Qantas pilots are up in arms over the airline's plans to fly Australian aircraft with lower-paid pilots employed by a subsidiary in New Zealand.

The airline will operate extra flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and Auckland from March next year when its code-share partner Emirates reduces its A380 trans-Tasman services.

Qantas will convert seven Boeing 737 aircraft it has registered in New Zealand through its subsidiary Jetconnect to its Qantas' Australian operating licence.

Qantas says New Zealand pilots won't fly any more than they do now under the plan. Credit:Peter Braig

But pilots employed in New Zealand by Jetconnect will continue to fly those Australian registered planes - the first time Qantas' has regularly used foreign employed pilots on local aircraft.