With a little over six months until Qantas’ historic first non-stop Perth to London flight, the Australian flag carrier is seeing strong demand for the ultra long-haul route.
The flight will be the first direct service between the continents of Australia and Europe. A Qantas spokesperson said the booking response, particularly for the inaugural flights, was very strong.
“This reflects a unique level of interest in the new direct service as the first flights are still some time away and most people usually start to plan their trips about six months ahead,” the spokesperson told travelBulletin.
The airline has also been working with the travel trade to promote and educate agents about the new era for Qantas. This has included presentations at conferences, expos, fare training sessions and hosted breakfasts as well as content on the service of the new Dreamliner product on Qantas’ Learning Hub.
“Agents are telling us they’re excited about the new route and the opportunities it opens up for itineraries from Australia to the UK.”
The 17-hour flight will be operated by Qantas’ all new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the first of which will be delivered next month. As part of the changes, the new service will replace Qantas’ Melbourne to London via Dubai Airbus A380 service.
The Dreamliners will be kitted out in a three-class configuration with 42 Business class seats, 28 in Premium Economy and 166 Economy Seats. Qantas will begin its Perth to London non-stop flights on 24 March 2018.
