Several months ago, Qantas started taking delivery of the Airbus A321XLR, a plane that the airline is using in a somewhat unusual way. Qantas is primarily intending for this plane to be used for domestic operations, to replace the Boeing 737-800. However, the airline is now already scheduling this aircraft on one rather long international flight, and I can’t imagine travelers will be happy about this.
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Qantas Airbus A321XLR will fly from Brisbane to Manila
As of October 25, 2026, Qantas intends to operate daily nonstop flights between Brisbane (BNE) and Manila (MNL) on the Airbus A321XLR. Up until that point, the flight is operated 5x weekly by the Airbus A330-200. The 3,596-mile flight will operate with the following schedule:
QF97 Brisbane to Manila departing 2:00PM arriving 8:05PM
QF98 Manila to Brisbane departing 9:30PM arriving 7:25AM (+1 day)
The service is blocked at 8hr5min northbound and 7hr55min southbound.
This is interesting, as it’s the longest regularly scheduled narrow body route that Qantas has ever operated. Indeed, this is within range for the A321XLR, and perhaps Manila isn’t Qantas’ highest yield destination. But at the same time, it’s interesting to break from tradition here, as this plane really is designed for short and medium haul operations, based on the interior.
The Qantas A321XLR that will operate this route will boast 197 seats, including 20 business class seats and 177 economy class seats. There’s no seat back entertainment on these planes, but there is free Wi-Fi, at least. Perhaps the daytime flight in one direction isn’t so bad, but the redeye certainly doesn’t sound very pleasant.
This is an interesting direction for Qantas to take
I can of course understand wanting to match the right aircraft type to the right route in terms of demand and yields. The challenge is that this really counters what Qantas customers have been accustomed to. Even when it was possible, with few exceptions, Qantas hasn’t historically operated many routes to Asia with regionally configured aircraft.
What I also find interesting is that the forward cabin is still being marketed as business class, rather than premium economy. In fairness, US carriers also fly two-cabin aircraft on some longer international flights, and sometimes the forward cabin is marketed as business class. However, we have also seen carriers market the forward cabin as premium economy on longer flights.
With this aircraft swap and far inferior product, Qantas isn’t lowering fares for business class. You’ll see that the fare is the same on October 24, when it’s still operated by an A330 with flat beds…
…as it is on October 25, when it’s operated by an A321XLR with recliners.
I have to imagine that deploying the A321XLR to Manila is a bit of a test, to see to what extent customers will tolerate this, vs. booking away and flying another airline instead. This is an interesting first route on which to try this, as the only competitor is Philippine Airlines, with its A321neos featuring flat beds. I suspect that with an Australia point-of-sale, there’s a strong preference for Qantas over Philippine Airlines.
Bottom line
Qantas will begin flying its new Airbus A321XLR on some longer international flights. As of late October 2026, the Brisbane to Manila route will be downgraded from an A330 to an A321neo, though frequencies will be increased. Despite the aircraft change, the airline will keep charging the same business class fares, even though passengers will get recliners without seat back entertainment, compared to flat beds.
What do you make of Qantas’ evolving A321XLR strategy?
They should not sell business class on these flights, premium economy at most. I can't see many people paying business class fares for this product, and those who end up on that flight should certainly succeed in getting a fat compensation after filing a complaint with Qantas.
This looks luxurious compared to European mid haul narrowbody aircraft.
@jay, your comment is right up there, look who is on the QF board of directors, Doug Parker former HP, US, AA CEO
The simple solution to this conundrum is …. choose a better alternative. Pay peanuts, get monkey business. Alternatively, put up and shut up.
Qantas has really gone the way of American in the last 8-10 years.
The XLR, the most overrated plane in history. Nobody wants to fly a narrowbody long haul, and now that there's a pilot shortage, higher overall labor shortage, more slot constrained airports, etc., the economics don't make much sense either. Long and thin was a nice thought, but in practice doesn't work well. Probably lots of order cancellations coming.
XLR (and narrowbodies) are just fine. But, they need to put lie-flat, not recliners, up-front.
Agree A321 XLR are fine but they need lie flat beds and seats screens but for Qantas those are not arriving until 2028.
And IFE monitors in all cabins.
The only other nonstop is a similarly cheaply fitted A321 from PAL, so QF is placing this POS configuation on this route quite strategically
PR has a flat bed in business class, nothing luxurious but you can still get a decent nap in them. No question they are much better than the recliners on QF, and likely way more attractively priced.
Lame. Currently, QF flies a330 with lie-flat on SYD-MNL; to down-gauge to recliners for an 8.5 hour redeye is no fun at all. For an a321XLR, QF should've copied B6 and AA with lie-flat suites up-front.
Yes, many people have their own devices to watch content but I still think it’s ridiculous not to have any seat-back screens on such a long flight.