You might have heard of ‘Project Sunrise’ – Qantas' lofty plan for a cutting-edge flight that will fly directly from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York in 2025. Clocking in at about 20 hours, that makes it the longest non-stop passenger flight in the world. This ambitious, futuristic move is set to be executed in an Airbus A350, an ultra long-range aircraft that has been specifically designed for the insanely long overhaul journey from Australia’s east coast to the UK and the United States.
These new Airbuses are equipped to keep you going for 18 to 20 hours in the air, but if you are one of the highest of high flyers on the block, you’re in for a maximum level of long-haul luxury in their brand-new first class cabins.
Speaking to Executive Traveller, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce described these new suites as “super first class”, and boy – does that ring true. Each of the A350s will come with six first-class suites that will be arranged in a two-row, 1-1-1 configuration for maximum space. Each space will come with an armchair, and a bed (instead of the usual seat-that-converts-into-a-bed situation) and will be surrounded by a high wall with a sliding door for privacy, a marked difference to the first-class cabins of Qantas’s A380s.
On top of this, the suites will come with a personal wardrobe, personal storage for a carry-on bag, a hidden drawer that comes with your own pair of slippers, a lighted mirror, and a 32” HD video screen packed with thousands of hours of entertainment. First-class passengers will also be given a tablet, which, on top of a whole lot of other things, will let them control their suite’s mood lighting, as well as their temperature and humidity levels as part of Project Sunrise’s wellness program.
As to how much a first-class pass will set you back, nobody yet seems to know – but whether you’re a bazillionaire or not, this wild new frontier of international travel is coming Down Under in 2025, and everyone on board gets access to a free self-serve snack bar, as well as a resident ‘wellbeing zone’ where you get to watch videos on the best stretches you should be doing whilst suspended in the air for two days in an air-conditioned metal tube. How’s that for luxury?
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