My 2025 A to Z theme is Airports, Airstrips, Aircraft, and Airlines I’ve known and flown with. I’ll be using IATA codes where they’re available. My inner travel agent emerges at this point as I’m the FTO (family travel organiser) and now, the online travel agent.
Many people would be familiar with the Qantas airline, whether they fly often or not. Not as many would realise that Qantas is an acronym standing for Queensland and Northern Territory Airline Services Ltd. Qantas was established in the outback Queensland town, Winton, in 1920 but the headquarter moved to the neighbouring outback town, Longreach in 1921 and the Qantas Founders Museum which is a popular tourism attraction in Longreach is in the same hangar.
You can read the history of Qantas at their website here: https://www.qantas.com/au/en/about-us/our-company/our-history/
On our drives between Darwin and Brisbane (3300km or 2050 miles), we often passed through Longreach without stopping to be tourists. However, in 2011, we finally made time to visit the Qantas Museum. I’ll include some photos I took of the aircraft. We are plane junkies so we obviously had a good time checking them out.
With family living in Brisbane, it was often more practical to fly the distance rather than drive, and Qantas was almost always our airline of choice. It’s become popular to bemoan Qantas’s business behaviour over the past decade or so, however, we have been happy to keep flying with them. Yes, the seats seem to shrink, while my weight expands, and there’s never enough leg room in economy when you’re tall, but these complaints are common across all airlines I think. Mind you, I’d be very happy to sample their higher levels, premium economy or business. Qantas has been renowned for its safety record, and we’ve always felt the crew were very safe.
My husband, having grown up in Papua New Guinea and then attending boarding school in Brisbane from age 10, has been flying since he was very young. Heading to boarding school from the island of Samarai in Milne Bay, he was accustomed to flying in a Catalina. You can see a photo of one at Samarai on this page. Peter’s aviation experiences, combined with my mother’s fascination with planes, I was bound to be infected as well.
Our two oldest daughters made their first flight from Port Moresby to Brisbane, without us, when they were six and four. They were so familiar with flying we had no concerns that they’d be anything but confident. Eldest daughter has also added a Q airport to her repertoire, Rand Airport at Johannesburg (QRA) One set of our grandchildren are also very familiar with flying to see family.
Over the years, Qantas has introduced different livery on their aircraft, most noticeably their Indigenous colours (somewhere I think there’s a photo of mine). More recently, the aircraft included reference to the Voice to Parliament, which had some people pretty annoyed. I personally like the Qantas Flying Art Series and hope to see more of them. One thing that really makes you feel at home is seeing the kangaroo on the tail of the aircraft you’re boarding.
While I often joke I have railway tracks in lieu of a blood vessels, given generations of railway employees, I think I’ve switched transport loyalties. <smile>
Do you like flying or do you prefer to travel by train, car, boat or ship? Are aircraft of interest to you? Do you have a favourite airlines and if so, which is it?
Family history across the seas 
I remember after a lot of travelling getting on a Qantas plane and the accents of the crew really struck us and made us feel at home.
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I agree Anne.
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I had selected Qantas for my Q post and changed my mind at the last minute. Thank you so much for giving Qantas a guernsey and sharing your stories.
I often stand up for Qantas when I hear people criticise our national airline. Our experience has been mostly positive, sure we’ve had our share of late departures and late arrivals (often due to being stuck in holding patterns at busy airports). Sometimes the food/meals in Economy are a bit iffy but in Business they are fine. They haven’t misplaced our luggage (yet) as have several other airlines.
We feel confident that we are in good hands and will arrive safely when we board the Flying Kangaroo.
I was sure I had flown into a Q airport – Quebec – but find that has an IATA code of YQB!
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I agree Jill, that the Flying Kangaroo is generally pretty good. Breakfasts can be very ordinary but I think there’s only been one we simply couldn’t take. Lounge breakfasts compensate though.
Those Q airports are a challenge. It’s only eldest daughter who’s managed one.
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I don’t know a lot about flying. I recently worked on a manuscript about aviation and it was interesting and a lot of fun to read. I learned a lot.
Great A-to-Z theme.
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Thanks for visiting. We like aviation books as well as flying. It’s great when books introduce us to something new.
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I agree.
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Take 2 Pauleen. I got the closed comment advice again. What I said was that I remember hearing the Ausssie accents on a QANTAS flight on the way home from a long trip was always very comforting. I think we should remember that QANTAS had many difficulties during the pandemic and we really should be thankful they are still in existence.
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Sorry Jennifer, I don’t know why that’s happening…Peter has been getting the same. I’ve checked settings but can’t see any reason for it. He has a story that he wants to tell about Aussie-isms on Qantas. It would have been tragic to see Qantas go under.
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When I was attending Vaucluse High School in 1968, as we took the bus from Bondi, the daily lying boat to Lord Howe Island would roar right over our heads having taken off from the harbour but only just clearing the headland. I don’t know whether it was Quantas operated or who flies to the island now that they have an airstrip, but that flying boat is one of my standout memories of our visit to Australia… Great post Pauleen! BTW – just binge watched “Territory” with lovely views of the Northern Territory landscapes.
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That would be a great memory for sure! My husband flew on them multiple times. It would have been a fantastic thing to do.
Sounds like I should check out “Territory”.
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I have a loyalty to Qantas even though I will use other airlines if cheaper. During Covid we were fortunate to get a refund for our cancelled flights with Qantas. Once I was upgraded to business in the days when if you turned up early and wore your best clothes you could score an upgrade. Alas no longer.
The Qantas Founders Museum made a huge impression on me. The stories of overcoming hardship in the outback were inspiring. We first visited in 2002 and again in 2015 where we explored the planes parked outside. Michael Caton’s video was very moving.
I collect Qantas points which I have redeemed for flights but my daughter has made it an art form. She has holidayed in the Maldives and is about to go to Japan. All on points!
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Getting upgraded is nigh on impossible these days. Youngest daughter and partner (both very tall) got upgraded on their first international flight via Japan and over the Pole. Such a treat for them.
Sounds like we both need points tips from your daughter. Mind you, regular points flights to/from Darwin for us or family eat them up, especially if we choose business.
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