Australia. We’re a nation girt by sea. A helluva lotta sea.
We’re about as far away as you can get from just about every other country.
This has its perks. Like, when you go overseas and people hear you’re from Down Under, they’ll usually ask you all manner of ridiculous questions (do you ride a kangaroo to school? Did you know Steve Irwin personally?) that are funny to recount to your mates when you’re home.
The downside of our isolation? It takes forever to get anywhere. If you’re doing Europe on the cheap, you’ll probably be subjected to all manner of ungodly stop overs en route. Even if you’re doing it luxe, you’ll have at least one stop over outside ‘Straya.
Until now.
Today, Qantas unveiled their brand-spanking new 787-9 Dreamliners. Apart from boasting clean, fresh interiors, they have one capability that sets them apart: they’ll be flying direct from Perth to London from 2018.
There are also possibilities of Perth to Paris and Brisbane to Chicago flights.
It’s the first time since 2008 that Qantas have debuted a new aircraft, and CEO Alan Joyce reckons the ‘Great Southern Land‘ (yep, that’s the plane’s name, ‘Straya!!) will offer punters the “next generation” of comfy seating in economy, premium economy and business.
Comfort would of course be paramount when flying from literally one side of the world to the other, and check out the fresh new seats, none of which have been farted on already:
Speaking to The Australian, industrial designer David Caon, who shaped the interiors of the aircraft and the seating, said the seat in the premium economy cabin meant that passengers could “end up sitting in like this zero-G almost position”.
He said ergonomics “was a huge factor” for the premium economy seat, then “on top of that was about creating that really important achievable seat position”.
“It’s not going to get you flat but it will enable you to extend as much as you want, your feet can go right through to the seat in front of you,” he said.
The planes will also have bigger windows, meaning you will nail that sunrise over the Indian Sea.
Miiiiiint.
Contiki‘s London Insider trip is the perfect way to go deep into the coveted capital of the United Kingdom. During the culturally-immersive three day trip, you’ll go Banksy hunting, find treasures in antique stores in Notting Hill and sip lattes (or craft beers, whatever your poison) on Old Street. If that’s not sweet enough, Contiki are offering ripping deals on flights to Europe at the moment, starting at just $498 return.
