Qantas’ new route will get you to Italy in less than 17 hours

The Flying Kangaroo has just started flying direct from Australia to Italy, making it the only airline to operate a direct service between Australia and mainland Europe.

Do you know what that means? No more boring layovers in places like Doha, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore (although Changi Airport is a treat).

This means you can board a plane here in Australia and less than 20 hours later you can lick an ice cream in front of the Colosseum in Rome.

The inaugural flight from Perth and Rome took off on Saturday, with Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce telling news.com.au that direct flights are the way of the future.

“We are seeing a growing preference for non-stop flying to and from Australia to make the travel experience as efficient and easy as possible and we expect this to be a permanent change in the way people want to travel. “, did he declare.

Speaking of the new route, Mr Joyce said: ‘Qantas began services from Sydney to Rome in 1948 as part of our seven-stop Kangaroo route to London, and from the early 1990s we flew two times our Boeing 747 Queen-of-the-skies. a week until 2003, when direct services were suspended during the SARS pandemic.

“Nearly 20 years later, we’re thrilled that our flight path once again leads to Rome, proving that it really is the Eternal City.”

Here’s all the information you need about Qantas’ new route between Australia and Italy.

The flight

Qantas will operate three return flights from Sydney to Rome (via Perth) per week until October 6.

Flights to Europe depart Perth at 10:20 p.m. local time with a flight time of 16 hours and 25 minutes, meaning they will arrive in Rome at 8:20 a.m. local time, just in time for a cappuccino and a cornetti.

You’re probably wondering how much a ticket costs, right? Fares start at $1785 round trip.

You can also combine Qantas’ Rome flights with the airline’s twice-daily direct flights between Australia and London, meaning you can fly to Rome and then leave London on a single return ticket (available until October of this year).

And if you want to see more of Europe during your stay, Qantas will also offer connections to 16 other destinations, including Paris and Barcelona, ​​as well as 15 other destinations in Italy, including Venice and Milan.

The plane

The planes that will be used for the flights from Perth to Rome are Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

If you’ve never seen one before, they’re pretty cool.

They feature turbulence dampening technology, which means there’s less chance of you spilling your pinot noir in your lap at some point during flight, and air quality is improved to reduce jet lag.

My favorite feature is the windows (seriously!) which are much larger than regular airplane windows.

“They are not only the tallest and widest, but they are also the best positioned of any aircraft window flying today and they have been designed so that a middle seat passenger can look out the window. without having to wring your neck”, Rachelle N Ornan-Stone, design researcher at The Boeing Company, says news.com.au in 2017.

The windows have no shutters. Instead, they have an electronic dimming knob with five different levels.

“In the darkest you can sleep very comfortably, but you can still look outside,” Dr. Ornan-Stone said.

The food

Qantas has added an Italian touch to its onboard menu for flights between Australia and Italy.

Let’s start with the business class menu.

On the flight from Perth to Rome, those lucky enough to be seated at the pointy end of the plane can have dishes such as:

• Zucchini and basil soup with parmesan croutons

• Plant-based cuisine – caramelized potato gratin with peas, mushrooms and roasted fennel

• Spaghettini with prawns, garlic, chilli, slow roasted cherry tomatoes and pangrattato

• Tiramisu

On the way back to Australia from Rome, menu highlights include:

• Bucatini all’ Amatriciana

• Grilled fish with peperonata, pine nuts and basil

• Mozzarella bufala, salumi finiocchiona, anchovies, artichokes, olives, marinated red peppers with hot focaccia

As for those in economics, they can expect:

• Braised Wagyu beef with broccoli, carrots and soft polenta

• Focaccia with rosemary, garlic, sea salt and olive oil

• Mixed arancinis

Entertainment

Qantas has also increased the number of Italian films available to watch on the inflight entertainment system.

Some of the titles added include: The scent of a woman, Rome and Life is Beautiful (you’ll need your tissues for this one).

This writer is a Qantas guest on the inaugural flight from Perth to Rome