Save on Airline Tickets with Qantas Airways

Qantas, or Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services as it is also known, is an Australian flag carrying airline which is based out of Sydney (SYD). Appropriately nicknamed the 'Flying Kangaroo', Qantas Airways is the third oldest airline in the world and the largest, by far, in Australia. Qantas was founded in the early twenties and has been consistently ranked among the top ten best airlines in the world since 2005. Despite their classification as a four star and top rated company, it is still possible for passengers to purchase cheap flights with Qantas Airways thanks to their award winning customer service and periodic deals.

The company was founded on November 16th in 1920 by a small group of Australian pilots and businessmen who intended the endeavor to serve as an airmail service for the Queensland government. In the early thirties, they became a fully commercial airway and chartered their first international flights in May of 1935. A few decades later in 1956, Qantas became just the third airline to ever fly a jet all the way across the North Atlantic Ocean. A few years later, the company set another, more altruistic, record when they sent a Boeing 747 to help evacuate over six hundred and seventy people during the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, Australia. The flight went down in history as the most populated aircraft ever and helped save hundreds of lives.

In the late seventies, the airlines retired their last remaining Boeing 707 jet and became the first and only airline at that time to have a fleet consisting only of Boeing 747s. That very same year they were also the very first airline to introduce Business Class on their airplanes. The new seating consisted of better accommodations, service, and food and was, and still is, an extremely popular way of travelling. Not long afterward, their Boeing fleet was updated to Boeing 747-400 series and they set yet another world record when they flew their upgraded aircrafts nonstop from Sydney, Australia to London, England, a total of eleven thousand miles.

In early 1992, Qantas took the reigns of a domestic airline in Australia and, for the first time in history, had control of the national domestic market. The company was privatized in 1993 with the biggest shares going to the Australian government and interested investors in other countries. A few years later, to help ensure that their loyal customers were treated fairly and to good deals, the airline co-founded Oneworld, a major alliance with British, Canadian, and American Airlines. The endeavor ensured that the groups are marketed to customers jointly and offered their passengers premium deals and cheaper airline tickets. The alliance helped to make sure that costs are kept low for the participating airlines as well.

Always aware of the latest technological and electronic advancements and always eager to provide their cherished customers with the best there is, the entertainment aboard Qantas flights, even ones which are international, are hard to compete with. Every single aircraft in the company's fleet is equipped with at least one type of audio or visual form of entertainment. All of their Airbuses feature a system known internally as 'IQ', an 'on demand' video system that is produced by Panasonic. With it, each and every passenger gets their own private video screen that features touch screens, personal speakers, and the ability to plug in a separate device such as an iPod or laptop computer.

All of the company's 747 planes are equipped with large pull down panels known as main screens. During particularly lengthy flights, the items serve as simple screens in which interested passengers can watch movies or television shows on. Unlike with IQ, the passengers don't get a choice of what to watch or listen to but can view the video without disturbing anyone else thanks to personal headphones which are provided pre or mid flight.

As of 2011, all of the planes in the Qantas fleet are wired for internet connectivity and mobile phone use as well. Passengers in both business and service class would be able to access the internet during any flight to surf the web or check their email. The mobile phone usage was implemented in mid 2007 and allows interested customers to be able to send and receive text messages to their mobile devices during a flight but, so far, has been limited only to that feature.

On each Airbus A380, the airline has fourteen available suites in the first class sections. These areas are drastically different from the rest of the plane and feature state of the art accommodations. First of all, each of the suites has its own 17 inch high definition television with over one thousand pre recorded programs. The seats in these areas are also different. Each one is approximately twenty nine inches wide, a rarity in the airline world, and can be adjusted so that it lies completely flat, which is perfect for long overnight flights. The exclusive pods are also equipped with one to two private electrical outlets and Universal Serial Bus (USB), ports as well.

Passengers who opt to book a flight in the suite section of a Qantas plane will also be given full access to the aircraft's business or first class lounge, which is located on the plane's upper deck. The business classes of the Boeing planes feature extremely comfortable 21 inch chairs that recline to a near flat position. Business passengers are allowed access to the upper deck lounge as well, which features complimentary snacks, internet ready computers, and more recliners.

The company, in another act of clear devotion to their customers, founded the Qantas Club in early sixties. The clubs are located inside major airports all over the world and can be accessed by those who have either paid the yearly membership fee or earned it for free after obtaining enough frequent flyer miles. Inside each one are personal showers, full service bars, board rooms, and complimentary workstations. As of 2007, wireless internet is now available at all club locations as well.