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Qantas Is Selling Its Old Drink Trolleys. And, Yes, They’re Stocked With Booze.

They're flying off the shelves.
Qantas is opening its memorabilia storage shed to the Australian public, offering 1,000 Qantas 747 galley carts stocked with a range of items, from Champagne and Australian red and white wines to Tim Tams, PJs and an exclusive-to-Qantas First Class Sheridan throw.
Qantas
Qantas is opening its memorabilia storage shed to the Australian public, offering 1,000 Qantas 747 galley carts stocked with a range of items, from Champagne and Australian red and white wines to Tim Tams, PJs and an exclusive-to-Qantas First Class Sheridan throw.

In what could be the perfect addition to your WFH space, Qantas is selling bar carts from its famous Boeing 747 ― complete with 80 mini bottles of wine, Champagne from Qantas’ business class cellar, Tim Tams and those fancy First Class pyjamas.

Australia’s national carrier, which cut 8,500 jobs and is bracing for a $10 billion revenue hit due to the pandemic this financial year, is flogging 1,000 of the “half bar carts” for $974.70 each, including delivery. The select amount of full bar carts on sale have already sold out.

The drink trolleys were rescued from the beloved 747 ‘Queen of the Skies’, which flew for 50 years before retiring six months early to California’s Mojave Desert plane graveyard after the airline grounded 90% of its international flights as part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The unique pieces of Australian aviation history have flown at least 2,000 flights each, so expect some scuff marks, but Qantas Executive Manager of Product and Service Phil Capps said that’s just part of the charm.

“While we no longer have use for them, they still have life in them, especially for those with an appreciation for aviation collectables and an eye for design,” he told HuffPost Australia in a statement.

“There has been huge demand for Qantas 747 memorabilia and Frequent Flyers have expressed keen interest to convert the bespoke inflight trolley into everything from lamp stands to storage units. The fact they come fully stocked with some of Qantas’ most popular on-board service items will hopefully inspire some high-flying fun at home.”

Qantas recently launched a seven-hour scenic “flight to nowhere” over Australia’s Outback and Great Barrier Reef, which sold out in 10 minutes.

Tickets cost $787 to $3,787, depending on the seating class, and the 134 available seats were snapped up, a Qantas spokeswoman said.

“It’s probably the fastest-selling flight in Qantas history,” she said. “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.”

John Fordham, Qantas' marketing promotions manager, serves the president of the Australian Rugby Union, Bill McLaughlin, and player Greg Cornelsen in 1979.
Fairfax Media via Getty Images
John Fordham, Qantas' marketing promotions manager, serves the president of the Australian Rugby Union, Bill McLaughlin, and player Greg Cornelsen in 1979.
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