Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[BazaJT]

I see the first non-stop passenger flight from Australia to England has just been done.Apparently it landed a few minutes ahead of the estimated time and doing the journey in one go shaves something like 3hrs off the usual time taken when stopping in the middle east for fuel/change of aircraft.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Historic indeed; another great milestone in aviation!

[Varche]

I vowed after 5 hours transatlantic that was it. 17 hours in the air? 

[Mister Rog]

I vowed after 5 hours transatlantic that was it. 17 hours in the air? 

I avoid flying whenever possible, but I would have thought that a bit of a break would be good rather than 17 hours and DVT    And with time differences etc, do 3 hours really matter ?

[aaronjb]

For me, it's not a question of three hours - it's the hassle and stress of trying to clear immigration/security/etc in the transit airport, get from gate to gate, hope that your first flight wasn't delayed because, if it was, you've probably missed your connecting flight etc.

I'd much rather get on, go there, and get off where I intended to be. In fact, I fairly regularly travel to Seattle for work and I much, much prefer the 9-9.5hr direct flight than the hassle of transiting via anywhere - especially as, every time I've done that, there has been a lot of additional stress, lost luggage, almost missed flights, cancelled connections etc.

.. of course, the new direct route is to Perth. Who wants to go to Perth?

[Kevin Wood]

.. of course, the new direct route is to Perth. Who wants to go to Perth?

But from Perth you can get a connecting flight to.. Oh, Wait!

[aaronjb]

.. of course, the new direct route is to Perth. Who wants to go to Perth?

But from Perth you can get a connecting flight to.. Oh, Wait!

Exactly

I suppose it's only a short 41hr drive to Sydney...

[deviator]

.. of course, the new direct route is to Perth. Who wants to go to Perth?

But from Perth you can get a connecting flight to.. Oh, Wait!

Exactly

I suppose it's only a short 41hr drive to Sydney...

Just take an Uber. Oh.

[LC0112G]

The first civil UK (Heathrow) to Sydney non stop was done back in 1989 and took just over 20 hours. There were only 16 passengers on board though. http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Qantas%201st%20England-Aust%20non-stop%201989.htm. The RAF hold the record for UK->Perth at around 16 hours, but that does include two in-flight refuelings.

For me the daftest part of the traditional Kangaroo route is the insistence on departing LHR at night (typically 9PM-11PM), bouncing through some mid point for a 2 hour refuelling break (Bankok, Singapore, or the mid-east) and then arriving in SYD at 5-6AM. That may work for business and first class passengers with lay flat seats and beds, but for the cattle down the back (like me) arriving after a 22-24 hr flight at 5AM, and then facing staying awake for another 12 hours till it gets dark again to avoid near fatal jet lag is dreadful.

Much much better to get the noon flights (11AM-1PM), arrive in SYD at 6-8PM and go straight to bed. However, the number of lunchtime flights has dramatically reduced in recent times presumably because economy passengers aren't profitable, but business/first class passengers are.

The way home is more difficult. You can get back in the same day, but only from Darwin leaving at about 6AM, and arriving at LHR around 6PM. Virtually everything else arrives LHR at 5-9AM which leaves you with similar jetlag issues. Much better to get a daytime flight SYD->SIN, overnight in Singapore, then a daytime SIN->LHR. Plus it allows you to read off the mil ramps at Changi from the cactus garden near the Burger King (or is that just me  ).

And I'd rather walk than use BA or Qantas.

[Varche]

For me, it's not a question of three hours - it's the hassle and stress of trying to clear immigration/security/etc in the transit airport, get from gate to gate, hope that your first flight wasn't delayed because, if it was, you've probably missed your connecting flight etc.

I'd much rather get on, go there, and get off where I intended to be. In fact, I fairly regularly travel to Seattle for work and I much, much prefer the 9-9.5hr direct flight than the hassle of transiting via anywhere - especially as, every time I've done that, there has been a lot of additional stress, lost luggage, almost missed flights, cancelled connections etc.

.. of course, the new direct route is to Perth. Who wants to go to Perth?

Lot of UK expats live in Perth including my brother in law and family. They cannot wait to use the service rather than the old style stopover with all the hassle as described. Not for me. I would consider driving though............  They wouldn't put the service on if it wasn't going to make money.

[redelitev6]

17 hours in the air ? ye gods , i can just about cope with the flight to Turkey 

[Entwood]

17 hours ... ?? Just over 1/2 my longest flight (30 hours 35 minutes) .. although that did include 3 air-to-air refuels ......

[Bigron]

What did you do Nige - tie a knot in it? 

Ron.

[TheBoy]

I have to tolerate going to America this year, and that's only 7hrs.  That's about double my flying limit.

[Gaffers]

Range of a normally-laiden 787-9 = 14,260km
LON > Perth = 14,468km

They must be limiting capacity in order to make it which means they will up the fares to compensate.