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Qantas Airways’ mystery flight experiences are a key differentiator

Differentiation in the airline industry has been difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Qantas Airways continues to remain in the mind of Australian tourists by offering alternative experiences, a key benefactor in light of lost revenues over the past year.

‘Mystery flight experiences’ are the most recent innovative strategy proposed by Australia’s national flag carrier. This will bode well with Australians’ desires for unique and niche experiences, which has no doubt grown during the pandemic.

According to GlobalData’s Q3 2019 Consumer Survey, holidays relating to culture, gastronomy and adventure/sport are typically the most popular holiday types for Australians. 

The concept of Qantas’ mystery flight experiences is to allow passengers to travel safely across Australia with an entire day of activities planned outside of major capital cities. Potential experiences range from a gastronomic experience in a premier Australian wine region to a gourmet lunch with musical entertainment along the coast. These offerings will also help to support local and regional tourism markets in Australia.

By finding yet another innovative strategy to attract domestic demand, Qantas Airways is likely to remain at the forefront in Australia’s travel recovery.

Domestic demand is present for Qantas

Only 22% of Australians in GlobalData’s Covid-19 recovery survey (2-6 December 2020) said they planned to reduce domestic travel post-pandemic, therefore demand is clearly there. In 2019, Australians made 116 million domestic trips, widely surpassing that of international departures, which was 15.4 million.

According to Stephanie Tully, Qantas Group’s chief customer officer, customers were getting confused about where they can and cannot travel to in Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as state border restrictions continue to fluctuate. Rather than simply stating where individuals can travel to, Qantas listened to its customer base – not only taking them where it is safe to travel, but also making it a unique experience.

Many Australians did not feel confident in traveling internationally in December 2020. Only 27% of Australian respondents in GlobalData’s Covid-19 recovery survey declared they would ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’ agree to booking an international trip.

From ‘flights to nowhere’ to ‘flights to somewhere’ and now the launch of mystery flight experiences, Qantas continues to launch innovative campaigns. As international travel from Australia is not set to resume until at least June 2021, these alternative experiences will put the airline in good stead for increased revenue in the short term in an already extremely competitive industry.

For more market data and analysis visit GlobalData's Travel & Tourism Intelligence Centre.