44 AIRLINER WORLD JUNE 2018
and stretch their legs. Making the same
trip via perhaps Dubai or Singapore will
add some three or four hours to the total
journey time and include the hassle of
extra security checks during transit.
It’s horses for courses though. Those
travelling to Australia on holiday may
want to enjoy a stopover en route, while
the business traveller, or those making
a once-in-a-lifetime visit, perhaps to
see family, may want to maximise every
moment available at their ultimate
destination.
Commenting on the duration, Joyce
said: “We’re conscious that this is a long
flight, but not much longer than our
[15+-hour 787] Sydney to Dallas service.
It’s the kind of route that the Dreamliner
was created for because of its built-in
features to reduce jetlag and improve
the overall travel experience.“We’ve added a very high level of com-
fort in each of the cabins and a lower
seat count [236] than most of our com-
petitors. And we’ve made tweaks to our
in-flight service designed to help cus-
tomers enjoy the journey more.” Qantas
78 7s have 42 business, 28
premium economy and 166 economy
seats with the airline opting for the
Dreamliner-standard 3-3-3 layout.
In the lead up to the first departures,
The carrier underlined the preparatory
work involved, not just from a flight
planning perspective, but also the
science behind maintaining travellers’
well-being in the air. Studies had
identified the best cabin lighting and
optimum food intake.
Usually, my first choice is to fly direct
whenever possible unless there is a
serious difference in price. When asked
about the competition, CEO Joyce
described Qantas’ fares as “competitive”
and surely time will tell if he is right.
From a Melbourne point of view, the
swap to a 787 from an A380 has reduced
the number of Qantas seats available
from the Victoria airport. However,
Emirates responded by upgrading its
third daily MEL-DXB service from a 777
to an A380.
Qatar Airways has also stepped up thecompetition for Perth traffic by launch-
ing A380 services from Doha on May
1 , but Etihad withdrew its Perth-Abu
Dhabi flights last September.Backing
Western Australia’s (WA) regional
government and its associated tourist
board are certainly backing the direct
London services, with the latter
providing significant financial support,
especially in terms of preparing Qantas’
Perth terminal for international flights.
Facilities at Heathrow and Perth Airport
have been enhanced in preparation for
the new services. Qantas’ Heathrow
lounge received a major upgrade,
while its previously domestic-only Perth
terminal was redeveloped to handle
international services, including a
transit lounge and even a yoga facility.
The tourist board’s backing ensured
that the Australia-bound flight is
promoted as having ten onward
connections from Perth – WA’s capital
city – with all those domestic depar-
tures leaving within four hours of your
arrival. These include seven regional
towns in Western Australia such as
Broome, Karratha and Paraburdoo.
Perth’s British expat community is
estimated to be some 330,000 strongABOVE • Passengers check
in for the inaugural service
from Perth to London, the
first non-stop commercial
flight between Australia
and the UK.
TOP RIGHT • Qantas CEO Alan
Joyce (centre) with the crew
of flight QF9. ALL PHOTOS
QANTAS UNLESS STATED
The maiden flight departed
amid much fanfare, with
staff dressed as kangaroos,
Aborigines, beefeaters and
Guardsmen complete with
bearskin hats on hand to
greet passengers.
BELOW RIGHT • The pilots of
QF9 pose for photographs
after arriving at Heathrow.