Our First Taste Of The Future?
Australia's flagship carrier, Qantas, emerged yesterday with what could well be an insight into the future of air travel, at least in the immediate future. For those who read my previous article, you'll know that the timing couldn't really be better (I had no idea about this Qantas story until late last night, by the way)! CEO Alan Joyce has given the airline industry, even if just in Australia and in the domestic market, a glimmer of hope, announcing the new safety measures that will be put in place. Surprisingly, some of which we have already experienced before the pandemic!
Let's start off with what Joyce states as the new norm. He says that face masks will be optional, and strongly recommended, however not compulsory. He also said that, despite social distancing, and the distancing measures taken on recent charter, or repatriation flights, there will be no middle seat blocked.
Now, you might be thinking, 'hang on a minute, but I will be so close to my seat-buddy, how am I not at risk?', and yes, that is quite a reasonable thought. Joyce says that there have been no reports of transmission via airplane, and combined with hospital-grade air filtration blowing downwards from the top of the aircraft, there is almost no potential for the virus to spread. On top of that, he also stated that the seat in front acts as a barrier so the virus won't spread to the passengers in the row directly in front. This is contrary to what we have seen on the aforementioned repatriation flights, where passengers are spread out and checkered throughout the aircraft.
In addition to the air filter and recommended face masks, Joyce has assured passengers every aircraft will be wiped down with antiseptic wipes after every flight. In addition to every surface being cleaned, he said the airline will provide disinfectant wipes to all passengers to wipe the seat down themselves, meaning they can have a peace of mind that their seat is as virus-free as possible. Furthermore, hand-sanitizer will be readily available throughout airports, at the boarding gate, and possibly on the jet-bridge as we board the aircraft.
There was also an economic point of view to this strategy, as some routes which are operated by smaller aircraft, such as the Bombardier Dash-8 400, Airbus A320 and Boeing 717, cutting out the middle seat is simply not viable, as it would significantly reduce passenger numbers. As a result, these routes, usually regional, or 1-2 hour flights, will have no choice but to stay grounded. To get restless travellers and planes, back in the air as soon as possible, and staff back into jobs, the airline has indicated airfares as low as $19 AUD one-way from Melbourne to Sydney, or $60 AUD one-way from Perth to Melbourne, which is something we haven't seen in about 10 years!
It's Not All Different
One thing that won't change, but will be rapidly increasing, is the use of contactless check-in and boarding. This will mean all passengers will need to get themselves up to speed with mobile check-in prior to flying. As we saw in my previous article about what the new norm of travel will look like, gesture and enhanced biometric technology is in the production phase, and will hopefully be rolled out very soon. In most major Australian airports, and indeed airports around the world, we can check-in via mobile, turn up at the airport, self-check-in our luggage, and away we go.
Joyce hinted at introducing a fully contactless airport process in the reemergence of flights, simply by scanning your mobile boarding pass to check-in, drop luggage, pass through security, and board the plane, and therefore reducing the need to touch any surfaces and limiting any contact with others. This does already exist, yes, but it is said to become fully contactless, so it remains to be seen what percentage of staff will be required and where they will be stationed throughout the airport.
Final Thoughts
With only the NSW and Victorian borders open with each other, the Qantas CEO has flagged a possible return to domestic flying in mid-June and is hopeful to see its capacity back up to around 50%, as opposed to its current 5% of operations. Nevertheless, it is great to hear, from the CEO himself, what the immediate future of travel will look like. It is also great to hear that it is not as different as we may have been lead to believe, with the only real difference being record-low airfares, fully contactless check-in and boarding, highly encouraged face masks, and the presence of disinfectant products, such as wipes and sanitizer.
We may not have to worry too much about the actual inflight experience changing too much...what do you think?
I hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you did, please leave a comment, and do reach out to me and let me know some travel-related stories you want me to write about. Alternatively, we can just have a chat!
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