While aviation experts The New Dailyspoke to saw no problems with the feasibility of Qantas’s plans, they agreed it would be mostly business travellers who would fork out for the flights. Monash University’s Greg Bamber said because of the amount of fuel the planes would be required to carry, ticket costs would be pushed beyond the reaches of the everyday Australian traveller.
Strategic Aviation Solutions chairman Neil Hansford agreed, and said the routes would appeal most to those travelling to the US and Europe purely for business purposes....
The challenges that Qantas must overcome go beyond attracting passengers: The airline must also cater for the extended on-duty hours for cabin staff. Professor Bamber said flight attendants and pilots would likely be rostered on 24-hour shifts to cover the flight time, plus surplus on and off-loading duties at either end.
This means, Professor Bamber said, significant amounts of the plane must be rededicated to providing adequate rest areas for staff, plus legal requirements such as negotiating new enterprise bargaining agreements. He also suggested the planes are likely to carry dedicated lounge and gym areas where passengers can “stretch their legs”, and a reliance on bunk bed and sleeper-styled seating arrangements, over traditional recliners....