From Travel + Leisure Magazine found here:
“These New 22-hour Flights Will Connect Australia to the World Like Never Before
Beginning in 2027, travelers will be able to fly nonstop between Australia and two of the world’s most important cities, according to Edward Russell, published on June 23, 2026
The journey to Australia will be a bit shorter starting next year as Qantas Airways launches its long-awaited nonstop flights between Sydney and London.
Qantas will kick off the ultra-ultra-long-haul route in October 2027, according to the carrier, making it the longest nonstop flight in the world. Following that, the airline plans to debut nonstop flights between Sydney and New York.
The routes, part of the airline’s almost decade-old “Project Sunrise” to offer nonstops to Sydney, will still clock in at nearly a full day: up to 22 hours for the more than 10,000-mile Sydney-to-London route and just a bit less for the about 9,950-mile Sydney-to-New York route. But even those lengthy flight times are faster than the connecting options; Qantas claims the nonstop flights will save travelers up to 4 hours off the fastest one-stop alternatives.
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group CEO, described the new flights as overcoming the tyranny of distance that travelers to Australia face.
“Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey,” she said in a statement. “Today, we’re taking out the last one.”
Qantas will continue operating one-stop options to both London and New York when the new nonstop flights begin. London flights stop in Perth and Singapore, while New York flights stop in Auckland.
The new ultra, ultra-long-haul flights will offer plush accommodations for travelers on a dedicated fleet of new Airbus A350S. The first class will feature six private suites with a separate reclining seat and a full 80-inch bed in a 1-1-1 configuration, in addition to a plethora of other amenities. Business class will feature 52 lie-flat suites in a 1-2-1 configuration with privacy dividers and an 18-inch entertainment screen. And the 40 premium economy and 140 economy seats all feature 13.3-inch personal screens and USB-C outlets.
In a first for Qantas, the A350S will feature a “wellbeing zone” for all passengers regardless of where they sit, with refreshments, space to stretch out mid-flight, and a guided on-screen movement program.
The new nonstops will not be cheap, even in economy class. Qantas estimated that travelers will pay as much as 30 percent more for flights than for one-stop options.
Qantas, at least for the foreseeable future, will have a monopoly on these ultra, ultra-long nonstop flights. No other airline plans to compete with the carrier, instead sticking to traditional one-stop gateways such as Dubai, Los Angeles, or Singapore.”
For world travelers like us, especially when heading all the way to Australia, the convenience of long, direct flights makes a meaningful difference. Cutting down on layover time feels like reclaiming small pieces of our journey. We have never been fond of sitting in airports, watching the clock, waiting for the next boarding call. There is something far more satisfying about settling into a seat, knowing that with each passing hour, we are steadily getting closer to our destination.
Even though long flights can be tiring, we have come to prefer them. There is a rhythm to being in the air, a sense of movement and purpose, that makes the time feel well spent. In many ways, it shortens the emotional distance as much as the physical one.
Tonight, we shift gears for Quiz Night. Our Bush Baby teammates are under the weather and staying home, which will certainly change the dynamic. Still, we were invited to join the General Electric team, and we happily accepted. It is always enjoyable to meet new people, share a few laughs, and see where the evening takes us.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 30, 2016:
There was no post on this date in 2016.