Qantas customers request exercise bikes, virtual reality for 20-hour flights

[webfact]

Qantas customers request exercise bikes, virtual reality for 20-hour flights

By Jamie Freed

 

FILE PHOTO: Workers can be seen near Qantas Airways' Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the tarmac at Adelaide Airport, Australia, Aug. 22, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

 

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd on Monday said customers were requesting in-flight innovations such as exercise bikes and virtual reality relaxation to pass the time on proposed 20-hour non-stop flights from Sydney to London.

 

The airline expects to order Airbus SE A350 or Boeing Co 777X jets capable of flying the world's longest-ever commercial route later this year, with the first services starting in 2022.

 

Focus group research as well as customer surveys of those who have flown on its 17-hour non-stop route from Perth to London have found health and wellness are the top trends, Qantas said in a statement.

 

Passenger suggestions include spaces for gentle exercise, providing wireless noise-cancelling headsets and installing an in-flight cafe with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, the airline said.

 

"Customers are sharing some incredibly imaginative ideas, which is an exciting challenge and helps us to think outside of the box to redefine the ultra-long haul experience," Qantas Industrial Designer David Caon said.

 

For its Perth-London flights, which began last year, Qantas offers 15-minute stretch classes at its Perth transit lounge prior to and following the flight, with the airline reporting a take-up rate of 80 percent. The flight menu and cabin lighting are also designed to aid the body clock.

 

Rival Singapore Airlines Ltd hired wellness brand Canyon Ranch to design healthy meals and guided stretching exercises through its in-flight entertainment system when it resumed near-19 hour flights from Singapore to New York last year after a five-year hiatus.

 

But neither carrier has set aside dedicated cabin space for exercise or lounging on its current ultra-long haul flights.

 

Qantas International Chief Executive Alison Webster said the airline would examine customer requests for Sydney-London services and design the cabin in a way that made it "both affordable for customers and commercially viable for the airline".

 

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-28

[unamazedloso]

i request faster planes! possible so why the heck not? So sick of planes.....

[Emdog]

They should get rid of seats and use decor of stacked bunk beds, with a suitable relaxant wafting throughout the cabin, aka like an opium den of years gone by.

[ballpoint]

Put an immigration officer on the flight and get everyone processed before the plane arrives.  One less queue to endure after a 20 hour flight.

[Essecola]

I'd be in if they re introduced steam ships for travelling long distances

[from the home of CC]

cryroflights - flash frozen and thawed prior to arrival...

[dundas]

What this customer would like (and what airlines, including Qantas, seem determined to shrink even further, at least in economy class) is some more leg room. Fortunately, between Australia and Thailand I can get sufficient legroom without the need to beg Qantas for it. Qantas claim 31" seat pitch on most of their long haul planes (and that's a dubious and curiously tight 31" in my experience), and Thai offer 32" – just one inch more, but it's the difference which makes a difference. As for all the 'customer suggestions' – I suspect that's just grist for Qantas PR spin, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong. In fact if they ever offer standard economy seats for 'ultra long haul' (15+ hour flights) with what used to be a fairly standard 34" pitch, I'll eat my hat -- happily. 

[Airalee]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Customers are sharing some incredibly imaginative ideas

Translation: OMG these people are idiots.

[digger70]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Qantas customers request exercise bikes, virtual reality for 20-hour flights

Qantas can provide whatever the people want , but the big question is Who's going to pay double or triple ticket prices and be Happy? No one. The people Want extra but are they willing to pay for that?

[Sir Swagman]

Funny as these suggestions have been made before over the years and were ignored then, as they no doubt will be now. Creature comforts would be the least of my worries when you consider the scenario of a partially (or majorly for that matter) disabled aircraft making a landing in European winter conditions - icing, snow, fog, high winds etc and the crew fresh and alert after a relaxing 21 hours or so duty period. Amazingly it seems every ‘study’ done of fatigue management in airlines (Qantas in particular) results in an extension of permitted flight and duty time limitations. Recall when smoking was encouraged as being healthy?

[overherebc]

5 hours ago, Essecola said:

I'd be in if they re introduced steam ships for travelling long distances

I would seriously go for that especially after today.

I forgot it was our anniversary.

[Ulic]

If they are taking requests I would like business class lie-flat seating all through the plane at economy pricing. Of course, it's not going to happen, but if you are taking requests, that would be my request. 

[Sydebolle]

Looking forward to swim some leaps or some mountain climbing between A and B. Instead of taking the Orient Express to the skies make the planes eventually faster; there is nothing more boring than long haul flights! 

Some good ideas were mentioned further up though. Deal with the ever-growing immigration avalanche of stamps, papers and copies; serve healthy light meals and provide a little more (and as correctly mentioned, one inch more is one inch more) space. 

[Mac98]

A) Replace floors with hardened virtual reality glass to screen a recreation of their plane flying at 800' over city and country war zones and through ground fire.

B) Have topless female flight attendants so at least the male passengers cheer turbulence.

C) A big selection of chick flicks so the female passengers won't notice A and B above.

[Skallywag]

Put all children and their parents on separate flights so they can all listen to babies crying and smell each others dirty diapers and vomit.  

[Skallywag]

Even better - develope transporter rooms and get rid of the airlines! 

[Rawairat]

Done many 16-18 hour flights but they had decent leg room and only 3 seat sections crossways on Qatar. I still needed a lot of red wine and a sleeping pill after watching 3 movies. Recently went Qantas, Sydney - Dallas and that was terrible, when the seats was reclined it was right in your face, barely enough legroom to stretch out. Never again.

[sammieuk1]

A happy ending massage room for economy passengers only should make the journey more comfortable and fill the plane???? 

[faraday]

????

[Mavideol]

what about requesting for a big pool and have a 20 H party around it... time will fly