Destination unknown: Qantas to relaunch famous ‘mystery flight’

Does jumping on a plane blindfolded tickle your fancy?

Qantas has announced that it’s bringing back its wacky “mystery flight” experience for the first time since the 1990s — but this time, with a few added perks.

Previously, passengers would turn up for a scheduled flight to any of Qantas’ destinations, spend a day at their leisure and then return home. How very adventurous

But this time, 120 lucky ticket holders will board one of three chartered Boeing 737 flights with no idea where they’ll be landing — until they do.

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A full day of all-inclusive activities will ensue before being jetted back home.

Departing from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the airline will give customers clues for each mystery adventure to help them with their packing. For instance, the adventure from Brisbane promises “country hospitality, gourmet food and wine, and the great outdoors”, while Sydney guarantees “the tropics, saltwater on your skin, and long lunching on the beach”.

Finally, the trip from Melbourne is for those who love “the great outdoors (including a little walking), gourmet food and wine, and regional farmers markets”.

Fares cost $737 for economy and $1,579 for business class and include meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage plus all activities on the ground.

Tickets go on sale on March 4, and the departure dates are below.

“You could be sipping chardonnay amongst the grapevines of an award-winning vineyard, dipping your toes in the turquoise waters of a tropical island, or enjoying country hospitality at its finest,” Qantas said in a statement.

“We’re working behind the scenes to create some truly wonderful experiences both on the ground and in the air.”

This isn’t the Australian carrier’s first “concept flight”. Last year it launched the “flight to nowhere” where a 787 Dreamliner took to the Australian skies for 8.5 hours to give passengers their plane fix.

All 134 seats sold out within 10 minutes despite the environmental concerns about a seemingly pointless flight.

Australia has taken one of the toughest approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. All arriving passengers — those with exemptions as the borders remain closed — must undertake mandatory, hotel quarantine at their own expense — costing thousands of pounds.

Furthermore, anyone wishing to leave the country for any reason requires written government approval — Australians are unable to leave the country without it.

This has meant Qantas has not operated any long-haul flights for many months, and it does not expect to do so again until well into 2021.

Featured photo by Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg/Getty Images.