Would you pay $25k to fly Sydney to London non-stop?
Demand for first class is increasing so airlines are upping their game with extras like breakfast in bed and a ‘press for champagne’ button.
When Qantas launches its long-awaited non-stop Sydney to London flights on A350-1000s in 2026, its first-class cabin will be among the most expensive aircraft real estate in the world. The six seats, or rather suites, at the pointy end are being touted as the “pinnacle in comfort and luxury” for ultra long-haul travel.
They feature a bed and separate armchair, 1.4m-high walls and a door for privacy, a full-length wardrobe plus desk and dining space. Passengers will be able to choose their own mood lighting, and position the bedhead to their preference. Breakfast in bed? No problem.
What about the price? Given the added advantage of no stopover, Qantas indicates travellers can expect to pay a 20 per cent premium on what it charges for similar routes, plus a bit extra for first. Based on current first-class fares on A380 routes, that means passengers could be forking out upwards of $25,000 each for Sydney-London return.
“We think this proposition is going to be really attractive to customers,” says Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace. “We think it’s going to be very well received, getting on in Sydney or Melbourne and getting off in London. What could be better? It’ll certainly be (sold) at a premium to what we currently have.”
Qantas’s move into the “ultra luxury space” is not exactly pioneering, with a swath of other airlines doing the same in pursuit of wealthy travellers.
Etihad and Emirates offer the ultimate in-flight indulgence – hot showers – to their most valued guests on A380 aircraft, while Singapore Airlines provides double beds for first-class passengers in fully enclosed spaces.
US carrier United Airlines has been flirting with the notion of a “press for champagne” button in its business-plus seats, and Qatar Airways has promised a new first-class product to eclipse its popular QSuites. British Airways is also revamping its first- class cabin on A380s, to be unveiled late next year or early 2026.
The new-found enthusiasm for the pointiest part of the plane, follows growth in demand for premium cabins in the wake of the pandemic. No longer the sole domain of celebrities and cashed-up corporates, first class is now dominated by high-end leisure travellers seeking the closest thing to a private-jet experience in the sky.
Over ultra-long distances such as those being contemplated by Qantas – flights of 20 hours or more – the preference for premium is tipped to be through the roof, and the airline does not intend to disappoint passengers.
“We want to be the ultra long-haul point-to-point leader, that’s what we want to be known for,” says Wallace of the much-anticipated Project Sunrise flights, due to start in late 2026.
“It’s taking that disadvantage we once had of being based in Australia, a long way away from the rest of the world, and turning it into an opportunity, a game-changer.”
There’s no question in Wallace’s mind that customers will pay even more for non-stop, ultra long-range flights based on the success of other 16-hour-plus services such as Perth-London.
“If you look at our current modelling, around a 20 per cent premium is what we’ve talked about publicly on our London flights, as an average, and that’s been a premium our customers have been willing to pay,” he says.
“If you look at our load factor and our yields and returns, it’s been a really excellent flight for us and we’re seeing the same on Auckland-New York even though it’s a competitive route. We’re seeing similar on Melbourne-Dallas, so that’s the kind of range we expect to be charging.”
Moving down the cabin, business class on Qantas A350-1000s also promises to be palatial in order to keep up with rivals, including Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines.
After foregoing the “privacy door” on its A380 business cabin refurbishment and 787-9s, Qantas will embrace the trend on Project Sunrise aircraft in a welcome development for passengers.
A larger entertainment touchscreen than in the A380 business class and a bigger seat should also make for a more comfortable flight over 20 hours or so, along with a variety of storage compartments to keep passengers’ belongings within arm’s reach.
Business is a hotly contested space, with most airlines now offering a 1-2-1 configuration in the cabin and the bliss of lie-flat beds. Where differences arise tend to be in the in-flight dining, with Turkish Airlines, Etihad and Qatar leaving it up to passengers to choose when they eat, plus the provision of pyjamas and amenities.
Post-Covid, Singapore Airlines withdrew the amenity kit from business-class seats, but provided them “on request” for passengers on flights of six hours or more. Emirates provides deodorant and a comb in its kits, Lufthansa includes a cardigan, while KLM Dutch throws in a box of Wilhelmina mints.
Qantas PJs are highly coveted but frequent flyers can quickly build up a collection of airline-inspired sleepwear. Qatar, American Airlines, Delta and Virgin Atlantic offer pyjamas to business-class guests and plenty more do designer jammies for first-class travellers, including Singapore and JAL.
Other touches are raising the bar in business, include United’s “gel-cooling pillow” in its Polaris cabin, Qatar’s crushed velvet duvet and Delta’s dreamy bedding, sourced from upscale hotel chain Westin.
Whether it’s all enough to justify the price of a premium fare, which can be five times that of economy, is of course a matter for passengers, but there’s no shortage of those who are willing.
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