As a Perth boy who now lives in the UK this flight has been amazing and also enabled me to get home fast to sick parents which is reassuring. I never thought I’d be able to get from door to door Suffolk to Fremantle in under 24 hours but it’s possible.
Stefan Your attitude is absolutely infectious and the right one. We take for granted these incredible machines that we all love, the make it seem effortless and we get to see incredible places and meet incredible people that we may not have come across without aircraft. Wishing you excellent health and many more flights and trips ahead
I’ve never seen your channel until today but I appreciate the enthusiasm and respect you show for this amazing flight process. Too many times as a business traveler I see bored people taking for granted the incredible privilege that it is to fly on these long haul non stop services, and I love the infectious excitement you have to be taking this journey.
Hey Stefan..when I worked with Qantas as a CSM, I would always look out for you. Now that I’m retired. I’m so happy you’re still as eager & happy flying..Mark
Hi Stefan, yes - these direct flights are designed for flight geeks like you and I, so some years ago my spouse and I flew direct from Melbourne to LHR via Perth and upon completing our Euro vacation, return to Melbourne taking the same Qantas flight back. Comment from my spouse who is not a keen flyer:" loved it!"; Me:" let's do it again!"
I really wish we still had those "Golden years of aviation" with chillout lounges. 17hrs in a chair is a bloody long time no matter how much you love flying. Great to see you in Perth!
The bar/lounge areas are great on ULH flights. I'm not much of a drinker but just having a seperate space to walk to and a change of scenery on such a long flight is a real luxury for sure.
For all the whingeing everyone does about Qantas, I still love flying with them. They'll look after everyone, even us steerage, oops, economy passengers, haha! Will never forget the 1 flight I had to Hong Kong when I lived in China a decade ago, flight from Brisbane was delayed which meant I would potentially miss the last bus for the day back over to the mainland (I lived-in Guangzhou at the time). Remember asking an FA when we'd be landing as I was trying to catch the bus. I didn't know this, but I raced off the flight on landing straight to baggage (I know every corner of HK airport so easy to navigate!) & ran into the crew again there who said they'd actually called through to the airport while still in the air to see if they could possibly hold the bus for me! I was so incredibly touched!
I’ve never understood the whinging. They’re a major airline. They all have their issues. But the moment I step on that plane when I’m overseas, I feel home.
I agree on the shades up, every time I have flown over the Indian region at night you see the most spectacular lightening show. As a stop over I rate Middle East over Perth.
I hope you are well and great to see you enjoying the LHR-PER 789 flight. My first trip Down Under was almost 40 years ago as a 10 year old. We flew MAN--LHR on brand new 757 and connected onto BA 009 Heathrow to Auckland via Bombay, Perth and Sydney on G-BDXC Boeing 747-236 "City of Manchester" and I will never forget that flight. We returned via Honolulu, a night in Los Angeles and Heathrow on TE 742 ZK-NZV, BA 742 G-BDXF and final hop on BA BAC 1-11
Hey Stefan, great video. Even in economy that flight is fantastic for us who live in Perth. They have a snacks cabinet at the rear that you can help your self too through the flight. If only i could over ride the automatic dimming windows!
You are right it's tail winds, if you ever head east you generally get good tail winds so the flight time is shorter. You probably looked at the return flight which is scheduled for over 17 hours as that's generally in head winds back west.
Hello from Perth! These non-stop flights to Europe are very popular here. Especially the London route; a lot of the big mining companies here have UK offices so that flight is often full of mining execs. The Rome flight has been very popular for holiday makers, and I'm not sure if the Paris flight has started yet. I imagine next cab-off-the-rank will be a flight to Frankfurt or Schipol. Maybe Istanbul too - hopefully Turkish Airways starts flying to Perth soon too.
Totally agree with the lounge-hopping plan! Just came back from LHR to LAX on AAL and did the exact same thing! Cathy dim sum is perfect before a long flight!!
It's along time since I did the Caledonian 707 from Gatwick to Melbourne as a nine year old in late 1970. Stopping in KL and Karrachi. Mum had a perforated ear drum and was in pain. Been back once 1983. Still remember Tullamarine and a school bus trip to Geelong Norlane Enterprise Hostel in Australia summer. It was so hot. After a British winter. Yuk.
First time viewer and agree with others - love your calming enthusiastic style. I'm currently looking at options to fly from Sydney back to London (last time was 2017) for next year and hence why I'm watching. Bernie in Sydney
Thank you Stef for taking one for the team! I don't think I could handle 17 hours... and then still have to jump on another plane for 3-4 hours to get to back home to Melbourne! Question though... more or less points if you had a few stops on the way home?
Every time you did a segment to the camera you had a big smile on your face, we just know that even when the cam was off and not on you that smile was still there!
Great video Stefan. Wonderful to see how excited you were and Project Sunrise will be fantastic when the first non stop UK to SYD/MEL flight happens! Clear skies and tailwinds aloft!
We were debating flying Qantas or Emirates business class from Perth to London (return) for later this year, we ended up booking Qantas because of the classic Australian service! Sure emirates has amazing seats and it looks so lux but I often find middle eastern and Asian airlines, they almost fall over you with their services and I don’t enjoy that. I much prefer the classic Australian hospitality, bit of banter, humour, not picking up after you for everything. I can’t wait to fly this route!
I don’t know how you don’t have more subscribers! As a fellow Aussie from Sydney, I want to fly on this flight but I’m not doing in economy 😂 hard to get reward flights for it. And yes, I’ve flown back from London 3 times this year. I am amazed how the tailwinds are up to 150mph! If you flew PER->LHR it would be 17+ hours
Cracking video! When I see planes landing over London and think the last time those feet and wheels touched land was thousands of miles away….i really hope more of these type of flights become available in the future
So great to see you taking this flight Stef! Ive been so luck to dp this flight twice now and once in Business. Was utterly unbelieveble to me as someone just like yourself, obsessed with Australia as a kid, have migrated to Australia since, become an Australian and an absolute Av geek. So lovely to see you so excited for the flight as i have been. :-)
I adore flying esp in J but not sure I’d want that long in one place, maybe F 😊 Live seeing you back in the skies Stef. Just love your videos ALWAYS!!! Btw was it hard to get this flight? Did you use points? 😊😊😊
Came back from Narita on Monday -- the Aspire lounge didn't Aspire my confidence... so went to Cathay (in the old Admiral's Lounge space) - incredible, and empty at 6pm on a Monday!
Honestly hard to beat a Cathay Pacific lounge to be honest. The ones in their hub airport at Chek Lap Kok are probably the best lounges I've ever been in.
5:23 incredible, look at how many stops we had back in the day. I agree with you I'm blown away by the fact we can go direct to so many destinations. I'm from Bangladesh and I remember we had multiple stops back in the day but we can fly direct now on the Dreamliner to Sylhet from London or Manchester, it's incredible. 10 or 11 hours non-stop. I will admit though, I don't mind flying with a stop on Emirates or Qatar, the airports are decent in Doha and Dubai, you get to stretch your legs, walk around in a place that looks like a mall before heading on to your destination, it adds a bit to your holiday.
This is a really good point - the stopover is a fun part of travelling long haul. I agree the DXB and DOH airports are great for a few hours to stretch your legs and wander the shops. But sometimes if you want the convenience of a non-stop it's amazing we have these options now. Thanks for watching from Bangladesh 🇧🇩 👋
I made my first Sydney to London Qantas flight in 1982. 747. So sad they are no longer flying.. Direct and refueling stops in Bangkok and Barhrain. Flight time around 22 to 24 hours. Welcome to Australia. 🎉❤
I just took the flight a few weeks ago from London back home to Perth and really enjoyed it. Non stop to a Northern England airport would suit me better as getting to and through London is a bit of a pain for this Ex Northerner 🙂. Like you I always wanted to try it as I am amazed that it can be done.
Had a very similar experience in business class from Dallas to Melbourne, only slightly shorter but the experience was great, 100% worth it in my opinion :)
Really surprised they didn't put you on an a380! I arrived in the uk a couple days ago from sydney with one stop in singapore and the a380 is by far the most comfortable plane
One of those trips where the flight itself is a highlight. I remember when you did Singapore to Newark and faded part way through. I didn't see that on this flight. Too excited, I guess. I'd be excited too. 😍 My longest flights are 14 hours between Vancouver and Auckland. I don't mind the 14 hours part (Premium Economy makes a difference - I wouldn't subject myself to Economy on such a long flight), but I *do* mind getting there at 5 in the morning.
That is a flight i would love to do as well. Also coming from the UK where i was born. Not sure if there is such a flight available to Auckland, New Zealand as yet. Even just flying from Heathrow to Perth non-stop would be amazing. Thanks for sharing the experience and this video.
Its ok if you live in Perth. If you live on the East coast ( Sydney, Melbourne etc) its no real saving over the Kangaroo route,it takes 5 hours to Perth then 17 hours to LHR. Going via Singapore is pretty much the same without having to squash in for 17 hours.
Thanks for pointing out the window issue, consider yourself blessed as for 1 you are in Business class. They don't annoy people at the front with the window binds, I normally travel at the back. And ever since COVID lockdowns ended, almost on every single flight I am on board this is the drill, u take off, crew come after u force u to close the window binds or dim the window binds on the Dreamliner and lock the controls till before landing. My worst experience was on my flight to India last year I was forced to sit in utter darkness for 12 long hours after taking off at Sydney at 9 am when they forced me to close the window binds. Another notable example of this was on board Qatar Airways in Economy when I flew from Doha to Sydney they again forced me to close the window binds (when in Economy) it gave me a very bad jetlag which took 7 days to recover from. I wish we can call the airline and ask them, "hey my name is so and so, my booking reference is so and so, I was wondering what your policies are on window binds closure after take off? if possible can I pay extra to keep the window binds open during the flight?"
Stefan, did you get a GPS signal on your aviation watch and if so did it work all the way to Perth? I sent back my Garmin watch as I could not get it to work in a pressurised aircraft.
Not for the entire flight, I guess at certain points inside the cabin with no clear line-of-sight to satellites the GPS will drop. But generally on commercial flights if I'm next to a window I can get a GPS location on my watch.
That's incredible and about time. I'm glad it was a good experience too. I don't know what it would be like in coach on such a long flight though. And as an aside for me as a somebody with a trans history gives me an option for visiting Australia, without the worry of layovers in parts of the world that would at best have me immediately deported or thrown in prison just for existing.
G'day Stef, when it can make it to Melbourne. I'll be impressed too. That last leg from Perth to East Coast is like pulling fingernails. Imagine the poor person at Perth who has to open that door at Perth and cop the 17 hours of farting up Neil's lasagne. 😂 Glad to see your back and fighting fit.
Nice, but I much prefer to do the stop overs. Usually Dubai & spend a night at a hotel to get a proper nights sleep. I can't afford business class BUT I can afford the $100AUD for the Holiday Inn Express in Dubai which has a free shuttle bus. I also like if I'm on the ground for less that 24 hours they keep my checked luggage & I just have to take my carry on bag to the hotel. Another bonus is I get 2 boarding passes in Sydney so on the second flight no check in either. Just turn up go through security & the eGate for immigration & straight to the gate for boarding.
Dear Stefan, I have been on quite a few direct flights from London to Australia. A very long flight. From memory the flight would leave Heathrow around 11 PM. I remember having a late drink in the airport lounge a couple of hours before the flight one evening when 3 very loud Aussies popped up and started drinking, and drinking, and getting louder. I moved away to another part of the lounge. When we were about to board the flight waiting in that seated area a Qantas official approached the group and told one (maybe two of them) that they could not board due to intoxication and being rowdy. They suddenly went quiet and were apologetic trying to get the official to change their mind which didnt happen. Speaking to a few people on the flight, there was relief that we could all get some sleep. They were acting like football supporters at a game. I dont blame the person who made the decision, because a large proportion of the plane was filled with families and young children, as well as back-packers and business people. As for me? I was returning from a conference that ended that evening and I was a bit rocky on my feet drinking those LARGE English pints of beer. Traveling alone I was quiet while waiting for my flight and only had one more drink. Some people are loud when drunk some are quiet, some are aggressive, some are funny, some cry, some are confused, some are horny, some are philosophical😁
Did this flight on the way from London to Cairns. Getting to Perth was OK on its own, but then to Brisbane and then Cairns made the whole trip too much for one go. Stopping at a mid point still feels like a better option for me. It would be perfect if you lived in Perth though :)
I'm not sure I want to want to fly 17 to 21 hours non-stop. I've always enjoyed the layover or stopover in SIN, BKK, HKG or DXB. J class was looking good as usual - great to see you're up in the air, just not in the left seat
I think QF9 takes longer than QF10. I travelled on QF9 last year. I was lucky enough to be able to do it in business class. When we were about 3.5 hours out of Heathrow, I just wanted out of the plane. I would have been happy if they'd just dropped me off and I'd walk to UK. 🙂 I know that the Project Sunrise aircraft will be configured for ULH flight, but I'm actually not keen to fly that long. Seeing as we'd flown from Brisbane to Perth first, before we then waited for QF9, there was no overall time saving anyway.
I work at Heathrow and I recognise the terminal and I’ve even been in the Qantas Lounge myself. I want to go on this flight as well. Qantas Have A380s that go trough Singapore to London
I was recently lucky enough to fly the Qantas Dallas to Melb route which is listed as 17hr 45min and slightly longer than this route as well as some other long haul flights in the same month. I too noticed that each actual flight time on the screens was always between 30-60min shorter than listed in your Qantas app or on the website. I was thinking along the lines of tailwinds at first however it was consistent enough for each flight to think it was something more calculated. I'm not sure if boarding/de-boarding times are included or they list the longest potential flight time to account for any weather re-routing along the way? Maybe any pilots can shed some light?
Been a brit I'm not used to these long hauls but me and the other half flew Gatwick to Mauritius, 12 hour flight in economy and it was horrid. We've said any long haul again we would split it up, until we can afford business 😂
I flew Singapore to NYC last month on Singapore airlines A350. 18H40 flying time as we routed up over Alaska. The return trip from NYC to Singapore a few days ago was 19 hours through Europe and Asia. Eastward around the world on the longest flight in the world. Beautiful Singapore airlines service as usual. Qantas screwed me a while back so I will never fly them again. Such a horrible airline.
Also an aviation geek an ex YMMB Pilot now living in Germany. With such a long flight, did you happen to find out what they do for the flight (pilots) crew?
Pretty sure when you fly W to E it’s always quicker. Flying E to W is always longer. That’s the case in Australia anyway. Surely that’s the same else where in the world. Haha I’m not expert though defiantly the case when flying across Australia from Perth to either Sydney, Brisbane etc
As a Perth boy who now lives in the UK this flight has been amazing and also enabled me to get home fast to sick parents which is reassuring. I never thought I’d be able to get from door to door Suffolk to Fremantle in under 24 hours but it’s possible.
Living in Perth this flight would be so convenient.
Stefan
Your attitude is absolutely infectious and the right one.
We take for granted these incredible machines that we all love, the make it seem effortless and we get to see incredible places and meet incredible people that we may not have come across without aircraft.
Wishing you excellent health and many more flights and trips ahead
Thank you Steven, that's kind of you to say. Nice to stop and appreciate how amazing humankind can be when we put our efforts to positive use.
I’ve never seen your channel until today but I appreciate the enthusiasm and respect you show for this amazing flight process. Too many times as a business traveler I see bored people taking for granted the incredible privilege that it is to fly on these long haul non stop services, and I love the infectious excitement you have to be taking this journey.
Hey Stefan..when I worked with Qantas as a CSM, I would always look out for you. Now that I’m retired. I’m so happy you’re still as eager & happy flying..Mark
Hi Stefan, yes - these direct flights are designed for flight geeks like you and I, so some years ago my spouse and I flew direct from Melbourne to LHR via Perth and upon completing our Euro vacation, return to Melbourne taking the same Qantas flight back. Comment from my spouse who is not a keen flyer:" loved it!"; Me:" let's do it again!"
non-stop
I really wish we still had those "Golden years of aviation" with chillout lounges. 17hrs in a chair is a bloody long time no matter how much you love flying. Great to see you in Perth!
Unless you fly business/first class and you to the bar area etc
The bar/lounge areas are great on ULH flights. I'm not much of a drinker but just having a seperate space to walk to and a change of scenery on such a long flight is a real luxury for sure.
For all the whingeing everyone does about Qantas, I still love flying with them. They'll look after everyone, even us steerage, oops, economy passengers, haha! Will never forget the 1 flight I had to Hong Kong when I lived in China a decade ago, flight from Brisbane was delayed which meant I would potentially miss the last bus for the day back over to the mainland (I lived-in Guangzhou at the time). Remember asking an FA when we'd be landing as I was trying to catch the bus. I didn't know this, but I raced off the flight on landing straight to baggage (I know every corner of HK airport so easy to navigate!) & ran into the crew again there who said they'd actually called through to the airport while still in the air to see if they could possibly hold the bus for me! I was so incredibly touched!
I’ve never understood the whinging. They’re a major airline. They all have their issues. But the moment I step on that plane when I’m overseas, I feel home.
I agree on the shades up, every time I have flown over the Indian region at night you see the most spectacular lightening show.
As a stop over I rate Middle East over Perth.
The passion in your voice is so unique and powerful! We can all tell you truly love aviation and we do too.
Thanks Jack, indeed I do. I feel very lucky to be back out travelling again. I'm glad you can feel that energy as well. Thanks for watching.
I hope you are well and great to see you enjoying the LHR-PER 789 flight. My first trip Down Under was almost 40 years ago as a 10 year old. We flew MAN--LHR on brand new 757 and connected onto BA 009 Heathrow to Auckland via Bombay, Perth and Sydney on G-BDXC Boeing 747-236 "City of Manchester" and I will never forget that flight. We returned via Honolulu, a night in Los Angeles and Heathrow on TE 742 ZK-NZV, BA 742 G-BDXF and final hop on BA BAC 1-11
Hey Stefan, great video. Even in economy that flight is fantastic for us who live in Perth. They have a snacks cabinet at the rear that you can help your self too through the flight. If only i could over ride the automatic dimming windows!
You are right it's tail winds, if you ever head east you generally get good tail winds so the flight time is shorter. You probably looked at the return flight which is scheduled for over 17 hours as that's generally in head winds back west.
Hello from Perth! These non-stop flights to Europe are very popular here. Especially the London route; a lot of the big mining companies here have UK offices so that flight is often full of mining execs. The Rome flight has been very popular for holiday makers, and I'm not sure if the Paris flight has started yet. I imagine next cab-off-the-rank will be a flight to Frankfurt or Schipol. Maybe Istanbul too - hopefully Turkish Airways starts flying to Perth soon too.
Totally agree with the lounge-hopping plan! Just came back from LHR to LAX on AAL and did the exact same thing! Cathy dim sum is perfect before a long flight!!
Nice report Stef. I travelled on this flight in economy and surprised how quick it went. Enjoyable experience by the QF crew as well.
It's along time since I did the Caledonian 707 from Gatwick to Melbourne as a nine year old in late 1970. Stopping in KL and Karrachi. Mum had a perforated ear drum and was in pain. Been back once 1983. Still remember Tullamarine and a school bus trip to Geelong Norlane Enterprise Hostel in Australia summer. It was so hot. After a British winter. Yuk.
Fun! You’re a lucky man to be able to do all the things you do. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
First time viewer and agree with others - love your calming enthusiastic style. I'm currently looking at options to fly from Sydney back to London (last time was 2017) for next year and hence why I'm watching. Bernie in Sydney
Thank you Stef for taking one for the team! I don't think I could handle 17 hours... and then still have to jump on another plane for 3-4 hours to get to back home to Melbourne! Question though... more or less points if you had a few stops on the way home?
Did this flight in 2018 - loved it! ❤
thanks for the very nice flight report!
Glad you're better Stefan. Nice video.
Honestly so happy to see you looking so well and living your life, Stef! Much love.
Thanks Euan, I appreciate that.
Every time you did a segment to the camera you had a big smile on your face, we just know that even when the cam was off and not on you that smile was still there!
The 787 is such a beautiful plane. I always see them on approach to JFK 🗽🇺🇸
Yeah gorgeous aircraft, and the livery of this Qantas one is particularly stunning.
It is quite amazing those engines work so hard!
Great video Stefan. Wonderful to see how excited you were and Project Sunrise will be fantastic when the first non stop UK to SYD/MEL flight happens! Clear skies and tailwinds aloft!
We were debating flying Qantas or Emirates business class from Perth to London (return) for later this year, we ended up booking Qantas because of the classic Australian service! Sure emirates has amazing seats and it looks so lux but I often find middle eastern and Asian airlines, they almost fall over you with their services and I don’t enjoy that. I much prefer the classic Australian hospitality, bit of banter, humour, not picking up after you for everything. I can’t wait to fly this route!
I don’t know how you don’t have more subscribers!
As a fellow Aussie from Sydney, I want to fly on this flight but I’m not doing in economy 😂 hard to get reward flights for it.
And yes, I’ve flown back from London 3 times this year. I am amazed how the tailwinds are up to 150mph!
If you flew PER->LHR it would be 17+ hours
I was anticipating this video since I saw the UK series. Looks awesome, stay well Stef!
At first glance at those in-flight pyjamas, I thought you'd be able to do a good Raygun impression with them on.
Modern day air travel is absolutely incredible! Like you said, from the days it used to take 12 days to getting there now in 17 hours! Amazing!!!
Cracking video! When I see planes landing over London and think the last time those feet and wheels touched land was thousands of miles away….i really hope more of these type of flights become available in the future
So great to see you taking this flight Stef! Ive been so luck to dp this flight twice now and once in Business. Was utterly unbelieveble to me as someone just like yourself, obsessed with Australia as a kid, have migrated to Australia since, become an Australian and an absolute Av geek. So lovely to see you so excited for the flight as i have been. :-)
As a huge aviation fan and having flown to Australia in the last couple years, congrats! So happy you could make the journey!
I feel the same about the blinds, it should be left to the individual. Thank you for taking us with you. Great .
I adore flying esp in J but not sure I’d want that long in one place, maybe F 😊 Live seeing you back in the skies Stef. Just love your videos ALWAYS!!! Btw was it hard to get this flight? Did you use points? 😊😊😊
I did this flight last year. Its a marvel of engineering to be able to do it!
This one is definitely on my bucket list for the next few years - the one I’m really wanting is LHR to AKL - 22-23 hours airborne!
Liked the fact that coffee had to be in the Qantas lounge.☺️
Came back from Narita on Monday -- the Aspire lounge didn't Aspire my confidence... so went to Cathay (in the old Admiral's Lounge space) - incredible, and empty at 6pm on a Monday!
Honestly hard to beat a Cathay Pacific lounge to be honest. The ones in their hub airport at Chek Lap Kok are probably the best lounges I've ever been in.
I fly with BA mostly and always stick with the BA lounge as I know what I’m getting. Great to see you super happy.
Thank you, yes I've been in there a few years ago, another good option.
5:23 incredible, look at how many stops we had back in the day. I agree with you I'm blown away by the fact we can go direct to so many destinations. I'm from Bangladesh and I remember we had multiple stops back in the day but we can fly direct now on the Dreamliner to Sylhet from London or Manchester, it's incredible. 10 or 11 hours non-stop. I will admit though, I don't mind flying with a stop on Emirates or Qatar, the airports are decent in Doha and Dubai, you get to stretch your legs, walk around in a place that looks like a mall before heading on to your destination, it adds a bit to your holiday.
This is a really good point - the stopover is a fun part of travelling long haul. I agree the DXB and DOH airports are great for a few hours to stretch your legs and wander the shops. But sometimes if you want the convenience of a non-stop it's amazing we have these options now. Thanks for watching from Bangladesh 🇧🇩 👋
I made my first Sydney to London Qantas flight in 1982. 747. So sad they are no longer flying..
Direct and refueling stops in Bangkok and Barhrain.
Flight time around 22 to 24 hours.
Welcome to Australia.
🎉❤
I just took the flight a few weeks ago from London back home to Perth and really enjoyed it. Non stop to a Northern England airport would suit me better as getting to and through London is a bit of a pain for this Ex Northerner 🙂. Like you I always wanted to try it as I am amazed that it can be done.
Although I'm sure you're already back in Melbourne hugging EYZ... and maybe your family haha welcome to Perth
amazing you got to live your dream mate
Had a very similar experience in business class from Dallas to Melbourne, only slightly shorter but the experience was great, 100% worth it in my opinion :)
Another great video 🙌🙌 and also love your passion and love for aviation!!
Really surprised they didn't put you on an a380! I arrived in the uk a couple days ago from sydney with one stop in singapore and the a380 is by far the most comfortable plane
Perhaps one day WA well secede from the federation and it will be more difficult! :D
Eh, idk if that's ever gonna happen.
One of those trips where the flight itself is a highlight. I remember when you did Singapore to Newark and faded part way through. I didn't see that on this flight. Too excited, I guess. I'd be excited too. 😍
My longest flights are 14 hours between Vancouver and Auckland. I don't mind the 14 hours part (Premium Economy makes a difference - I wouldn't subject myself to Economy on such a long flight), but I *do* mind getting there at 5 in the morning.
1:37 That's N216UA, I flew on that bird the very first time I crossed the Atlantic from Chicago to Amsterdam!
That is a flight i would love to do as well. Also coming from the UK where i was born. Not sure if there is such a flight available to Auckland, New Zealand as yet. Even just flying from Heathrow to Perth non-stop would be amazing. Thanks for sharing the experience and this video.
Outstanding work mate!
Thanks for the Heathrow liquids tip. I'll be flying through LHR in a couple of weeks. Cheers!
No worries, glad that helped.
Its ok if you live in Perth. If you live on the East coast ( Sydney, Melbourne etc) its no real saving over the Kangaroo route,it takes 5 hours to Perth then 17 hours to LHR. Going via Singapore is pretty much the same without having to squash in for 17 hours.
I flew to London for the queens jubilee weekend, this flight was pure magic….
Bring on SYD-LHR…SYD-JFK
Thanks for pointing out the window issue, consider yourself blessed as for 1 you are in Business class. They don't annoy people at the front with the window binds, I normally travel at the back. And ever since COVID lockdowns ended, almost on every single flight I am on board this is the drill, u take off, crew come after u force u to close the window binds or dim the window binds on the Dreamliner and lock the controls till before landing. My worst experience was on my flight to India last year I was forced to sit in utter darkness for 12 long hours after taking off at Sydney at 9 am when they forced me to close the window binds. Another notable example of this was on board Qatar Airways in Economy when I flew from Doha to Sydney they again forced me to close the window binds (when in Economy) it gave me a very bad jetlag which took 7 days to recover from. I wish we can call the airline and ask them, "hey my name is so and so, my booking reference is so and so, I was wondering what your policies are on window binds closure after take off? if possible can I pay extra to keep the window binds open during the flight?"
Great review Stef.
Stefan, did you get a GPS signal on your aviation watch and if so did it work all the way to Perth? I sent back my Garmin watch as I could not get it to work in a pressurised aircraft.
Not for the entire flight, I guess at certain points inside the cabin with no clear line-of-sight to satellites the GPS will drop. But generally on commercial flights if I'm next to a window I can get a GPS location on my watch.
That's incredible and about time. I'm glad it was a good experience too. I don't know what it would be like in coach on such a long flight though.
And as an aside for me as a somebody with a trans history gives me an option for visiting Australia, without the worry of layovers in parts of the world that would at best have me immediately deported or thrown in prison just for existing.
OOOOO and you got to fly on the Yam Dreaming livery! Cool deal, lovely video mate
Yes took many photos of that when I was waiting to board, such a beautiful livery. Thanks Brian.
I remember when they painted the 747s in aboriginal art and it put an extra ton of weight on the plane. Wonder if this is similar.
Qantas needs to do a Non-stop flght from Perth to LA rather than going to sydney first.
G'day Stef, when it can make it to Melbourne. I'll be impressed too. That last leg from Perth to East Coast is like pulling fingernails. Imagine the poor person at Perth who has to open that door at Perth and cop the 17 hours of farting up Neil's lasagne. 😂 Glad to see your back and fighting fit.
Nice, but I much prefer to do the stop overs. Usually Dubai & spend a night at a hotel to get a proper nights sleep. I can't afford business class BUT I can afford the $100AUD for the Holiday Inn Express in Dubai which has a free shuttle bus. I also like if I'm on the ground for less that 24 hours they keep my checked luggage & I just have to take my carry on bag to the hotel. Another bonus is I get 2 boarding passes in Sydney so on the second flight no check in either. Just turn up go through security & the eGate for immigration & straight to the gate for boarding.
Your video makes me smile. Thank you !! ;)
That's great, thanks for watching Nemo
Dear Stefan,
I have been on quite a few direct flights from London to Australia. A very long flight. From memory the flight would leave Heathrow around 11 PM.
I remember having a late drink in the airport lounge a couple of hours before the flight one evening when 3 very loud Aussies popped up and started drinking, and drinking, and getting louder.
I moved away to another part of the lounge.
When we were about to board the flight waiting in that seated area a Qantas official approached the group and told one (maybe two of them) that they could not board due to intoxication and being rowdy.
They suddenly went quiet and were apologetic trying to get the official to change their mind which didnt happen.
Speaking to a few people on the flight, there was relief that we could all get some sleep.
They were acting like football supporters at a game. I dont blame the person who made the decision, because a large proportion of the plane was filled with families and young children, as well as back-packers and business people.
As for me? I was returning from a conference that ended that evening and I was a bit rocky on my feet drinking those LARGE English pints of beer. Traveling alone I was quiet while waiting for my flight and only had one more drink. Some people are loud when drunk some are quiet, some are aggressive, some are funny, some cry, some are confused, some are horny, some are philosophical😁
Did this flight on the way from London to Cairns. Getting to Perth was OK on its own, but then to Brisbane and then Cairns made the whole trip too much for one go. Stopping at a mid point still feels like a better option for me. It would be perfect if you lived in Perth though :)
I'm not sure I want to want to fly 17 to 21 hours non-stop. I've always enjoyed the layover or stopover in SIN, BKK, HKG or DXB. J class was looking good as usual - great to see you're up in the air, just not in the left seat
I think QF9 takes longer than QF10.
I travelled on QF9 last year. I was lucky enough to be able to do it in business class. When we were about 3.5 hours out of Heathrow, I just wanted out of the plane. I would have been happy if they'd just dropped me off and I'd walk to UK. 🙂 I know that the Project Sunrise aircraft will be configured for ULH flight, but I'm actually not keen to fly that long. Seeing as we'd flown from Brisbane to Perth first, before we then waited for QF9, there was no overall time saving anyway.
I'd love to do a flight like this the furthest I have flown is Melbourne to Hamilton island and Melbourne to Launceston. I loved it.
Both great destinations, that approach into Hamilton Island is fantastic.
Amazing flight but such a long one. Don’t think I could stomach it even in business class.
I work at Heathrow and I recognise the terminal and I’ve even been in the Qantas Lounge myself.
I want to go on this flight as well.
Qantas Have A380s that go trough Singapore to London
I was recently lucky enough to fly the Qantas Dallas to Melb route which is listed as 17hr 45min and slightly longer than this route as well as some other long haul flights in the same month. I too noticed that each actual flight time on the screens was always between 30-60min shorter than listed in your Qantas app or on the website. I was thinking along the lines of tailwinds at first however it was consistent enough for each flight to think it was something more calculated. I'm not sure if boarding/de-boarding times are included or they list the longest potential flight time to account for any weather re-routing along the way? Maybe any pilots can shed some light?
Curious question Stefan, what does the D stand for before Drury?
Travels in Business Class but still picks up a sandwich from Pret before boarding. ;) Qantas have some of the best staff onboard.
It was my last chance to have a Pret sandwich, love those things!
I’ve sat in VH-ZND’s cockpit before!
No way, that would have been a fun experience.
Awesome.
i didn't think you could fly Auckland to new york non-stop but you can!
Yes, Qantas and Air New Zealand both operating that route. Qantas just stepped up the number of weekly flights too.
Been a brit I'm not used to these long hauls but me and the other half flew Gatwick to Mauritius, 12 hour flight in economy and it was horrid. We've said any long haul again we would split it up, until we can afford business 😂
The first time I flew EK406 DXB-MEl I was a bit freaked out that the flight was 95% over water on the 14 hour flight
In still waiting for the Sydney to London service. It was supposed to start a few years ago, but still isn't here.
Qantas Airways ❤❤❤
Great value at 1000 sterling.
Cape Town to Newaek 15h over water, very much like Sydney to LA/SFO
Welcome to the best state in Aus
Awesome
Stef, are you staying in Perth long? I can fly you over city and Rottnest Island if you want.
I flew Singapore to NYC last month on Singapore airlines A350. 18H40 flying time as we routed up over Alaska. The return trip from NYC to Singapore a few days ago was 19 hours through Europe and Asia. Eastward around the world on the longest flight in the world. Beautiful Singapore airlines service as usual. Qantas screwed me a while back so I will never fly them again. Such a horrible airline.
Question - what happens to that plane now, is sent for inspection of any sort or is it back in sky in a short period of time? Be an interesting video.
Did they lock the windows the cc
Brand ambassador Stefan.
Haha, no just a brand ambassador for aviation!
Anti-noise headphones. What was the total flight time?
Also an aviation geek an ex YMMB Pilot now living in Germany. With such a long flight, did you happen to find out what they do for the flight (pilots) crew?
4 pilots, run on shifts
Thanks
Pretty sure when you fly W to E it’s always quicker. Flying E to W is always longer. That’s the case in Australia anyway. Surely that’s the same else where in the world. Haha I’m not expert though defiantly the case when flying across Australia from Perth to either Sydney, Brisbane etc
Did they lock the windows the c
Heathrow has QF self check-in kiosks but not MEL?!
how isit possible what magic fuel they using?