Flying start to your trip to Oz

THE first non-stop flights from the UK to Australia have gone on sale. When Qantas starts its daily direct service between Heathrow and Perth on March 25 next year, it will be one of the longest non-stop flights in the world, and easily the lengthiest from a UK airport.

It will take about 17 hours to cover the 9,009 miles. As there is no need to refuel or change planes in the Middle East or Asia, the journey time has been shortened by about three hours.

The flights are on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. With bigger windows, improved cabin air quality, a generous 32 in seat pitch in economy, and self-service bars to encourage you to stretch your legs, the design of the planes will help minimise the discomfort of being cooped up for such a long time. Even so, the flights won’t suit everyone.

There are a plenty of reasons to spend time in the sunny and easy-going city of Perth and to take in Western Australia’s stunning beaches and Margaret River’s wineries. But most visitors to Australia choose to head to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef – all of which are on the other side of the country.

Secondly, it looks as if you will pay a premium for the new flights. The cheapest economy fare is £1,095 return, travelling in April 2018.

Qantas says the price should dip below £900 during ‘deal periods’. Even so, flights with a stop en route are significantly cheaper. On price-comparsion website Skyscanner, I found London-Perth flights in April 2018 for under £700 return, with Emirates via Dubai. With more flexibility on dates, you could travel for £575 return.

Thirdly, whatever the comforts of Qantas’s Dreamliner, it’s still a buttock- numbing 17-hour flight, so there is a strong argument for opting for alternative flights, with a mini-break comprising a stay of a night or two on the way. Depending on the airline, route and your final Australian destination, it could be in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

Given the multitude of stopover options, the best approach is to call specialist agents such as Trailfinders (020 7368 1200, trailfinders. com), Austravel (0800 988 4676, austravel.com) and Flight Centre (0800 587 0058, flightcentre.co.uk).

Stopover packages can be great value. Trailfinders quoted me London-Perth with Thai Airways, with two nights in a three-star hotel in Bangkok, for just £45 more than the flight alone.

But if you want the cred of being the first to travel nonstop to Oz, you could book Flight Centre’s Long Weekend In Perth package: it costs from £1,549pp, with three nights in a five-star hotel.