Qantas’s “flight to nowhere” is one of the fastest-selling in the airline’s history, with all tickets snapped up in 10 minutes.
The Australian flag carrier decided to launch a seven-hour scenic route around the country, which will both take off from and land in Sydney, amid ongoing travel restrictions.
Departing and returning on October 10, the flight won’t stop anywhere, but gives passengers the change to enjoy views over Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, and other landmarks.
There were 134 seats up for grabs on the Boeing 787 aircraft, priced between $575 and $2,765 depending on the class of ticket.
The popularity of such trips is in part due to the fact that Australia’s borders are currently closed to all inbound travelers bar Australian citizens, residents, and immediate family members.
Outbound travel is also prohibited unless citizens are granted an exemption.
Qantas has previously stated it does not expect to be flying any international routes before the second half of next year, except possibly to New Zealand.
The airline’s revelation about international services suggests Australia will not open to visitors for the rest of this year nor the first half of 2021.