www.traveller.com.au

I don’t usually do much for my birthday but I do know what I’ll be doing for my fiftieth (!!)…

www.antarcticaflights.com.au The dedicated gate for a QANTAS flight to Antarctica.

taking a day trip and flying from Sydney to Antarctica return on a chartered QANTAS plane.

www.tripadvisor.com

It was this article that inspired me.  Basically, the flight path allows for four hours over Antarctica, allowing all passengers ample photo opportunities of the stunning scenery below and around them.   It’s the perfect choice if:

• you’re not a cruise kind of person
• you’ve also got two left feet on the snow
• if your body (and mind) tend not too cope well in freezing temperatures.  

Then visiting by air in climate and pressure controlled comfort is obviously the only way to do it.

www.traveller.com.au

People in most seats are issued with two ‘tickets’ that see them swap seats to ensure everyone gets a chance to sit by the windows.  For those that miss out, though, I have read that the atmosphere is so friendly on board that most of those with window seats to share their view with others quite happily.

YouTube Waltzing Matilda over Antarctica

The flight is fully catered / staffed as per regular QANTAS flights which includes in flight entertainment but sadly, as it is a charter flight, frequent flyer points cannot be accrued on the flight.  You can access the flight lounges on the day of your flight based on your regular QANTAS membership though.

www.traveller.com.au

It takes several hours to reach Antarctica and several more to return making the total duration for the flight from Sydney around 12 hours.  The flight features several Antarctica experts and expeditioners on each flight who give presentations on board.  In addition to the in flight education, there is a band that plays on board plus the usual QANTAS hospitality.

But I think it would be the energy on board that would make this flight so special.  It’s such a unique and breathtaking  thing to do with so few flights per year, everyone on board would just have to be at least happy (if not ecstatic in my case) to be there.  Can you imagine the conversations you’d have on board with fellow passengers and the crew?  The photos?  The blog posts?  Not sure if you can Instagram or live tweet but who knows what may be possible by the time I book my ticket.

On the issue of photos, apparently you fly so closely that even the camera on your average smart phone will give you some brilliant photos.

www.adventuresallaround.com

I’ve got the plan, I’ve got a deadline.  I just have to start saving and planning.

Have you done this flight to Antarctica yourself?  Do you have anything bucket list level planned for an upcoming birthday?