Qantas has been doing flights to nowhere for quite some time now. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline has operated some flights of this type but the latest offering by Qantas is set to appeal to eager astronomy fans.
Flights to nowhere have been popular and since the start of the pandemic, the popularity has only risen. This is because passengers on these type of flights are not subjected to any entry restrictions as the departure and the arrival destination is the same.
Supermoon scenic flight
On 26th May, the moon will be at its closest point or perigree, coming within 357,311 kilometres of Earth at 11:50am Australia time. Between 21:11 and 21:25 Australia time on the same day, a total lunar eclipse will also occur, when the Moon is 357,462 km from Earth.
It will be the second and last supermoon for 2021 and also coincides with a full lunar eclipse, making it a rare double phenomenon, with the moon expected to turn red against the night sky.
To celebrate this rare double phenomenon, Qantas will operate a one-off Boeing B787 Dreamliner Supermoon scenic flight. The Australian flag carrier will take a group of just over 100 people to get the closer view of the event. Astronomer Dr Vanessa Moss will work with the pilots to design the optimal flight path over the Pacific Ocean and also join the flight to provide insights into supermoons and all things space and astronomy.
What will the flight be like?
The flight will take-off and arrive at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport and will last for around 3 hours. It will begin with a scenic flyover of Sydney Harbour before climbing to 43,000 feet its maximum cruise altitude, to avoid as much atmospheric disturbance as is possible.
Onboard, the airline will theme its catering around the flight. As a result, lucky ticket holders will be treated to ‘cosmic cocktails and supermoon cakes.’ The Qantas B787 has 66 windows seats. The windows are the largest found in the Qantas fleet, meaning that the event should hopefully be visible to those not in the window seats too.
Tickets for the flight will go on sale tomorrow (12th May 2021) with prices starting at AU$499 ($392) for the Economy class, AU$899 ($706) for the Premium Economy class and AU$1499 ($$1177) for Business class.
Commenting on the special flight, Stephanie Tully, Chief Customer Officer, Qantas, said:
We have been absolutely overwhelmed with the popularity of our special flights. The recent mystery flights sold out within 15 minutes with hundreds of people on waiting lists and they keep telling us they want more. We are very excited to now be doing a supermoon scenic flight and the 787 has the largest windows of any passenger aircraft so it’s ideal for moon gazing. We think this flight has great appeal for anyone with a passion for astronomy, science, space photography, aviation or just keen to do something a little ‘out of this world’.
Featured image by Travel Weekly
What do you think of Qantas’ Supermoon Scenic flight? Let me know in the comments section below.
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