New Qantas features to change the way you fly as airline restarts international travel

Getting on a Qantas flight from next week will feel basically the same – but passengers will notice the airline’s made a few key changes.

Qantas is gearing up for takeoff on Monday, when the long-hated international border ban is finally thrown out.

And while the national carrier will keep most things the same they were pre-Covid, Qantas has taken a few steps to make their airline more inclusive and Covid-safe.

Speaking to reporters today from Qantas’ first class lounge at Sydney International Airport, chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said passengers would start to notice a few little changes from next week.

Kicking off her speech with an Acknowledgement to Country, Ms Tully said that would be a feature from all Qantas flights from Monday.

“I’d like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and pay my respect to leaders past, present and emerging,” she said.

“Actually, (Acknowledgement) to Country is one of the things you’ll hear our crew doing once we restart as well, which is a new addition and something we’re really excited about.”

Qantas will start their flights with a Welcome to Country. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

The airline will restart international flights next month. Picture: Mark Stewart

Qantas passengers will also get an entirely new menu, developed by famous chef Neil Perry however, those changes will be gradually rolled out over the next few weeks, due to the international restart date changing rapidly.

By mid-November, Qantas hopes to have its new menu in place, with one little tweak.

“One of the things we’ve been spending a lot of time talking to customers about over the last few years … and we’ve listened to what they have to say … so we are introducing plant-based options for the first time for all customers in all cabins,” Ms Tully said.

Examples of the plant-based menu include celeriac gratin with roast fennel, peas, mushroom and onion sauce and a ratatouille pasta bake with a herb crumb, cauliflower and green beans.

Iconic Australian ice-creams will also be added to the in-flight menu including Paddle Pops and Splices.

Another change passengers will notice is the end of the economy snack bar – a section of the plane where passengers could grab free food throughout their flight.

Due to Covid, Qantas has had to ditch the snack bar but is instead offering a new “movie service”.

“It’s one great example of our team pivoting with the times … so we’ll be roaming the economy cabin constantly with snacks and drinks, so it’s almost like a roaming movie service,” Ms Tully said.

The airline will pivot to be in line with Covid regulations. Picture: Supplied

Face masks will also remain mandatory on planes due to Australian government regulations.

Ms Tully said Qantas was determined to hold the hands of their customers through the entire flight check-in process.

“We need to guide you through in this new world of Covid and travel and we’ve spent a lot of time preparing to make sure we can help our customers make it feel like a journey that is easy,” she said.

Qantas’ first international flight will land from Los Angeles on Monday morning before two flights – one heading to London and one heading to Los Angeles – depart on Monday night.