Thought of the Day - March 4 - It's a Mystery To Me

With airlines and cruise lines looking to stay in the public eye, with rusty pilots needing recertification ( Thought of the Day - February 9 - Covid Hangover ) and with passengers suffering withdrawal symptoms, back in 2020 transport companies started offering flights and cruises to nowhere ( Thought of the Day - December 16 - Surprise, Surprise ). Qantas was one of the first to offer "flights to nowhere" with their seven-hour ordeal.

But things have gotten even more intriguing. Qantas just upped the game by offering "Mystery Flights". Yes, you read that right, pay Qantas $750 and they will put you in an economy seat and take you to some place of their choosing. After feeding you lunch, they will bring you back to your home-airport before nightfall. Of course, they will try to make it seem more like a Murder Mystery by providing clues when you book, more info with your breakfast in their lounge, and teasers through the in-flight entertainment system on the way. Moreover, they will make "low-scenic flybys of key landmarks en route" - partons have described squinting out the aircraft windows as "almost as good as seeing it on TV". One customer explained why he and his wife chose to book saying: "as these government buggas keep makin' it a mystery when and where we can fly, me and me sheila reckon the best bet is t'leave the worryin' up to the airlines, bloody fair dinkum!".

Travel companies have also jumped on the bandwagon, for example offering a luxury experience for a little over $1,000. They promise to pick you up with the limo and put you in an airport hotel of their choosing just to prime you for the following day's Qantas excursion.

What really surprised me is this is not the first time Qantas has done this. They offered "Mystery Flights" back in the 1990s, as did airlines in Austria and Germany.

Cheers

Cliff

P.S. In case you were worried, Qantas says no planets will be harmed. They "will operate with net-zero emissions, with 100% of emissions carbon offset".