Seven stops, two weeks to London: Original ‘Kangaroo route’ revived

When people think Captain’s Choice, says the Australian tour company’s chief executive Bas Bosschieter, the next thing they usually think is “private jet”. “That’s simply because the business was founded on the back of a private jet journey – a Qantas 767 chartered for McDonald’s franchisees and anyone else who wanted to join a 14-day gallivant around Asia and Africa.”

It was 1994 when that “one-off trip” departed Sydney, raising money for Ronald McDonald House. One thing led to another and Phil Asker, Captain’s Choice founder, established a business renowned for private tours aboard aircraft.

The original Kangaroo Route flown by Qantas used a Lockheed Constellation that carried 29 passengers.

Since 2016 Captain’s Choice has been owned by APT and the operator offers a wide range of transport modes including luxury trains. Still, private air travel is at the core of the business. Captain’s Choice is, for instance, the only Australian operator who offers the chance to travel like Taylor Swift. Some tours are aboard a Dassault Falcon 900, an aircraft Swift famously tours in.

Captain’s Choice is going back to its roots, and those of long-time collaborator, Qantas, by recreating the Kangaroo Route, the name originally given to Qantas’s services between Australia and the UK via various stops in the eastern hemisphere.

The Pioneering Spirit of the Kangaroo Route, aboard a Qantas A330-300, departs Sydney on February 3, 2026, with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Kolkata, Colombo, Cairo, Toulouse and Rome en route to London.

Captain’s Choice will use a Qantas Airbus A330 to recreate the route. Business class is already sold out.

This is close to being the original flight path Qantas first wholly operated in 1947. At that time, the route from Sydney to London took four days and seven stops to complete, with just 29 passengers aboard a Lockheed Constellation aircraft.

This one goes for two weeks and includes special events to delight aviation aficionados such as dinner beneath the wings of the Concorde. There are also gallery visits, cooking classes and plenty more. But, says Bosschieter, the onboard experience is just as fun.

“It is unlike a commercial service, and no sector is really longer than four hours and 20 minutes, other than Colombo to Cairo which is eight.”

Although business class quickly sold out, Bosschieter says an economy class seat isn’t a disadvantage and that many prefer the social aspects of the larger cabin.

“All catering and service is at business class international level,” he says, “and what happens is, the aircraft becomes the gathering place for everyone to catch up, have a drink, share some photos, share some tales about what they did in the last place.”

Only 160 of the A330’s 269 economy seats will be sold to allow passengers more room to spread out.

As of 2025, Captain’s Choice Private jet flights are carbon neutral through the purchasing of carbon credits. The Pioneering Spirit of the Kangaroo Route is priced from $49,950.

See captainschoice.com.au/kangaroo