OREANDA-NEWS. Qantas customers travelling from Santiago to Asia via Sydney will now be provided complimentary accommodation in Sydney as part of the airline's new Sydney Connect service.

Sydney Connect means South American travellers can enjoy connections to six destinations in Asia with just one stop, now with the added benefit of a night's stay in Sydney.

Qantas Executive Manager International Sales, Stephen Thompson, said the airline was pleased to deliver this new service to enhance the transit experience for Qantas customers.

“We've seen a significant increase in the number of South American travellers choosing to fly to Asia. By including a night's hotel accommodation as part of the fare, we're confident that our customers will find this pathway to Asia enjoyable, allowing them to arrive at their final destination well-rested,” said Mr Thompson.

“Our direct Santiago to Sydney service has been popular with Qantas customers since we launched the route in 2012, offering premium service, inflight food and entertainment and a generous baggage allowance,” he added.

Qantas operates three non-stop return services per week between Santiago and Sydney, operated by a B747 aircraft, reconfigured with lie-flat beds in Business and a Premium Economy cabin. Qantas also has a long-standing partnership with LAN, codesharing on their daily flights on the Santiago-Auckland-Sydney route. Together, Qantas and LAN offer 10 weekly flights between Santiago and Sydney.

Sydney Connect will be available for booking at qantas.com from Monday, 23 June 2014, for travel on/after 30 June 2014.

To coincide with the launch of Sydney Connect, fares are on sale from today until 6 August 2014, for travel from Santiago to seven destinations across Asia. Qantas will also operate a fourth weekly return service to Sydney to cater for additional demand over the holiday period. The supplementary services will operate on Fridays, from 21 November to 13 February 2015.

Sydney Connect will also be available for Qantas customers in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, with connections to Santiago available with oneworld partners in the LATAM Airlines Group - LAN Airlines, LAN Colombia and TAM Airlines.