Each year, over 300 million passengers
fly over six billion miles on long-haul flights -
epic daily journeys made by some of the world's biggest planes.
Like flying hotels, they transport people across the world
in comfort and style.
But what does it take to keep these giants in the sky?
All our team have sprung into action.
It's almost like a choreographed dance. The key is keeping moving.
Come with us as we hitch a ride
on one of the longest journeys in the world -
London to Sydney, Australia,
as, with exclusive behind-the-scenes access,
we can reveal the confessions of the cabin crew.
Sometimes we do get weird requests, such as marriage proposals.
We go below stairs to their secret crew-rest.
And welcome to our secret sleepover joint!
We meet the back-office staff who monitor every second of each flight.
The IOC is the nerve-centre to the airline.
Without us, they literally would be flying blind.
And follow the stories of passengers, both animal and human,
who have their own reason to board Flight 002 from London today,
from starting a new life down under...
It's a big move for both of us. We haven't got a clue what to expect.
..to meeting a long-lost family for the very first time.
They've been looking for me for 20 years.
Filmed at 40,000 feet,
this is the ultimate insider's guide to life in the skies.
So make sure your seat is in the upright position
and your seatbelt is fastened,
as we prepare to uncover the secret life of the long-haul flight.
It's just before dawn at London's Heathrow.
The world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380,
is towed onto stand.
Costing over £280 million,
it's 73 metres long,
25 metres high,
and has a tip-to-tip wingspan of 80 metres.
In just two hours' time,
it will depart on its daily long-haul flight to Sydney, Australia.
Loaded with up to 484 passengers,
the 11,000 mile journey will take 24 hours.
But long before the passengers can board,
a whole army of service personnel must get her ready to fly.
In the world of long-haul flying, there is not a second to lose.
We don't want any of our planes hanging around the ground.
The best place for our aircraft is in the air,
so it's all hands on deck, and everyone's onto the aircraft
straight away to do their jobs, and we can make that turnaround
within that two-hour timeframe.
Now a well rehearsed ballet swings into action,
as the refuellers, baggage handlers, engineers,
cleaners and catering teams all set to work.
There's certain jobs that have to be done.
All the wheels have to be inspected. The engines have to be checked,
oiled. You have to do a walk-round to make sure
there's nothing hanging off of the whole of the outside.
The same for the inside.
It's a very structured process, and it's broken down minute by minute.
Each department and each team have a job to do
within a certain timeframe. It literally does go to the minute,
so we need to have the aircraft closed up
by ten minutes before departure.
With our plane not suffering any serious faults,
the engineers can crack on with more cosmetic jobs,
like a sticky TV screen.
Tiny screw. Somebody's just over-tightened it.
Can we get a set in there, too, like this?
Yeah. Just lever it.
While below the wing the action is in full swing,
90 minutes before departure,
the 21 cabin crew clock in for their pre-flight briefing.
We all have individual roles.
There are business and first-class flight attendants on board,
and economy flight attendants.
Sarah Kelly has been flying for five years.
For her, aviation is in the blood.
My father is a Qantas captain,
so I've grown up with him, travelling around
and going to different exotic destinations,
and, yeah, just the whole thrill of just flying.
There's somebody amongst the crew who you've not met yet.
Please spend some time having a chat with him,
and get to know each other.
THEY SPEAK OFF-MIC
On the tarmac, Second Officer Adam Thompson
carries out his visual inspection.
The purpose of the inspection is to make sure
there's no ground-service vehicle has caused any damage,
there's nothing leaking from any parts there's not meant to be.
In the engine, looking to see if there's been any stresses or dents
on the fan blades, any indication
that something's gone through the engine that shouldn't have,
a bird strike or something like that.
On the tyres, we're looking to see that there's no gashes
or any...any problem at all with the tyres.
ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER PUBLIC-ADDRESS SYSTEM
On every long-haul flight, each passenger has a story,
and we're following four of them.
We're just a long-haul flight away from meeting three sisters!
Malcolm and Adelaide are about to board their first long-haul flight
to meet the family they never knew they had.
Well, I just can't wait. I've never seen them in real life.
'Can't believe it.'
And young parents Daniel and Bethanie are heading down under
to see if they want to make Sydney their new home.
WOMAN: So, Daniel, Bethanie and... How do I say -
Eirlys. Eirlys. Ahhh!
Got a lot planned. We've got a list written up
of all the places we wanna go and visit,
and neighbourhoods we wanna see, and... Exciting, really, isn't it?
Back on the tarmac, Second Officer Adam Thompson
checks the A380's huge wings,
which are so large, you could park 70 cars up there.
MAN: They only just fit, don't they? They do only just fit, yeah.
It's quite common, on such a large aircraft,
to have a ground-service vehicle follow us,
just to check the wing tips to make sure we're all safe.
Don't wanna hit anything. Do not wanna hit anything.
How does it look? Looks very good. Good to go.
Back in Terminal 3, 28-year-old Australian Sean checks in.
Going home to surprise my mum for her 60th.
She has no idea I'm coming.
While fellow Aussie Belinda is leaving fiancee Alice behind
to return home after almost four years.
We're getting married. We're getting married soon. It's gonna be OK.
I love you!
Although for her, the 24-hour flight time is a little overwhelming.
I've done a lot of long-haul flights,
so it's not like I'm new to the game. Mm.
Um, but I just find them rather horrendous, to be honest,
just, like, long. I don't think anyone enjoys a long-haul flight.
I know, but I've... I dunno. I just dread it,
and I think that's stopped me going back all these years.
But Belinda's in for a surprise, as she's been upgraded!
Yay!
It's actually business class, and actually I'm flying business class,
which is crazy, because I've never flown any kind of class,
except ecomony. I can't... How do you say it? Economy.
Yeah. And I feel like... I'm a little bit emotional, actually.
Off to the gate! Here we go.
We're... Baby's doing really well.
There you go, Eirlys. Say hello.
Everyone wave. Yay! Hey! THEY LAUGH
It's not just our human passengers that are about to go long-haul.
Every day, Qantas alone make 4,000 freight shipments.
The two huge holds can carry up to 20 tons of freight...
..although anything bigger than a suitcase
is handled by the specialists.
FORKLIFT BEEPS
I would say we're a big check-in for freight.
Just a few miles from Heathrow is Dnata's bonded warehouse,
a high-security, 24/7 cargo facility
where they handle up to 450 tons a day.
We're open all the time, every day of the year,
er, and it is, it's very fast-paced.
It comes in, it goes out.
Anything from clothing to cars,
live animals, absolutely everything.
We had an armoured vehicle come in, customised,
had all leather seats in, fridges... So that was quite unusual.
The A380 can even carry its own spare engines -
although at ten tons apiece, it's a bit of a tight fit.
They'll go out this afternoon on a special vehicle.
They direct load onto the aircraft.
Just squeezes in and out, but, er, yeah, that's quite tight.
Today, it's not just jet engines and luxury cars that are going long-haul,
as two very important passengers arrive.
Mitzi and Alfie are being relocated back to Australia,
and a few days ago, it was time to say goodbye to Mum and Dad.
Come on! We gotta go. Quick, quick!
We won't see them for about 12, 13 days...
HE MAKES TOY SQUEAK ..which is a long time for us.
And Mitzi here suffers from a little bit of separation anxiety,
so, um, hopefully the flight's not too bad for them.
HE MAKES TOY SQUEAK DOGS BARK
BOTH CONTINUE TO BARK
Go on, pup. Good boy. Good boy, good boy!
Go on, go on, go on, go on.
'Just a little bit uncertain.' 'She thinks we're going with her.'
She probably does, yeah. She's gonna get a surprise.
We're all gonna go on a car ride. That's right. Yeah.
So she's all up for the ride. It's just when...
when she works out that we're not going.
Mitzi and Alfie are travelling with a specialist pet-transport service,
and they've just realised they're going alone.
MAN: How do you think they feel? They're just freaking out.
See you soon. DOG WHIMPERS
But they're in safe hands,
as the animals' welfare is top priority for all the airlines.
Even before they fly, they get a thorough check-up.
Australia, especially, are super-paranoid
about importing infectious diseases,
so that's parasites and other signs of contagious diseases.
So I just work from head to toe, go through these guys,
make sure they're all well, everything's healthy.
Lovely clean ears. Super.
Go through his coat to make sure there's no signs of ticks, fleas,
anything like that hanging around.
Make sure his cardiovascular system's up to the trip.
You are good. We'll have a look at your sister.
But I'm very happy with how things look with him.
You worried you're coming on the table as well? I'm afraid you are!
Pretty laid-back customer. Nice, steady heart rate.
Nice clear chest.
Good.
Good, good, good!
And it's not just domestic pets that travel long-haul.
Every day of the year, you can be sitting there on a plane,
and below, you don't realise, there are literally half a dozen animals
going from one place to another around the world.
And it's not just cats and dogs. There's exotics as well,
on international breeding programmes from zoo to zoo.
The largest animal I've moved by air
is an Asian one-horned greater rhino, rhinoceros.
MAN: And, dare I say it, how do you move a rhino?
In a big box. HE LAUGHS
Today, the dogs are accompanied by a few feline friends,
so Mick has to be careful about who sits where.
We try and separate everyone.
Er, we got some cats on the corner.
Er, we obviously face them away from the dogs,
er, so they don't upset each other.
Er, but, no, they all look quite happy this morning.
Although the holds on the aircraft are pressurised,
they are not usually heated.
But with outside temperatures at 40,000 feet of minus 50 centigrade,
today, these guys will be well looked after.
They'll actually warm the compartment
so it's comfortable for the animals.
Their main concern is their welfare.
Mitzi and Alfie are just two of the 65,000 domestic pets
carried by Qantas each year -
a tiny fraction of the 100 million animals flown worldwide.
Back at the airport, with just 60 minutes before departure,
the catering trucks arrive.
Specially built to reach the plane's two decks,
the service team now has to replace 40,000 items,
including 70 meal carts...
..two and a half thousand glasses...
..and 5,000 pieces of cutlery.
We continue to board our first-class customers through door C,
and business-class...
With 45 minutes to go, boarding begins.
But delays on the roads around Heathrow
mean getting the flight away on time could be a challenge.
As a consequence, we have late passengers and late crew,
so, er, everything we did this morning was a little bit behind.
We have a lot more to do.
As the crew rush to prep the plane,
now even some of the checked-in passengers have gone walkabout!
Qantas. Good morning. Oh, oranges. Thank you!
11 passengers missing. MAN: Where do they go?
Um, this is the one-million-dollar question.
But Ines is undeterred. For her, getting the flight away on time
is a matter of pride.
The flight on time is when I watch those wheels move right on the dot.
If that doesn't happen, then, we fail everyone
that has worked very hard to get all the passengers,
all the crew, you know, the aircraft at its destination.
So, yes, they would be disappointed in me if I didn't deliver.
With boarding about to close, most of the passengers have been found.
But there's always one.
One, premium economy. We're just trying to get a phone number.
OK. Thank you! Thank you. Thank you. Bye.
So, er, we are...
..20 minutes to departure. We're missing one passenger.
And at minus 15 minutes, we start looking for their bags.
Next - will Ines avoid costly delays,
and get Flight 002 away on time?
I sometimes say that waiting for the door to close ages me.
OVER PA: "Good morning to you, ladies and gentlemen."
My name's Jason, and I'm your customer-service manager.
At London's Heathrow, boarding of Flight 002 to Sydney
is almost complete, as the last passenger is rounded up.
We've located him, and, er... It is a him, isn't it? Yes.
And, um... Yes! So we should be all good to go.
Ines can now make sure the doors are all sealed.
We're waiting for engineers to get off, then we'll sort the closing.
I sometimes say that waiting for the door to close ages me.
SHE LAUGHS
That is a very happy moment. I know!
It's a bit obvious, because I work here,
but that is - closing the door!
With the door sealed, the aerobridges retract,
and Flight 002 is pushed back for takeoff on time.
There she goes.
And she slides away from us.
"Number two for takeoff. Two-seven, light winds."
"Two-two-zero at one-four."
"And clearance is confirmed?" "Confirmed."
Takeoff is one of the most critical phases of the flight.
Captain Rod Duncan and his crew now accelerate the plane
to 138 miles per hour.
We always only use as much thrust as we need.
That just saves wear and tear on the engine.
So it never seems to accelerate REALLY quickly.
As the speed increases,
the air pressure around the massive wings changes.
Now air flowing over the wing
has a lower pressure than the air flowing under it.
With enough speed, the pressure difference
begins to lift the aircraft into the air.
Once you get to that speed,
if you have an engine failure or a major problem
prior to that speed, you'll stop on the runway.
And if you have an engine failure or a problem after that speed,
you'll sort it out in the air.
As the giant aircraft heads southeast,
it's following the Kangaroo Route,
a 70-year-old air link between Australia and the mother country.
The 11,000-mile trip crosses Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean,
before arriving in Australia in just over a day's time -
one epic journey that's a tiny fraction
of the 6.28 billion long-haul miles flown each year.
Hi. So, here I am in the business-class section.
I've just been given some champagne.
Er...life is pretty good right now!
Unfortunately, baby Eirlys was sick on Bethanie's shoulder,
so not the greatest.
But she's now fast asleep, so...
hopefully she can stay like that now for the rest of the flight.
And going so far... HE REPLIES OFF-MIC
In seat 70C, 65-year-old Malcolm has hardly ever flown before!
This is the first time I've ever flown long-haul.
Oh, my gosh! Ever flown long-haul? Wow!
So, what brings you to Australia? Oh, well, what it was,
one Friday night me and my wife were watching television.
Got a phone call. This woman on the phone,
she told me all my details and all that.
She says, "I'm your sister." SARAH GASPS
Oh, my gosh. "Plus there's another two of us over here."
Oh, wow! So I've got three.
Malcolm's parents split up when he was just three months old.
Until his sister Alison tracked him down in October 2016,
he had no idea he had another family in Australia.
She said they've been looking for me for 20 years.
My dad's been looking for me for 40 years.
Well, I just went then. I just completely went.
Tears were rolling down our faces, both of us at either end.
And we just... It were five minutes before we started talking,
and I just couldn't believe it.
Malcolm's father David had joined the thousands of Ten Pound Poms
who emigrated to Australia in the 1950s.
Starting a new life, he had remarried,
and had three daughters.
I can imagine how you would be feeling after that phone call.
Really surreal, and... Oh, yeah. Yeah.
We were on the phone for at least an hour and a half that night.
It... It were just... The nicest thing I found out is,
he's been looking for me for all these years.
You know how that makes me feel?
And obviously the first thing is, "We've got to meet."
I don't know what's gonna happen when I see 'em at the other end.
When you get off this plane, that's it.
That's it. You're gonna meet them all for the first time.
Malcolm's dad passed away in 1996,
having never been reunited with his son.
And now Malcolm's got a lifetime of catching up to do
with his new family.
I'm never gonna meet my dad in real life,
but the next-best thing...
..is my three sisters.
Fabulous.
Oh, I've got goosebumps everywhere. I'm tingling. It's so beautiful.
That reminds me why this is my dream job.
As Flight 002 begins its track across mainland Europe...
..11,000 miles away in Sydney, it's just one of a hundred Qantas flights
that is being tracked second by second
in the Integrated Operations Centre, or IOC.
The IOC essentially is the nerve centre to the airline.
We provide information to all the aircraft we have flying anywhere,
any time, around the world.
This then gives us a timeline of all the aircraft that we have,
at any given moment, through that phase of flight.
That information is updated as soon as an aircraft releases its brakes,
takes off, lands or comes back to the terminal.
Yeah, that's right. We might be diverting to Sydney. Qantas 94.
A lot can vary in approximately 18 or 20 hours,
be that weather information, engineering, medical assistance,
security assistance, so we're always providing updates
to those aircraft, and throughout the course of their journey.
OK. Let me check with maintenance watch, and I'll come back to you.
And this communication isn't just one-way,
as each A380 is equipped with hundreds of sensors
which beam real-time data about the health of the plane and its engines
across the globe.
Have a look at telemetry from the aeroplane at this stage,
and we'll see if it's carrying any defects which may cause us an issue.
Although Flight 002 isn't reporting anything serious,
it does have one or two minor niggles.
All the aircraft carry some minor defects.
It's like a car. The ashtray may be full
or the window may not wind down properly, or something like that.
If it's a serious fault, there's other alerting
from the engine manufacturers. They're being monitored.
Also, Airbus themselves are monitoring the aircraft,
and if they believe there's a serious issue,
they can also send us additional information.
If the engineers do spot a worrying problem,
they can pick up the satphone and talk directly to the pilots.
We have to be very mindful that we don't bother them
during a critical phase of flight,
so if they're just starting their flight, we won't call,
and if they're just towards the end of a flight,
definitely won't be calling.
Engineers like David are just one of the many unsung heroes
of the long-haul flight.
'One flight from London to Sydney
'could have anywhere from ten through to 50 people involved,
'so it is a lot of people behind the scenes
'that are making that aircraft get to where it's going.
'Without the IOC, the airline wouldn't function.'
The aircraft in the air wouldn't be able to get real-time information,
be that mechanical, be that for weather,
be that security or medical-related situations.
And as a result, they literally would be flying blind.
Which is exactly what used to happen
when the pioneers of long-haul took to the skies
nearly 80 years ago.
1938, and QEA, Qantas Empire Airways,
operates the Short C-Class flying boats in modern luxury and comfort.
And what's more, the trip only takes nine days,
which includes 70 hours of flying and 36 stops.
Essentially, long-haul was a series of short hops,
none of them longer than 200, maximum 300, miles.
Between each hop you would come down. The plane would be refuelled.
You had to be adventurous. There was a lot of forced landings.
You had to be prepared, more or less, for anything.
There is even a demand for fishing lines at refuelling stops,
where both passengers and crew members can enjoy the relaxation
of dropping a line over the side.
Back on board, our passengers won't need to be fishing for their dinner,
as, just 30 minutes into the flight, it's time to eat.
Sarah, do you have a fruit, please? Of course you can.
Just getting that fruit out. Thank you very much.
There you are. My pleasure.
Hello, there!
Meal service is the busiest time for the 21 crew,
and each one has their own specific role.
Depending on where we're seated for takeoff and landing
depends on what we're doing, either in the cabin or in the galley.
So basically I'm taking the opportunity
to get things ready for the dessert service now,
while all the other cabin crew are out doing bar service.
Today, Arron is one of the ten crew looking after the 64 passengers
in business class.
Give the passengers a nice glass of wine with their meal.
A small-size salad where they get a choice of dressings,
and then we start delivering entrees and main course.
With food and drink playing a crucial part
of the long-haul experience,
each year, over one billion meals are dished up at 40,000 feet.
Qantas alone serve 7.5 million on their long-haul flights...
..400,000 in first class...
..two million in business,
and five million in economy.
Everywhere in the world, at any minute of the day,
there's a plane up there, and we're serving a meal to somebody.
Neil Perry is one of Australia's best-known chefs.
For 20 years, he's been putting the food he serves
in his Rockpool restaurants into the sky.
It can be a massive risk, putting your name on something
you have no control over. Airline food's always had a bad rep,
so when we got involved, the most important thing is,
we created a number of cornerstones. What have airlines always done?
They've flown really bad bread, so we have to have great bread.
They've flown pretty poor cheese. Let's have beautiful, ripe cheeses that are ready.
Salad, not great. Let's do great salads.
And then we'd roll dishes around that.
Today, all the food is prepared in huge catering centres.
The 105 chefs at Alpha LSG in London
produce 31,000 meals per day.
In the premium cabins,
each of the dishes must be dressed and plated the same way
across every flight.
Just got to be calm, collected, go along step by step.
No, it's all good. There is pressure,
but, hey, you can't let the nerves get to you.
SHE LAUGHS
Serving restaurant-quality food is an idea that harks back
to the pioneering days of aviation.
Feeling peckish? Well, here's a sample of our in-flight dining!
Anyone care for le crustace a la Moselle? Mmm, tres bien!
You'd have had a seven-course meal.
You'd be served by a steward who'd be wearing a white jacket
and a white cap, like a waiter in a fine restaurant, really.
This was served on the 14th of September 1952.
They started with lobster bisque, roast fillet of beef,
fresh, sliced peaches with kirsch,
fresh double cream,
Martini cocktails, grand vin de Bourgogne,
and biscuits de bouchee. I'm sorry about my French accent,
but you get the idea.
Creating the tricky dishes is one thing,
but serving them is quite another,
as, in the air, both equipment and space are severely limited.
MAN: This is a bit of a ballet. It is! It's a bit of a juggling act.
Yeah. It's, like... Yeah, a bit of a circus trick, this one.
Yeah, it's like a waltz, like a dance.
One moves one way and we move in, and backwards and forwards.
You are all jammed in a small area.
You have to be very comfortable, on the aircraft,
with people in your personal space. You do learn very quickly
how to manoeuvre around.
It's like we almost have eyes behind our heads,
because we just move away, and we all get out of each other's way.
We can just sort of... You know, we never really collide anymore.
We're used to it. We come to work knowing it's going to be full,
and we're trained to work when it's full, and...
Yeah, another day at the office.
Let's go! SHE CHUCKLES
Next - we'll take a sneaky peek at life below-stairs,
as we inspect the crew's secret quarters.
There we go! Good night, everyone! SHE LAUGHS
Good night, darling. Good night!
Flight 002 out of Heathrow is on its way to Sydney, Australia.
As the world's only fully double-decker passenger plane,
the A380's upper deck is mostly business class,
while the lower deck is the main economy cabin.
In row 81, Daniel and Bethanie are enjoying a rare moment of calm.
I think this the first meal Mummy's had
without baby Eirlys crying, saying, "Feed me first,"
so it's actually quite nice to do that, isn't it?
The routine is, whatever she wants, so...
When she's hungry she will cry, and she will ask for food.
Yeah. And when she's tired, she will sleep.
The young parents are preparing to move away from their families
to start a new life in Sydney.
We're just gonna go out there, kind of research the area,
look at the neighbourhoods, look at some houses,
and just look at what we're letting ourselves in for in the future.
We haven't got a clue what to expect.
'We could go there and we could hate it.
'We haven't got anyone nearby to help out.
'It's a big move for both of us, but I'm not scared,
'cos I know we're a good team.'
Three hours into the flight, and with service over,
for some of the crew it's a chance to sneak a quick break.
We just went to check on all our passengers,
and our passengers are all good, aren't they? Absolutely.
So we thought we'd reward ourselves with a cheeky cup of tea, didn't we?
Cheers. So that's what we're doing now.
Beatrice has been flying for nine years.
For her, keeping the passengers happy
is one of the things that keeps her in the air.
SHE LAUGHS Thank you.
I'm a people-pleaser to a certain degree,
and that's what I really like - meeting the people
and making them leave happy. And I could be sat in an office,
looking till it's 4:30. And, yeah, there are some flights
where I'm thinking, "I can't wait to get to the end of this flight,"
but my reward is that I'm in Dubai for 24 hours,
or I'm in Australia for three days, so I don't know what more you could wish for, really.
But all that excitement does come at a price.
So, I'm just about to get stuck into every cabin crew's favourite job,
which is - as you can see, I've got the glove on...
cleaning the toilets. So, off I go.
People tell you it's a glamorous job.
I think they lied.
So we just come and do this every half an hour,
just to check everything's well and good in the toilet,
and there's some paper in there, cos no-one likes going to the toilet
with no paper.
Give it a little spritz. Beautiful!
We have, like, a friendly, family atmosphere on board.
BOTH: Hello! We all go out together.
I go to the beach. We're close. It's really nice.
I'm gonna sit down and have my cup of tea and a biscuit.
It's the best part of this job, the cup of tea and the biscuit. Life.
Today, the Kangaroo Route has a single stop of 90 minutes
in the world's busiest airport, Dubai.
Welcome to Dubai!
Re-crewed, refuelled and re-catered,
the plane is ready for the longest leg of the flight -
14 hours to Sydney.
About to hop on the plane. Not much longer.
Back in the air, the crew are preparing for another meal service.
We have a little trick that we like to call...
Grant, you know about Tom Cruise, don't you? Uh-huh.
When we talk about Tom Cruise on the aircraft,
we're not talking about the movie star. No.
We certainly are not. We are talking about tea and coffee.
How do you put them on the trolley? Tea, then coffee.
Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise! There you go. Fact of the day.
On the upper deck in business class,
Belinda settles in for lunch.
Miss Wollaston, you're joining us for something to eat?
Thank you. Thank you so much.
This is her first experience in the premium cabin,
and she's not yet used to the restaurant-like service.
So, I'm serving a side salad with your meal,
and I have a choice of dressings for you.
I have aged balsamic or I have a verjus.
What's a verjus? Ah, funny you should ask!
And it's not just the food jargon she needs some help with.
Arron's just been telling me about the lifestyle of the air hostess.
Flight attendant. I'm sorry. Flight attendant.
I'm still half asleep. That's the old days. Flight attendant.
Australian Belinda left home to pursue her dream
as an actress and singer.
I underestimated how hard it would be setting up in London.
It's not easy. To come over with two suitcases, and that's all you have.
But she might have to get used to the high life,
as things are on the up.
So we're getting married - um, legally married,
which is a little bit different if you're in Australia,
but in the UK we can get married, which is incredible.
Yeah. It's very exciting.
So, keep your eyes at the point you're looking at,
but just drop your nose down a little bit.
And she's also landed the role of Judy Garland
in a new West End show.
BOTH SING LOUDLY
'I can't wait for my mum to see this.'
I don't think she'll quite believe it,
but I think she'll be proud of everything I'm achieving over here.
MAN: Judy really is going to Oz, isn't she, really?
Judy's going to Oz! She's going back to Oz, yes. Absolutely.
And Judy's travelling in style.
The Qantas A380 has 64 business-class seats.
At up to eight times the cost of an economy seat,
this premium cabin is vital to the success of the airline.
What they're selling is exclusivity.
It's that great sort of social cachet of,
you turn left at the top of the steps instead of turning right.
For the airline, it's a question of economics.
If you're a standard economy-class traveller,
they're not making much profit on you.
In fact they're hardly making anything at all.
So in a sense, those business travellers,
who are paying a great deal more,
are paying for the ordinary passengers like you and me.
We often see this cabin full on every flight,
lots of business travellers or people who have saved up for a while
to take that trip of a lifetime. It's very exclusive,
with the Skybeds that go fully flat. You can have privacy.
There's these mid-seat dividers.
It's all about service tailored to the customer.
Oh, business class is the business, really.
It's not just the business-class passengers who travel in comfort.
In the forward hold directly below first class are the animals,
like Mitzi and Alfie.
While it's not possible for owners to visit their pets in flight,
if they're in the serenity of first class,
they occasionally might hear them.
Sometimes you can hear the dogs chatting to each other and barking,
which can be a little bit distracting.
DOGS BARKING It's interesting hearing them,
and thinking that your ears are playing tricks on you.
Cruising at almost 40,000 feet,
the A380 is one of the most comfortable planes in the sky.
Quiet and stable, it travels at more than 500 miles an hour,
almost effortlessly, through the thin, frigid atmosphere.
But it wasn't always this way.
The early long-haul passengers had to endure flying much lower
in primitive, unpressurised planes.
OK. The good news about flying low -
that's eight, nine thousand, maximum 10,000 feet -
is you get a good view of what's down below,
the Pyramids or the Taj Mahal or the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The bad news is, because you're going through the weather,
your stomach is being thrown all over the place.
And up to 50 percent of people in pre-war flights were nauseous,
they were queasy, and a great many of those were actually vomiting
on the floor. It's interesting that,
when the first stewardesses were introduced,
they had to be qualified nurses.
No such problems today,
as, ten hours into the flight, the lights dim
for the passengers to get some rest -
although few of them realise that there is another, secret compartment
in the belly of the plane.
And welcome to our secret sleepover joint!
One big slumber party in here. THEY LAUGH
This is where the cabin crew go on their downtime.
Naomi and Sarah have agreed to show us around.
So, these are the bunk beds. There's...
12. 12. 12 bunk beds.
The crew-rest is the best thing on the aircraft!
Hey, guys. Hello. Welcome! These are about to go to bed.
We are. Ready for a nap.
We might get three hours off, and then we'll switch,
and the next person get three hours off.
I'll do a demonstration of how we get into the top bunk.
Into bed, then!
SHE LAUGHS
All cosy. Nice and cosy.
Do you normally have a hot-water bottle down here?
Normally, cos it's freezing down here.
It can get quite cold. Right. Night-night!
Good night!
We get cosy - pillows, blankets, hot-water bottles, you know.
You're lucky you don't see us in our pyjamas,
but we save that for down there. It's just like a little cosy compartment underground.
And where's the Harry Potter bunk? Oh! It's actually over here.
Who gets the Harry Potter bunk?
We do have one bunk which we call the Harry Potter bunk,
which is just under the stairs.
This isn't going to be very pretty. THEY LAUGH
That's the easiest I've ever done it.
THEY LAUGH
I don't mind it, cos it's like someone's giving you a hug
under there. You got a wall that's halfway through,
and you kind of all cosy up in there, and it's quite warm.
Good night, everyone. Good night! Good night, guys.
Good night! Nice and cosy.
It's not just the cabin crew getting some rest.
Even pilots get a moment or two to enjoy the scenery.
'There's a lot to see, and you got your map so you know where you are,
'and you see some great sunrises, sunsets, mountains.'
In the economy cabin is 28-year-old Australian, Sean.
Living in the UK, he's been plotting with Dad
to be the surprise guest at his mum's 60th birthday party.
"So, Mum's gonna walk into the restaurant,
and all her good friends will be there, so that'll be brilliant."
"And the icing on the top of the cake should be when you walk in."
Yeah. My mum's very emotional. I think, when she sees me...
..she's probably gonna scream, run and hug me,
possibly even cry.
Um, I think she'll be very entertaining.
Sean's not the only one with secrets.
Sometimes I guess we do get a few weird requests,
such as marriage proposals after they've had a few wines.
You just make sure that they know
that we're just there for their safety in the service.
We're not, you know, there for anything else.
SHE LAUGHS
"Qantas Two Super, hello to you."
Next - with just a thousand miles to run,
in Sydney, a whole army prepare to welcome Flight 002.
With Flight 002 now just hours from Sydney,
the international airport prepares to open
after its overnight curfew.
Are you doing the Two arrival, as well? I dunno for sure.
Not sure? OK.
On board, the pilots make contact with the air-traffic control.
"Qantas Two Super, hello to you."
"Qantas Two, turn right, zero-two-zero."
ATC MESSAGE CONTINUES, INDISTINCT
Air-traffic control's the policeman of the skies.
We make sure that the rules and procedures are followed,
and that separation standards aren't breached.
Keeping the planes apart takes a special kind of skill.
You need to be able to think fast on your feet.
You need that spatial awareness.
A lot of people think in two-dimensional,
but we're thinking in three- dimensional, and four at times,
because we've got speed involved as well.
Meanwhile, in the daily briefing at the IOC,
it's the weather that's the worry.
Er, Sydney, we are looking at storm potential,
staying quite likely within the next two hours at the airport,
those storm cells hugging the coast.
Whether or not there's going to be a tropical cyclone
over the flight path of several flights
becomes increasingly important to high-passenger-volume flights
such as those that go to China, those that go to London.
We are looking at storm cells to the northwest of port,
and they are likely to move over. Do you think they're fast-moving?
Quite fast-moving. We have some stuff to the southwest,
but that should stay offshore. I'm just concerned
about those things that are developing to the northwest.
While the worst of the storms are not yet over Sydney,
the pilots prepare to land in some typically British weather.
In the cabin, as the dawn breaks, the crew prepare breakfast.
So, as you can see, it's sunrise on the plane.
I'm just gonna go through and check on any passengers
that might have woken up, see if we can get them any drinks.
The last service was hours ago,
so I guess they're ready for their brekkie before they land.
What can I get for you? James Boag. Sure. We'll grab that for you now.
A first order - a cheeky James Boag's at sunrise.
Josh here is loading up the ovens,
doing a great job of being galley operator.
And, yeah, I've just got the cart all ready and it's good to go.
Down in the crew quarters, the early- morning alarm call is less welcome.
I've just come downstairs to do the worst job,
which is waking everyone from break.
And everyone's still down here, and they're not very happy.
They can give you a heart attack at the best of times,
but, um... And when that hand does come up, you're, like, "OK,"
and then you come up, and you feel sorry for any passengers
that come across you in that process between going from the crew-rest
to the toilet. One of my favourite things, during the flight,
is to see the crew that are coming back from break,
and how upset they look after coming back from break.
Here's Edward. He's looking really happy.
Morning!
In the first-class galley, Marissa is tackling a tricky dish -
fresh scrambled eggs, cooked in a steam oven.
We got to keep a close eye on it, constantly stir it,
because if I take my eye off them,
I either burn them or they go a bit dry, which we don't want.
MAN: Is there extra pressure, being in the first-class galley?
Oh, yes. Platinum passengers. Little nerves, but all good.
"Today you'll set your watches to Sydney time."
"The time in Sydney is just 7:35 AM."
I've just seen where we are. We're flying over Canberra now, I think,
so...um, yeah. I think we touch down in, like, 36 minutes,
which is really exciting.
Sean too is excited, having travelled 11,000 miles
just to be his mother's very special birthday present - literally.
My plan is to get a box that's big enough to fit me,
wrap it up in paper, maybe put a bow on it.
I think, when I leap out of the box,
I think my mum's gonna scream, panic a little bit,
and then when she realises whose it is,
she'll probably give me a big hug, probably start crying.
I think it'll be very entertaining.
Keeping the emotions in check will also be a challenge for Malcolm,
who, after 65 years,
is now just minutes away from meeting his long-lost family.
First time meeting them - ooh, in the flesh!
Ooh, his nerves'll be going now! Oh, MY nerves are going.
Bit emotional.
A bit?! A bit. A lot.
HE LAUGHS
And it's not just Malcolm feeling the nerves,
as, at Sydney airport, his welcoming party has arrived.
My two sisters are here with me, my partner,
my daughter, my grandson, and my nephew.
We are so excited. Nerves have been chattering all the way down here.
Yes, really excited. Can't wait to see him.
"Qantas Two, turn right one-two-five to join final one-six run."
AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUE
With the runway in sight,
the plane enters its most critical phase - landing.
And the A380's massive size creates a huge amount of weight turbulence,
or jetwash.
Weight turbulence is the unstable air
that is produced from the wings and the body of the aircraft
as it flies through the air. The turbulence hangs behind the aircraft
for a period of time. We put like an envelope around the aircraft,
so we got 1,000 feet below,
and for a Super, it's six nautic miles behind him.
So we don't want anything in that envelope,
otherwise they'd get buffeted around a lot.
If you're quite close to the weight turbulence
coming off the back of a Super or a Heavy,
and you're in a light aircraft like a Cessna,
it could flip the aircraft.
"Qantas Two, wind one-three-zero degrees, one-zero knots."
"Runway one-six right, cleared to land."
While the A380 can land automatically,
usually this part is handled by the human pilots.
Right. Visual. Standard procedures. Check.
"1,000."
In tough conditions, they can be challenging.
Crosswinds make it harder.
Usually happens in the last little bit,
and at that stage, you nearly are always flying it manually.
HE SPEAKS UNDER ROAR OF ENGINES
'It's probably the most satisfying part.'
You try and fly the aeroplane as efficiently as you can,
and do a good landing if...if possible.
'If you do, you basically feel satisfied that it was a good job.'
It's landed. Oh, my God, it's here! He's landed!
We're gonna see him in a minute. He's gonna be so excited.
How exciting. How exciting.
Malcolm is just moments away from coming face-to-face with his past.
Flight 002 from London has just landed
into Sydney International Airport,
where a small army of service personnel
are ready to welcome the plane.
How many baggage containers you got to take? Four.
Four more to go? You gonna use these ones here?
Ramp manager Sam Shannon oversees the offloading.
There's almost, like, a choreographed dance.
We've got engineering staff that are overviewing the aircraft
and looking for any damage that might have occurred in flight.
We've got a ground-service team offloading the baggage and cargo.
We also have catering come to the aircraft
and start offloading the rubbish from the inbound flight.
Refuellers are also coming around to refuel the aircraft.
With the flight burning through over 300,000 litres of fuel,
the plane has lost half its takeoff weight -
although a little extra has been added.
Obviously, after such a long flight, with over 480 passengers,
there's a lot of toilet waste,
so this gentleman is taking it out of the aircraft,
and also flushing all the tanks in the aircraft
to make sure they're all clean for the next flight.
MAN: Contrary to popular belief, you don't dump it in the air?
No, we don't, I can assure you of that. Hi, Mummy!
Sam's team need to get all the passengers reunited
with their 600 bags in less than 45 minutes.
And for three special ladies, that can't happen soon enough.
It'll take them a while to get through customs and get their bags
and stuff, so...
With all the passengers disembarked, the crew can finally clock off.
THEY CHATTER AND LAUGH
Bye, Jason!
But, while it's goodbyes for the crew,
Malcolm's three sisters are desperate to say hello.
Come on!
Finally, after what has literally been a lifetime, Malcolm arrives.
Here we go. Where are they? We're here!
THEY LAUGH AND SOB
Oh! Hello!
Oh, you're here! Fantastic!
Finally! Finally.
Oh, my God. Unbelievable. I know.
Oh, it's so good to see you. Fantastic!
Can't believe it.
I know. It's been so long.
'I can't wait to tell him just about our dad,
'what he was like, growing up. It's a little bit bittersweet.
'We don't want him to think he's missed out on anything,
'but he just wants to hear about everything we shared with Dad.'
Oh!
Great to find them. I mean, 65, the only one...
four months ago. Now I've got three sisters!
Well, lucky you! Oh, lucky me!
THEY LAUGH
You're here! Yay!
With the plane due to be back in the air in just seven hours,
there is just enough time for some regular maintenance.
The tug has now grabbed it, closed its jaws.
We're elevating the aircraft up,
so it's pivoting on its landing gear.
The deadweight of this aircraft at the moment,
possibly about 300-odd ton.
we got to follow the A380 line out,
just to keep these wingtips clear from all arounding aircrafts
all around us. It's that big, you can have an accident.
You could hit a wing on something,
so you must concentrate in handling it onto the centre of those lines.
With the engineering hangar on the opposite side of the airport,
Lui must tow the 73-metre-long aircraft across a live runway -
and quickly.
I'm gonna have to go. We've been cleared. The light's illuminated.
There's an aircraft coming in, and it's on its final approach,
so we have to move.
That aircraft's pretty close, what's coming in now.
Well done, Lui. And here we go.
This seven-storey hangar was specially converted
to accommodate the giant A380.
And even then, it only just fits!
The aircraft is very high. It was a great challenge for us.
A lot of the equipment that we need to do a job
at normal human level has to be elevated to those heights.
It's not just getting the people there.
It's getting some of the specialised tooling there as well.
One of the regular jobs is to give the giant plane a good scrub.
You wet the aircraft and you apply the foam over the aircraft,
scrub it off, rinse it off. MAN: How do they get dirty?
They're flying in the air. Bugs, moths,
the rubber coming off the tyres, hitting the back of the aircraft.
Exhaust fumes, hydraulic leaks...
All sorts of various ways they can get dirty.
And all this effort is not just for show.
Obviously, for our customers to look at a bright and shiny plane is nice.
However, there's a hidden agenda there in fuel burn.
I mean, a clean aeroplane, the fuel burn is significantly reduced.
While our plane is being readied for its next trip,
Belinda's finally made it home.
Australia has a smell -
this sort of fresh, grass kind of smell.
It's just like... I can't explain it. It's quite comforting.
It's very emotional, coming back to an old life that I used to have,
you know? But it's also just so nice to be able to see Mum.
Yvonne's delighted that Belinda's musical-theatre career
is taking off at last.
Very proud of her. Finally she's gonna be considered a professional,
and getting paid. BELINDA LAUGHS
And that's so good. I've been paid before, though, Mum.
Yeah, but not West End theatre. No.
Yeah. West End is definitely a first for me. Definitely.
It's not just Belinda that's happy to be home.
Next, the rest of the passengers have their own emotional reunions.
You found a great spot for him, anyway.
So, we're in Sydney now, and we're just off to our first destination,
Coogee.
The Kangaroo Route is just one of the thousands of long-haul flights
that deliver passengers around the world,
as each day, tens of thousands of travellers begin their own journeys.
Got a beautiful view behind us of Sydney Harbour Bridge
and the Sydney Opera House.
For Daniel and Bethanie, their journey is just getting started,
as they scope out a possible future in Sydney.
Hello! Hi. Welcome.
Let you have a look around. So, we got a lovely open-plan kitchen,
lounge, dining. Bedroom's just to your left here.
Oh, the mirror's sold it straight away.
And waking up to that every morning. Oh, wow. Yes.
'Fell in love with the apartment, to be honest with you.
'It's perfectly located. That balcony, in the mornings,
'having a cup of coffee or having some breakfast...'
It's really settled our nerves, coming out here
and seeing how beautiful Sydney is. We're looking forward to it.
My nan summed it up. She said,
"It'll break my heart to see you go,
and, at the same time, it's the best thing for you."
And if my grampy was still alive, he'd be proud of us
for moving out here. Cos it's a big step,
but she knows, for our future, this is the best move for us,
and this is where our future lies.
While Daniel and Bethanie look to the future,
for Mitzi and Alfie, after ten days in quarantine,
it's a case of "home at last".
I've just got off the phone with your parents.
They're very excited to see you.
I got them out at the airport in Sydney,
just to stretch their legs, chance to go to the toilet,
and both of their body languages were fantastic.
They handled the flight really well.
They're both happy, and obviously glad to be on the ground.
Come on!
LOCK BUZZES
Now, look! Look!
It's Mummy!
Daddy!
While the dogs settle in at home,
back at the airport, the countdown is on
to get the next long-haul flight out on time.
OVER PA: "Equipment-check callback in about one minute's time."
"Start heading towards your doors. Thanks, everyone."
We have one minute before callback,
then about ten minutes before passengers board.
But the crew aren't the only ones on a countdown...
It's good to be back in Sydney.
..as Sean and his brother put the final touches
to his mum's ultimate birthday surprise.
This is my brother, Mark. He's picked me up in Manly.
The plan is to cover this box.
Um, I'm gonna put a couple of eyes on it,
and a couple of peep-holes. There's already some cut-outs on the side,
so, as she goes to open the box,
I'm gonna pop my arms out.
It's not gonna be neat, but it will do.
Sean takes up his position, as Mum is due at any moment.
Ooh, they're coming! You're gonna hear some yells any second now.
WOMAN SCREAMS HAPPILY
He's not the only one undercover.
We've told Mum that our camera crew are making a promotional film
for the restaurant.
HE CHUCKLES
SHE SHRIEKS
MAN: Run! Run! No!
SHE SCREAMS
Oh, my God! Surprise!
ALL LAUGH
Oh, I love you so much!
My whole being is just shaking!
I... I... It's... I'm gobsmacked.
I... It's a dream come true!
In my head I'm thinking, "Oh, to meet Sean!"
"Wouldn't that be wonderful? But it won't happen."
It's happened! Oh, my God!
It's so tranquil, innit?
I think we're supposed to... All right. Yeah?
We're down here now, aren't we?
North of Sydney, Malcolm is having a very different family reunion.
HE SIGHS You show me the way.
Hiya, Dad! We're all here.
I told you they'd found your boy. Yeah. 65 year ago. Yeah.
HE SNIFFS / CLEARS HIS THROAT
Here we go again. Thank you.
It's been totally emotional since I've been here.
Finding you three and my dad's grave, it, um...
You can't explain it. Fabulous.
Turned my world right around.
I'm sure he had something to do with it. Oh, yeah!
He's probably sorted it out. Yeah. Sorted it out, yeah.
In just a few months, the first nonstop 19-hour flight
from the UK to Australia will begin -
a technological leap forward that will further shrink our world.
Yet, while another long-haul milestone will be achieved,
the spirit and romance of long-distance travel remains...
..as each year, long-haul flights transport millions of people
billions of miles, to reconnect those who are half the world away.
Even though we've been doing it now for half a century,
there's still a certain magic about long-haul
which you can't equal with a short-haul hop of 90 minutes.
In a sense, long-haul is what aviation is really about.
This is Dad on HIS journey over here. Wow!
I've never seen that one before. No.
That's going up on t'bedroom beside Elvis.
ALL LAUGH
Bye. Bye!
Subtitles by Ericsson