“We’re on a road to nowhere, Come on inside, Takin’ that ride to nowhere, We’ll take that ride.”
Talking Heads are not the only ones to be willing to take a ride to nowhere, with passengers reportedly lining up to take so-called ‘flights to nowhere’.
Back in August, Royal Brunei Airlines launched its RB Dine and Fly flight. The full-service 85-minute scenic flight on an A320neo was sold out in 48 hours and gave its 300 passengers an aerial view of Borneo and Brunei Darussalam. The airline has flown another five such flights since, all with live commentary by its pilots and crew.
To mark Father’s Day (8 August) in Taiwan, EVA Air gave passengers ‘an alternative travel experience’ with a three-hour flight across Taiwan. Those onboard were served a full-course meal and received a Hello Kitty-themed amenity kit and IFE.
More recently, Qantas announced what became its ‘fastest selling flight’ with a seven-hour flight over Australia. The 10 October flight is reported to offer full-service meal and a celebrity cameo.
Elsewhere, ANA gave 300 passengers onboard its A380 Flying Honu, a ‘Hawaiian resort experience’ at the airport and onboard, including special cocktails. Operating on the Narita-Honolulu route passengers enjoyed a 90-minute scenic flight.
With borders closed and travel restrictions still in place in many regions across the world, such ‘flights to nowhere’ offer the chance for passengers and crew to enjoy the flying experience once again, albeit in a limited, one-off way.
Until demand for air travel rebounds to significant levels, such flights will just be a novelty, a nice PR story, but not a serious enabler of restoring passenger confidence or indeed a tonic for the industry itself.
