Photo: Par A Periam Photography/Shutterstock

Qantas Airways Sells “Fly Me to the Supermoon” Flight to Nowhere

News Astronomy Airports + Flying
by Olivia Harden May 11, 2021

Another flight is going absolutely nowhere.

Qantas Airways, the flag carrier of Australia, has previously offered passengers a chance to see the Great Barrier Reef and Antarctica before returning to the same takeoff airport. Its latest flight to nowhere gives passengers the opportunity to see the upcoming lunar eclipse/supermoon while in the sky.

During the total phase of the lunar eclipse, the moon will turn an impressive red hue. The colorful phenomenon is also called a “super blood moon” and happens when the earth lines up between the moon and the sun, filtering the sun’s light through its atmosphere. The light that reflects off the moon’s surface is then a beautiful shade of red. The eclipse is expected to be visible on May 26, 2021, in most of Australia.

The airline has promised customers cosmic cocktails, supermoon cake, and an astronomer on board to explain exactly what’s happening during the phenomenon. Priced at A$1,499 ($1,170) for business class, customers will receive drinks and hors d’oeuvres at the Qantas lounge in Sydney before take off. The flight will take around two-and-a-half hours and will reach the maximum altitude of 40,000 feet aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. They will also receive merchandise, gift bags, and a “commemorative certificate.”

The supermoon flight is one of the tricks from the airline industry to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on international travel, as they are expected to lose billions of dollars this year. Keep in mind, though, that flights to nowhere can be unnecessarily detrimental to the environment.

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