Traveler’s Notes . . .

On Oct. 31, Qantas Airways begins the only nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Melbourne, Australia. There will be five flights a week. Advance purchase round-trip fares start at $1,248. . . . Y2K concerns have prompted Singapore Airlines to cancel two flights from California to Singapore on Dec. 30 and two flights from Singapore to California on Dec. 31. Canceled on Dec. 30: Flight 5 from Los Angeles to Taiwan to Singapore and Flight 1 from San Francisco to Hong Kong to Singapore; canceled on Dec. 31, Flight 6 from Singapore to Taiwan to Los Angeles and Flight 2 from Singapore to Hong Kong to San Francisco. The airlines will reaccommodate travelers on other flights, a spokesman said. . . . Visitors to Paris will ride free on the subway during the New Year’s weekend. The subway will run all night in Paris and the suburbs to help ease expected traffic jams. Train tickets to any destination in France departing from Paris between 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and noon Jan. 1 will cost 100 francs--about $17.