Think about your last long-haul Economy flight. Think about how restless you felt in the last two hours; how you couldn’t find a comfortable position; and how you just couldn’t wait to get off the bloody plane.
Now imagine you had another couple of hours tacked on to the end of your already extensive flight.
Errr, no thanks!
Convincing people to sit in Economy for around 17 hours straight was one of the dilemmas Qantas tackled when planning its non-stop QF9 London flight, which took off on its historic first flight on Saturday from Perth.
READ: UP AND AWAY: Historic Qantas Perth to London flight takes off
Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive, Alan Joyce, said the airline put in a lot of effort to ensure the aircraft on the route would be “hands-down the most comfortable aircraft” for all passengers.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says inflight comfort was front-of-mind when planning the route.
He explained that the Dreamliner 787-9 is fitted with features to reduce jetlag, turbulence and noise, while cabins received bigger entertainment screens, more personal storage and more importantly, extra space.
For those flying in Economy, this ‘extra space’ equates to receiving around 2.5cm in additional legroom, which may not sound like much on land but up in the air can mean a world of difference for stretching out.
Additionally, the plane only has a total of 236 seats (166 in economy), which is far less than the average 300+ found on other Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft, making the plane less crowded.
The specially designed Dreamliner 787-9 economy seat has also been created with comfort in mind.
Designed by Qantas designer David Caon, himself an Aussie, the seat features a charging station and tray for devices, a large LC touchscreen display and a unique ‘foot cradle’ that takes the weight off your feet and suspends them in a net for added comfort.
READ: What’s so special about the Qantas Dreamliner anyway?
READ: What else is so special on the aircraft flying directly to London
And then there’s the food and refreshments onboard, again completely designed with well-being in mind by ‘Mr Rockpool’ himself, Neil Perry.
Neil Perry, Qantas/Rockpool
From organic Kombucha drinks to settle your tummy to special herbal tea’s to help you sleep and healthy snacks to accompany your movie marathon, it’s all been considered to help make a positive difference to the flying experience for passengers. Even with a few vino’s on top.
Chicken with red rice, roasted Mediterranean vegetables
READ: FLY AWAY JETLAG: Qantas dishes up a new menu to make the long haul better for all
These little touches to make the ultra long-haul journey more comfortable have paid off for the airline, with Joyce saying “the response to the flight has been amazing”.
“It’s great for Australian tourism, for business travellers and for people visiting friends and family on both sides of the world.”
Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive
READ: Qantas’ historic Perth-London flight takes off
READ: 10 things you need to know about PER-LON and the Qantas Dreamliner