Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth) -Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soa
Back in the 90s, when I was a bit younger, I used to think a direct PER-LHR flight would be a dream come true.
These days ... maybe not as much so.
Its even worse for some of my older fellow travellers - over 10 hours can get problematic ; 15 would be hell ; 18 ... "tell him he's dreaming!"
And I don't like sleeping (or more accurately, trying to sleep) on the aircraft ... and I don't fly in F!
I can, however, see both sides of the equation.
In some ways, the "good old days" of multi-hops had it advantages... back when Qantas had a full network, and offered multiple O/S connections from PER. (Even in the 1980s, if my memory serves me, when the 707s gave way to 747s there were multiple direct destinations, with further hops to LHR, etc), and the longhaul trip I've booked for next year will split the journey at DXB this time - overnight stay - rather than simply a few hours in the lounge in transit.
However, getting the trip knocked off in one go, if the departure time is sensible, could be popular.
What doesn't seem to have been mentioned so far is what seems to me to be the main reason why the route is on the cards at all ... the CAT III upgrade at Perth. Without it, I doubt there would have been a chance, with the 787 or any other aircraft.