New heights in airborne comfort
THE Dreamliner flights will also break new ground in passenger comfort and wellbeing.
In an aviation first, Qantas has teamed up with The University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre to develop a scientific approach to reducing jet lag on long haul flights.
Professor of Sleep Medicine at the Charles Perkins Centre, Peter Cistulli said the centre had worked with the University of Sydney’s School of Physics to create an airline-first “body clock intervention”, using bright light to help kick start the adjustment of passengers’ body clocks.
“Applying light at appropriate times helps reduce the ef- fects of jet lag,” Prof. Cistulli said.
The university had also worked with Qantas to enhance passenger comfort and wellbeing in other areas.
These include in-flight food and drink service and temperature on the Dreamliner-787, he said.
“We are interested in seeing how customers will respond,” Prof. Cistulli said.
The university will carry out research on some of the passengers on the London flight, who will be connected to special monitors.
The same Perth airport terminal will be used for both domestic and international flights. Meanwhile the new transit longue for Qantas Business Class, Gold and Qantas Club members features “a wellness studio”, with regular stretching and yoga classes on offer, as well as shower suites and an outdoor terrace with barbecue.
Qantas head of customer product and service, Phillip Capps, said the launch of the London Dreamliner service had given Qantas a clean slate to introduce revolutionary features designed to improve passenger wellbeing, both in and out of the air.
“It was the catalyst for a wholistic rethink of the customer experience,” he said.