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29 October, 2020

Qantas launches ‘flight to somewhere’ following success of ‘flight to nowhere’

By Alexandra Coulton

You’ve heard of Qantas’ ‘flight to nowhere’. Now, prepare for the airline’s newest addition: a ‘flight to somewhere’.

The national carrier will operate a series of scenic getaway flights landing at some of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations, following the success of its seven-hour aerial tourism flight.

As more domestic borders open, the airline plans to evolve this concept to offer overnight getaways to iconic Aussies spots while still including low-level flybys.

“We were overwhelmed with the response to our scenic flight while most border restrictions were still in place,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.

“It sold out in 10 minutes and the feedback from people on board was fantastic. Even the most frequent flyers said they had never experienced Australia from the air quite like that.

“Now that more borders are starting to open, we’re partnering with tourism operators on the ground to offer special flights to special destinations. Even though seats are limited, we think the awareness generated by these flights is a great way to get more people thinking about where they might holiday as we head towards summer.

“Across Qantas and Jetstar, we’re currently operating at just under 30 per cent of our pre-COVID domestic capacity and if borders continue to be relaxed, we’re hoping that will reach about 50 per cent by Christmas. That will be great news for a lot of people in the travel and tourism industry as well.”

The first Scenic Getaway Flight will take 110 passengers on board a Qantas 737 from Sydney to Uluru on Saturday 5 December.

The overnight outing will include a pre-flight lounge champagne breakfast, a flight to Uluru including low-level flybys of Sydney Harbour on departure and low-level circuits to offer passengers a bird’s eye view of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Qantas will partner with Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia to give travellers access to Ayers Rock Resort’s premier hotel, Sails in the Desert, and a hands-on Indigenous art workshop, a Night at Field of Light including a three-course dinner under the stars using native ingredients, with a didgeridoo performance and an Indigenous interpretation of the night sky.

The following morning, passengers will watch the sunrise over Uluru and a guided walk to the Muṯitjulu Waterhole, as well as a visit to neighbouring Kata Tjuta, before a late morning brunch and a flight back to Sydney for a final harbour flyby before landing.

The first Qantas Scenic Flight Getaway goes on sale at 2pm today via Qantas’ website, with economy packages priced at $2,499 per person, and business-class tickets priced at $3,999 per person. Both options include twin-share accommodation.

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