Travellers will now be able to choose a Qantas flight based on the number of engines they can guarantee will see out the duration of the trip.
It comes after a flight from Melbourne to Perth last night was forced to make a priority landing after a loud bang was heard and the pilot was forced to switch off an engine.
The plane landed safely and everyone on board was fine. Passengers also noted the excellent work of the cabin crew and the pilots. Nevertheless, it was a shock to the system.
While some would see this as a PR disaster, Qantas saw it as an opportunity. A source close to the airline told The Times,
“When people book a Qantas flight now they’ll be thinking – is the plane up for the job? Well, imagine the peace of mind to be pretty sure every engine on the plane wouldn’t fail at some point. That’s where our new premium flights come in. It’s just triple the cost of a regular ticket”
The triple price tag only applies to the Airbus A330 flights where 2 engines are at play. Any flight involving 4+ engines will draw a far heftier price tag.
We spoke to a frequent flyer who said it was always his preference for all engines on an aircraft to be functional but didn’t know if he’d cough up for the guarantee. Addin,g
“Ya know, the cost of living is pretty savage and although an engine shat itself on that flight last night they all got home in one peace. I reckon I’ll roll the dice”
In the meantime, Boeing has reached out to thank Airbus for taking some of the heat off their aircraft at the moment.
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