Experience the beauty of Antarctica from above.

Are you a keen adventurer aching to learn about the world's greatest explorers as you retrace their remarkable routes on an expedition flight across the continent of Antarctica? Or are you an astronomy lover keen on experiencing the dazzling colours of the Aurora Australis from your window as you fly directly into the Southern Auroral zone by night? Or maybe you're a bucket lister intent on gazing over icebergs and ancient glaciers on a day flight over the coast and mountains of East Antarctica? Regardless of who you are and what you're interested in, travelling on a Great Southern Flight offers enough unforgettable vistas to last a whole life long. 

Departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, these round-trip flights to Antarctica will take you soaring over incredible landscapes on board a Qantas Dreamliner, while experts teach you about the continent’s iconic terrain and history. 

For more information on departure dates, prices, how to book, and more, please contact our Reservations team. Please note these Antarctica flights cannot be booked online and are operated by our friends over at Chimu Adventures.

Contact us

Online brochure 

For detailed information on departures for our sightseeing flights from Australia, prices, seat plans, and more - view the online brochure here.

Seating plan

Be inspired

FAQs

We will be doing a seat swap during the flight. As can be seen on the Seat Swap diagram on the Seating Plan the aim is to give passengers in the seating classes that will be doing a seat swap time in a window seat or seat next to a window. Please Note the Economy Class – Limited View category will not be doing a seat swap. The helpful Qantas staff onboard will be facilitating the seat swap and instructing on the cleaning regime required during the process.

Weather is not generally the issue, cloud cover is our biggest challenge. We have 20 different routes we can follow and the Captain will choose the route with they anticipate will provide the best viewing on the day. It is noted that weather conditions can change quickly in Antarctica, even mid-flight. For our South Pole flight, we will be at the mercy of the conditions on the day. This route is focused on the history and scale of the epic journeys of Amundsen and Scott.

Most Antarctica flights will depart early morning with the exception of the New Years flight which will depart in the evening and enjoy the midnight sun.

There are no age restriction on the flights, although please be aware that there is no discounted pricing for children. Please Note: this is a long flight for young children and we do not recommend the trip for children aged 8 years and younger. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

As this is a chartered flight, they do not accumulate or accept frequent flyer points. Any credits held with Qantas can also not be used to purchase these flights.

Yes, the Qantas Airport Lounges can be accessed for passengers who hold the required loyalty status.

You can select a seating class but not a particular seat. The Seating allocation will be finalised close to departure taking into consideration all booking requirments.

As a member of Responsible Travel, Chimu Adventures have always put measures in place to reduce our impact on the environment. We will be offsetting the carbon emissions of all the Southern Lights Flights.

FAQs - specific to Aurora Flights

As we are in Nature’s hands we cannot guarantee a sighting, but there is an over 95% chance of encountering the stunning beauty of the Southern Lights in a magnificent, unforgettable display.

As you will appreciate, the Aurora is a natural phenomenon, so this can never be guaranteed. However, on previous two charter flights, passengers enjoyed 4 and 6 hours of viewing.

We will be doing a seat swap during the flight. As can be seen on the Seat Swap diagram on the Seating Plan the aim is to give passengers in the seating classes that will be doing a seat swap time in a window seat or seat next to a window. Please Note the Economy Class – Limited View category will not be doing a seat swap. The helpful Qantas staff onboard will be facilitating the seat swap and instructing on the cleaning regime required during the process.

As we fly above the clouds and the weather systems and due to the great navigational ability of the Dreamliner sightings of the Aurora should not be affected by weather.

From departure, we will head south aiming for latitudes of 62 degrees south, our ultimate flight path will depend on where we find the Aurora.

To get the best Aurora’s we need to fly at night. This means that the flights will depart mid evening and arrive home early the next morning.

The Aurora Australis photographs in this brochure have been taken during previous flights from New Zealand. Depending on the activity on the night, most people will be able to see at least some Auroral activity. The depth and range of colours that people can see sometimes vary from person to person. Modern digital cameras have greater sensitivity and can capture more colours and greater contrast.

Terms & Conditions

Charter Manager

Chimu Adventures Pty Ltd, 65 110 269 380, 01/308 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest, NSW, 2065.

Charter airline

Qantas Airways Limited has been contracted as the operating Airline. However all bookings for this flight must be made via the charter.

Deposit and final payments

A non-refundable deposit per passenger is due at the time of booking equivalent to:

1. Economy class seats AUD$500.00 per person

2. Premium Economy AUD$750.00 per person

3. Business class seats AUD$1000.00 per person Final payment of your booking balance is required eight weeks prior to your departure date.

Fares

All fares and charges are per person in Australian dollars, including GST.

Cancellation fees

If you cancel, the following fees will apply;

1. Between confirmation and eight weeks prior to departure – full loss of deposit.

2. Between eight weeks and four weeks prior to departure – full refund less 50% cancellation fee.

3. Between four weeks and departure date – no refund Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Amendment/transfer

Your ticket can be transferred to another person up to 48 hours prior to departure. An AUD$150 name change service fee per change will apply. This same service fee will apply for change of class.

Travel documents

Trip information and travel documents will be forwarded to you approximately 10 days prior to travel, providing full payment has been received.

Seat numbers

ill not be confirmed in advance of the flight. They will be issued on your boarding pass at the departure airport.

Your flight contract is with Chimu Adventures Pty Ltd. We have made every effort to ensure that photographs, pricing and all other services will be as represented. Please note that we cannot be responsible for the act or omissions of suppliers or services, or for any representation made by suppliers or third parties. The services are subject to the conditions imposed by the suppliers and their liability may be limited by their tariffs, conditions of carriage, international conventions and agreements, or customs of their businesses. Therefore, Chimu Adventures Pty Ltd. cannot assume responsibility for any claims, losses, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature arising out of injury; accident; or death, loss of, damage to, or delay in connection with baggage or other property; delay; inconvenience; upset; disappointment; stress; frustration; or loss of employment or loss of holiday time resulting from:

1. The act or fault or omission of any party other than Chimu Adventures Pty Ltd. or its employees.

2. The passenger’s failure to obtain related documentation.

The passenger will not be entitled to any refund if the passenger fails to follow the instruction of Chimu Adventures Pty Ltd or its representatives.

We reserve the right to alter or cancel any services you have purchased and inclusions may vary depending on weather, or other uncertainties, and are subject to change. The photographs appearing in this brochure are representational only and are not a guarantee that everything will be exactly as depicted at the location upon arrival. Whilst every endeavour will be made to adhere to the proposed route, weather conditions may determine the actual route, according to the absolute discretion of the Captain of the aircraft. No guarantee can be given of clear viewing conditions and no refund or part refund will be made if the views are fully or partially obscured. Alternative routes will be selected to give the best viewing if the planned route has unfavourable weather conditions.

Governing rule

The charter proposal set out herein and the participants’ acceptance by completion of the booking form creates an agreement between the Charter Manager and the participants. The booking form forms part of this documentation.

Special note: A Qantas 787 aircraft will operate all flights; however, other Qantas aircraft may be substituted without notice. Frequent flyer points do not apply. Depending on prevailing weather conditions the routing and points of interest viewed may vary. Alternative flight paths may enable viewing of many spectacular points of interest but clear views cannot be guaranteed. If flight booking numbers do not reach minimum numbers then the flight may be cancelled prior to departure date and if this were to occur we’d provide a full refund but will not be responsible for any additional indirect costs. Passport identification is NOT required upon check-in. As this is classed as a domestic charter flight, a valid photo identification card such as a drivers licence is required upon check in. Photos/videos Photographs or videos of the flight may be used for promotional purposes. Agreeing to these terms online and acceptance of the documents indicates your acceptance and release for this material to be used for promotional and/or resale purposes.

Airline levy

Airline fuel and/or security levies may apply.

Chimu Adventures COVID-19 Vaccination information

Safety of everyone in our travelling community is our priority. For all travellers on all Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights, we recommend at least a double dose of a reputable COVID-19 vaccination.