Non-stop Europe-Australia Flights now a reality
07/19/2017
The Dreamliner will have 42 business class seats, 28 premium economy, and 166 economy seats. An economy ticket retails at over £1200. Business clients have noticed that First Class has been abolished. It is an open question how much of a premium passengers are willing to pay for a non-stop flight.
Kangaroo Route: Non-Stop Australia-Europe flights become a reality.
The Kangaroo Route, better known as UK-Australia, has undergone many evolutions; now another one hits the market.It has been desired for a long time, but now non-stop flights between Europe and Australia have emerged as a fact.
The new service will link the Western Australian capital, Perth, with the UK.For passengers from the East Coast, the journey will start in Melbourne.The new flight will also link several Western Australian towns to international services as well as other Australian cities. Ten destinations are accessible within four hours of arrival.Before we all get too excited, the service does not start until March 2018. However, non-stop flights would be invaluable, especially for business passengers.
Regular readers will remember that an Australia-Dubai-London service was recently launched by Etihad and thus forms part of a clear pattern of expansion in long-haul services between Australasia and the old continent. However, Qantas is now ending its Melbourne-Dubai-London service.
Boeing Dreamliner provides the service
The route will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner which is the latest word in long-haul comfort. There are fewer seats, and therefore more legroom, than other competitors. Comfort levels and customer service have both been improved.
The Dreamliner will have 42 business class seats, 28 premium economy, and 166 economy seats. An economy ticket retails at over £1200. Business clients have noticed that First Class has been abolished. It is an open question how much of a premium passengers are willing to pay for a non-stop flight.
New Transit Lounge at Perth Airport
To make life easier for travelers, Qantas is building a new transit lounge at Perth Airport. The airline also promises us improvements to the customer experience, including steps to reduce jet lag.
For Melbourne-Perth travelers hoping to grab a bit of luxury, please be aware that prices for this short leg are expected to be very high so as to maximize ticket sales for long-haul customers. You will have to be satisfied with a domestic flight and no lounge !.Once landed in Melbourne this busy airplane will later take off as the Melbourne-L.A. service.
It is anticipated that the new service will give a boost to the Western Australian economy particularly because the international route facilitates stopovers.However, the changes reduce the total number of tickets available to Melbourne to their lowest level in years.
A Record Breaker
Qantas is very proud that a route that used to take four days and seven stops, in 1947, can now be done non-stop in less than a day (16 hours to be precise).The airline also points out that the route is shorter than the Sydney-Dallas route (the longest). It is seventy years since the first UK service was launched.
A Competitive Market
In the Australia-Europe long haul market, it has to be observed that the three Gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar) are still very much at the competitive edge and it is British Airways and Qantas who have to be looking over their shoulders.