It’s about the journey, not the destination.
Here’s some news you don’t hear every day.
It seems that amid global travel restrictions, people who miss flying are rushing to buy tickets for flights that land in the same place they depart from.
What was once viewed as a method of getting from one destination to another, is now something people are daydreaming about. As travel bans, closed borders and shelter-in-place orders have confined many people to their homes, some travellers just want to get back on a plane, even if it takes them nowhere.
That's where "flights to nowhere" come in -- air travel that takes place purely for the purpose of the journey.
Proving how popular these now are, an Australian sightseeing flight to nowhere offered by Qantas sold out within 10 minutes, according to the airline. Customers flocked to buy tickets for the seven-hour scenic flight which performs a giant loop taking in Queensland and the Gold Coast, New South Wales, and the country's remote outback heartlands.
"It's probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history," the airline's CEO, Alan Joyce, said in a statement.
"People clearly miss travel and the experience of flying. If the demand is there, we'll definitely look at doing more of these scenic flights while we all wait for borders to open."
And it’s not just in Australia— across Asia, where the majority of borders remain closed, there has been a spate of recent flights with no destination as well.
As for the package sold by Qantas, special onboard entertainment is promised, including a surprise celebrity host. The journey will take place on October 10 aboard a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which is renowned for its big windows, making it ideal for sightseeing from 30,000 feet.