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Qantas Airways is evaluating direct flights from Australia to Chicago as the next step in its plan to add more ultra-long-haul destinations using an expanding fleet of Boeing 787 jetliners. Fresh from launching the first-ever direct passenger service to Europe -- linking Perth with London’s Heathrow hub -- Qantas will turn its attention to the US with the next batch of 4 787s due for delivery this year, CE Alan Joyce said Tuesday. A new service from Melbourne to San Francisco starting in September has already been announced and 787s will also replace 747 jumbos on Qantas’s existing Brisbane-Los Angeles-New York route. But also in the carrier’s thinking is a direct Brisbane-Chicago service or flights from the Queensland city to Seattle or Dallas, Joyce said. <br/>

When 2022 arrives, Alan Joyce wants Qantas to be offering the first direct flight from Australia's east coast to London but how passengers get there could look very different to the 4 travel classes known today. Dubbed "Project Sunrise", Qantas' ambition is to fly non-stop from Sydney and Melbourne to London and also directly to New York within 4 years. The Qantas CE has revealed that the airline is exploring an entirely new class which would be situated in the cargo hold. The giant space could involve train-like berths and allow a space for cooped-up passengers to stretch and walk around in an exercise area. The airline boss also hinted that Qantas’ low-cost arm Jetstar could one day stretch its legs beyond the Asia Pacific and start flying to European holiday destinations. <br/>