Next year will see the first ever non-stop passenger flight from Europe to Australia, departing from Heathrow in March 2018.
The route, which will be London-Perth-Melbourne will be the first of its kind, but with a hefty ticket price. An economy return fare from Melbourne will start at £1,115, with the London-Perth return ticket starting at £1,095.
These prices are expected to “drop below £900 return during deal periods”, according to Qantas (ASX:QAN).
With London and Melbourne being 9,009 miles apart, this flight breaks records as the longest non-stop flight from the UK.
The Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” does not have first class seats but will seat 42 business class “suites”, 28 premium economy and 166 economy passengers.
“We’ve said the Qantas Dreamliner is a game changer, and that’s becoming real today,” said Alan Joyce, the Qantas chief executive.
“It used to take four days and seven stops but now we’re able to link the UK and Australia in a single hop. It’s a level of convenience those in Europe have never had before.
“We’re conscious that this is a long flight but not much longer than our Sydney to Dallas service. It’s the kind of route that the Dreamliner was created for, because of its built-in features to reduce jet lag and improve the overall travel experience.
“We’ve added a very high level of comfort in each of the cabins and a lower seat count than most of our competitors. And we’re making tweaks to our in-flight service designed to help customers enjoy the journey more.” he added.
With the route described as “the most competitive on the globe”, Qantar are now set apart from other airlines making the journey. They have shaved three hours of flight time and allow the airline to charge a premium.
Not good news for everybody, however. Many environmental campaigners are not happy with the new culture of ultra-long-haul routes due to the fuel-burn per passenger being so high.