If you’ve flown Qantas between Sydney and Bangkok or Sydney and Singapore in the last couple of years and wondered why the aircraft looked different, here’s the explanation.

What Is a Wet Lease?

From late 2023 until early 2026, Qantas wet leased two Finnair A330s to operate its Sydney to Bangkok route (QF295) and Sydney to Singapore services. A wet lease means the airline hires not just the aircraft but the pilots and cabin crew as well. In practice, you checked in at a Qantas desk, received Qantas food and Qantas entertainment, but the plane and the people flying and running it were Finnair. The Bangkok-based Finnair cabin crew were professional, just a noticeably different service feel from a standard Qantas experience.

This arrangement is more common than most passengers realise. Airlines use wet leases to plug capacity gaps, cover aircraft shortfalls or launch routes without waiting for their own fleet to be available. The marketing carrier and the operating carrier are two different things, and passengers don’t always know which one they’re actually flying with.

What’s Changed Since Then

The arrangement has since shifted to a dry lease. Qantas now operates the same Finnair A330 aircraft on these routes but with their own crew. The planes are the same, the service is Qantas. If you’re booking these routes now, you’re getting a more consistent Qantas experience than passengers did during the wet lease period.

What the Aircraft Is Actually Like

The A330 cabin is well presented and relatively new. For a daytime flight in economy, it’s comfortable enough and the difference from a standard Qantas aircraft is not dramatic.

Business class is a different story and worth knowing before you book. The Finnair A330 features the AirLounge seat, which is a completely different product to the standard Qantas business class offering found on most of their other long-haul routes. If you’re booking business on this route expecting the typical Qantas Business Suite experience, you’ll be on a different product. Not necessarily worse, just different, and worth researching before you commit points or cash to a business fare.

What to Check Before You Book Any Flight

Always look at the operating carrier, not just the flight number or the airline you’re booking through. On any booking confirmation or the airline’s own website, the operating carrier is listed separately from the marketing carrier. On codeshare and leased flights, these are regularly different. Knowing which aircraft type and which crew you’re actually getting is relevant, especially when you’re booking premium cabins or have specific expectations about the onboard product.

Have you flown one of these routes? Comment below with your experience. Follow 5 Star Trip for more honest flight reviews and practical travel guides.