Qantas has announced that the airline is bringing back the mystery flight – something the national carrier operated decades ago before the concept was axed in the 90s.
With ‘flight to nowhere‘ an increasingly common phrase in the commercial aviation industry’s post-COVID scramble, it makes complete sense for the airline to once again take a stab at unique travel experiences by encouraging quick spontaneous trips across the country.
We’ve already seen scenic flights over Antarctica sell out in an instant, which indicates that there’s quite a bit of appetite for jumping on a flight outside of the usual back-and-forth between the capital cities and across regional Australia.
The idea of a mystery flight is especially exciting given that international flights won’t be on the cards until October of this year.
The plans involve operating three domestic mystery flights on the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, which passengers can book from either Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne. Each will be sending travellers on a full one-day itinerary to a destination approximately two hours from their embarkation point.
Brisbane will be up first, with its mystery flight operating on Saturday 27th March. The official description promises a “perfect getaway if you love country hospitality, gourmet food and wine, and the great outdoors”.
Sydney’s turn will follow on Sunday 18th April, with the only clue to the mystery location being a “tropical setting” with “long lunching on the beach”.
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Melbourne comes in with the final mystery flight on Saturday 1st May, with promises of a bit of light outdoor adventure, gourmet food and wine, and regional farmer’s markets.
According to Qantas CCO Stephanie Tully, the mystery flights were reformed to help ailing tourism operators in regional areas, who have been hit particularly hard by the waves of travel restrictions and natural disasters over the past year.
All passengers who book onto a Qantas mystery flight will be given clues on the day’s itinerary, mostly so they can pack appropriately. On the day itself, the flight will include some low-level scenic flybys of some of the country’s top landmarks (although that’s obviously going to be dictated by weather conditions and air traffic control).
Tickets on each of the Qantas mystery flight itineraries will cost $737 for economy, earning 2,400 Qantas Points and 40 status credits, and $1,579 for business class, earning 5,000 Qantas Points and 80 status credits. Business flyers and those with suitable Qantas Frequent Flyer status will of course be granted lounge access before each flight.
To book tickets head to the link below from 12 PM EST tomorrow, Thursday 4th March.
