With travel being all but obsolete in places where the coronavirus has seen record numbers, some airlines are going to drastic levels to save their bottom lines.
Singapore Airlines is considering “flights to nowhere” where travelers can essentially take a flight that flies around Singapore. The “flights to nowhere” are one of the initiatives that the airline is considering. “We will make an announcement at the appropriate time if we go ahead with these initiatives,” a Singapore Airline spokesperson said.
The Qantas flight to nowhere travels across Australia and flies over some of the most iconic sightseeing destinations like Gold Coast Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Harbor, New South Wales and the country's remote outback heartlands.
The trip will be made on a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, usually reserved for intercontinental journeys across continents. On the flight, passengers will get several onboard special entertainment services.
And it looks like people are really tired of sitting at home and just want to get the feel of flying again. Even if they don't get anywhere. Flight QF787, due to depart Sydney Domestic Airport on October 10 and return to the Australian metropolis seven hours later, has proven quite popular. The 134 tickets, spanning business class, premium economy and economy and costing from AUD$787 to $3,787 (US$566 to $2,734) was reportedly snapped up in just 10 minutes.
Hey @AerLingus
— BroadwoodInk (@BroadwoodInk) September 17, 2020
Fly over of Iceland? Greenland?
Norway?
Aerial photography
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Prior to Qantas, Taiwan’s EVA Air and Japan’s All Nipon Airways (ANA) had followed this trend. EVA Air offered a one-off journey on August 8, on board its Hello Kitty-themed A330 Dream jet. ANA operated a short scenic flight in Japan in August, which the airline said sought to replicate "the Hawaiian resort experience," with 300 travelers boarding the 1.5 hour flight.
These unique flights would allow people to get their travel fix and try services such as business and first-class as well as for the airline to generate much-needed revenue that it has lost due to the pandemic.
Tickets cost between A$787 and A$3,787 ($575 and $2,765) depending on the seating class and the 134 available seats were quickly snapped up, a Qantas spokeswoman said on Thursday.
"It's probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history," she said. "People clearly miss travel and the experience of flying. If the demand is there, we’ll definitely look at doing more of these scenic flights while we all wait for borders to open."
Would you consider paying for a “flight to nowhere?”