After having to stand down 20,000 employees last year, Qantas is bringing its 737 Mystery Flights back to unknown destinations.
The ‘Mystery Flight’ concept was popular in the ’90s, having been known as the mark of heyday travel for Australians. The airline used to work similarly to a cruise ship; travellers would be transported to a location, and then set free to roam around at their own leisure before being taken home.
But now, with this new Mystery Flight offering, Qantas has ramped things up with three dedicated 787 Dreamliner mystery flight experiences that won’t include just the flight, but an entire day of planned activities in the mystery location.
This means that there’s absolutely no planning involved for the passengers. All they have to do is rock up to the airport open-minded and ready for an adventure. Although everything about the trip will be kept a secret, passengers will be told if they need to pack specific clothes, shoes or anything that will be necessary for the planned activities.
With all the uncertainty around travel both within Australia and overseas, Qantas has taken this opportunity to turn it into something fun. As well as bringing more employees back to work and getting Australians back into the swing of travelling, they’ll also be supporting tourism operators in regional areas of Australia, who were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic.
The idea of a mystery flight is both exciting and a little scary, given that it’s been a while since many of us have been up in the air, and it’s rumoured that overseas flights won’t be on the cards until October this year.
The three mystery flights will be operating out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Brisbane is up first, with its mystery flight taking off on Saturday, March 27, and offering a “perfect getaway if you love country hospitality, gourmet food and wine and the great outdoors”.
Then it’ll be Sydney’s turn on April 18, dropping hints of a “tropical setting” and “long lunching on the beach”.
The final mystery flight leaves Melbourne on May 1, with promises of a light outdoor adventure, food and wine, and regional farmer’s markets.
The all-inclusive fares, which include meals, drinks and all the on-ground activities, go on sale today. The adventures are priced at $737 for Economy and $1,579 for Business.
Check out the mystery flights here.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
