz to trial airport transfers for First passengers in Sydney first appeared on Whic Read the full article Published by WhichCar Reviewed a car you're interested in? Make sure you have the right tyres for it.

The popular domestic flight up to 60% cheaper from Sydney's new airport. Sydney vs Western Sydney: prices compared, route by route. The check-in area at the new Western Sydney Airport, which will begin passenger flights on October 25. September 1, 2026 Produced by ElevenLabs and ACM using AI narration. You have access to audio on this article for a limited time Sydney's newest airport is weeks away from taking off, and early fare data reveals one popular domestic route could soon cost you up to 60 per cent less. As Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) airport prepares for its maiden passenger flights on Sunday, October 25, the big question for travellers is simple: will switching between Sydney and Western Sydney airports actually save you money? WATCH: Holiday Inn Express has unveiled their 'breakfast pillow' playing the sounds of a breakfast buffet We teamed up with Skyscanner to crunch the numbers - and some of the price gaps are dramatic. Early birds get the bargains - for now. Airlines are already discounting flights from Western Sydney airport. But it's still early days and only a handful of airlines have signed on with the airport so far. Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Vietjet have all partnered with Western Sydney to provide international services, and Qantas and Jetstar have signed up to deliver domestic routes. Jetstar will run the very first flight from Western Sydney airport, departing October 25 to Gold Coast. But the new airport will likely attract more airlines in the future, and as this happens, we can expect more introductory discounts to come online. Justin Brownjohn, senior manager at RMIT Aviation Academy, says we can expect to see "a period of heavy marketing and discounting" as Western Sydney takes off. "This is seen in most multi-airport cities with new routes - even today, Avalon is priced more competitively than Tullamarine - though the catchment in Western Sydney is very different to Bellarine Peninsula," Brownjohn tells Explore. But this might not remain long-term. "In time as its connectivity grows and schedules increase, there is a very real likelihood that the two markets will price similarly on comparative routes." The verdict: where to fly to save up to 60%. Now for the flight prices. We looked at flights from Western Sydney International versus Sydney Kingsford Smith for February 2026, and the results were varied. For the overwhelming majority of routes, Western Sydney was cheaper, though the difference ranged from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Skyscanner data from August 19 showed the average cost of a one-way economy flight in February 2027 from the legacy Sydney airport to Singapore, flying with Singapore Airlines, was $723, compared with a slightly cheaper $720 from Western Sydney. The baggage claim area for Sydney's newest airport, in Western Sydney's Badgerys Creek. Data sourced on the same date for the same month comparing Air New Zealand flights to Auckland found it would cost $294 from Sydney or a $30-odd cheaper from Western Sydney at $263. One international route was a whole lot cheaper. If you're flying to Vietnam, you're in luck. Flying Vietjet to Ho Chi Minh City during February cost on average $439 from Sydney and $219 from Western Sydney. But the biggest percentage difference was on Australia's most popular domestic route, flying between Sydney and Melbourne. Skyscanner data accessed on August 20 for April 2027 - Qantas' first month in operation at the new airport - found Qantas flights were $326 from Sydney, compared to only $127 from Western Sydney - a whopping 60 per cent cheaper. The discount wasn't so generous to Brisbane, where Qantas prices for the same month from Sydney and Western Sydney were very similar at $138 and $127 respectively. Airlines are launching with top deals from the new Western Sydney airport. Looking at Jetstar in February, flying to Melbourne didn't offer up a very large difference in prices, which sat at $87 from Sydney and $75 from Western Sydney. One route was actually more expensive on Jetstar. Flying to Brisbane cost $81 from Sydney or $84 from Western Sydney. Canberra-bound passengers wouldn't have been up for much of a difference, with the route costing $279 from Sydney and $264 from Western Sydney. Likewise, Hobart was also much the same, coming in at $121 from Sydney and $115 from WSI. Why prices are cheap now - and why that could change. Skyscanner Australia Travel Expert, Jarrod Kris, says airfares are dynamic and can change based on factors including demand, capacity, competition and airline pricing strategies. "As Western Sydney International becomes more established and more services are added, we would expect prices across both airports to continue to move in response to these factors," Kris tells Explore. The key benefit for travellers is greater choice. The new airport will provide greater choice for travellers flying in and out of Sydney. "Having another airport serving Sydney gives travellers more options when comparing routes, airlines and fares, and that additional competition can ultimately be positive for value," Kris says. While Western Sydney has plenty of prospective passengers, RMIT's Justin Brownjohn notes that airlines are launching with light schedules to experiment and test new infrastructure. "Over time, schedules will undoubtably be increased and this improved schedule will command higher fares in the longer term," he says. Some prices might even become more expensive from Western Sydney. "Singapore Airlines will launch flights at the end of 2026 with a schedule that is currently impossible at Kingsford Smith due to the curfew - over time, I envisage this flight to potentially command a higher fare than others at Kingsford Smith as it will open new connectivity over Singapore that currently require a longer a transit time," Brownjohn says. Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is... Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is... Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.

Qantas adds Condor as Frequent Flyer Partner. Qantas Frequent Flyer is adding German leisure airline Condor as its latest airline partner, opening up another option for redeeming Qantas Points to Europe. The airline, known for its unique striped livery (apparently to mimic a beach towel?), has a unique network, mainly focusing on holiday destinations for Europeans. The partnership is live as of 1 September 2026, with Condor reward seats priced using the Qantas Frequent Flyer Partner Classic Flight Reward table. The addition should give Qantas Frequent Flyer members another useful alternative when trying to find reward seats to Europe - particularly as Condor Business Class availability can often be relatively good from Asia and the United States. However, this partnership is restricted to redemptions only - you can't earn Qantas points on Condor flights at this time. Condor reward flights will use Qantas' Partner Classic Flight Reward pricing. A one-way Business Class reward from Bangkok or Phuket to Frankfurt costs 108,000 Qantas Points, plus taxes and carrier charges. Condor also flies some interesting fifth-freedom routes, such as Bangkok-Abu Dhabi. This will need 73,400 Qantas Points in Business Class. Of course, this also adds another intra-Europe option alongside Qantas' existing European partners British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Air France and KLM. You can also use your points for Premium Economy (long-haul only) and Economy Class. Finding Business Class reward seats between Australia and Europe can be difficult, so routing through Asia/North America and connecting onto Condor could provide another way to piece together a trip. There are also very minimal carrier charges on Condor flights. The Condor on-board experience. Condor has significantly upgraded its long-haul fleet in recent years with Airbus A330neo aircraft. These feature fully-flat Business Class seats in a modern 1-2-1 configuration. It's the same underlying seat product as Business Class on Starlux's Airbus A330neo. The front row of Business Class seats on these aircraft also functions as a 'Business Plus' experience, with wider footwells and a larger IFE screen for a small upcharge. Premium Economy is only available on their A330neos. It's the same seat as Economy, but with more legroom and an upgraded food and beverage service. On all long-haul flights, you'll get a meal and drinks, although in Economy alcoholic beverages are extra. 20kg of checked luggage, or one piece, is included in Economy, with extra allowances in Premium Economy and Business Class. Within Europe, Condor uses Airbus A320-family aircraft, with the familiar European-style Business Class arrangement. The seats themselves are the same as Economy Class, with the middle seat blocked to provide extra space. Will Condor join Oneworld? The new partnership is also interesting in the context of previous reports that Condor could eventually join the Oneworld alliance. Of course, there's no confirmation that this will happen, and the new Qantas partnership doesn't necessarily mean that Oneworld membership is imminent. But, Condor already partners with Oneworld member Alaska Airlines, and has previously spoken about cooperating with American Airlines and more broadly with Oneworld, in order to provide some level of competition to Lufthansa. Qantas similarly built closer ties with Philippine Airlines before the Philippine carrier subsequently moved towards Oneworld. Adding Condor would give Oneworld a useful additional presence in Germany, while complementing Qantas' existing European airline partnerships. But for now, you won't be able to access lounges based on your Oneworld status when flying Condor, or include Condor in Qantas Oneworld Classic Flight Rewards.