Step aside, Hollywood, there's a new nepo baby in town.
27.02.2024 - 20:19 / travelpulse.com / Laurie Baratti
Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, was forced to replace three separate flights from Melbourne to Sydney with an Airbus A380 superjumbo jet on Friday—a plane which is typically reserved for long-haul international flights.
But, because of the phenomenal consumer demand to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, combined with bad weather warnings, the airline had to reshuffle its equipment to put three planes’ worth of passengers onto one aircraft.
The 485 passengers were originally booked on flights operated using the narrow-body Boeing 737 model, since the Melbourne-to-Sydney route is a domestic one spanning only about 540 miles (similar to the distance between Boston and Pittsburgh).
When a severe-storm forecast was issued, meaning the number of flights able to land at Sydney’s airport would be restricted, Qantas had to come up with a solution to get those passengers to their destination (relatively) on time.
The weather situation, coupled with "incredibly high demand" for airlift into the major Australian metropolis, convinced Qantas to operate a special flight onboard the massive double-decker jet to get those passengers where they were going.
Taylor Swift performing a show as part of her Eras Tour. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Paolo Villanueva)
While the timing of their original flights did not suggest they were traveling to see Swift’s concert, other flights were so full of Swifties that it would have been impossible to find seats for the displaced passengers.
Qantas usually uses the enormous A380 only to fly to such overseas destinations as Los Angeles, London and Singapore, according to Business Insider, but it also keeps one available on standby.
After a late departure, Friday’s Flight 7168 was only in the air for about an hour on its domestic route, but made a 13-hour trip to Los Angeles the next day.
Swift’s highly sought-after Eras Tour has been selling out, driving travel demand and bolstering local economies wherever it goes. For instance, in Cardiff, Wales—where she won’t be performing until June—hotel rooms are already going for $230 over the usual rate.
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Step aside, Hollywood, there's a new nepo baby in town.
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