First Qantas non-stop flights from Australia to Europe
Staff Writer |
Australians can now book non-stop flights from Australia to Europe for the first time, with tickets for Qantas’ Perth-London (Heathrow) route going on sale.
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Daily flights on the history-making route begin on 24 March 2018 and form part of a new Melbourne-Perth-London return service.
The services will be operated by Qantas’ new Boeing 787-Dreamliner – an aircraft designed specifically for comfort on long-haul sectors.
Customers from other Australian cities will be able to connect to London via Perth, while inbound passengers will be able to transfer from the West Australian capital to onward destinations across the country.
There’s also expected to be a surge in stopovers within Western Australia itself.
The new QF9/10 will replace Qantas’ existing Melbourne-Dubai-London services – marking the next evolution of the Kangaroo Route, seven decades after the national carrier first flew Australians all the way to London.
Year round return Economy fares for the Melbourne-London and Perth-London routes start from $2,270 but are expected to drop below $2,000 during sale periods.
Year round return Premium Economy fares start from $4,450 between Melbourne and London and from $4,250 between Perth and London. Year round return Business fares start from $9,890 return between Melbourne and London and from $9,725 between Perth and London.
By swapping its daily A380 Melbourne-Dubai-London service for a daily 787-9 Melbourne-Perth-London service, Qantas has made Victoria the hub for its first four Dreamliners.
Qantas’ first two 787s will be dedicated to the Melbourne-Los Angeles route from December 2017, with the third and fourth aircraft dedicated to Melbourne-Perth-London service from March 2018.
The 14,498km flight will take approximately 17 hours, slightly more or less depending on winds. ■