Qantas Antarctica Flight Review. Are the cheap seats worth it?

I recently flew to Antarctica with Qantas, a scenic long haul flight of 12 hours traversing the polar continent.  Seat prices vary depending on where you want to sit on the aircraft. The better the view the more you pay. The higher the class (economy to business), the more you pay again. So what would my lowest class seat ticket be like? Was I in for a huge disappointment? This Qantas Antarctica Flight Review covers the “cheap seats’ and what you can expect. 

This is an Antarctica Flights EXPLORER ECONOMY seat review. For a full comprehensive review of what you can expect on a day trip to Antarctica – see more here. ANTARCTICA FLIGHTS REVIEW

Qantas Antarctica Flight Review for the cheap seats

I am a budget traveller so while I look for ways to save, I won’t compromise the overall experience.

If I don’t budget, sometimes I won’t be able to participate at all. That’s because I travel regularly, always thinking about where I’m going next and if I can afford to splurge or whether I have to tighten my purse strings.  

In this scenario, it’s my first flight of the year and I have a yearly travel budget I have to stick to in order to continue to travel year after year. 

So for this experience, I had to compromise with the cheapest seats. How that would impact me and how it may impact you we will find out further in this post. So be sure to read on.

Further Reading: A cheats guide to saving money while traveling.

When can I fly to Antarctica?

This incredible adventure is only available during the summer season of November to February, and with limited flights it’s definitely first in best dressed.

For those wanting to book the cheapest seats, I suggest getting in quickly. You’ll start by securing your seat with a deposit, making final payment closer to the departure time.

I booked 5 months out, having to go on a waiting list for both flights out of Melbourne. There were seats still available but not the Explorer Economy. After a few shorts weeks I was finally notified I had secured a seat.

How much are the cheap seats?

The cheapest price for a scenic flight to Antarctica is AUD $1199 while the next price bracket is another $1000 more. 

You can see the prices here:

There are 6 seating classes on this flight Business Class Deluxe $7999 Business Class $6499 Premium Economy $3999 Superior Economy $3199 Standard Economy $2199 Explorer Economy $1199

Where are Explorer Economy seats located on the aircraft?

The Explorer Economy seats are located in different sections of the economy class cabin.

There are some parts of the plane that don’t have a window even though you may be seated in seat A or seat K which are generally the window seats. So any row that does not have a corresponding window is considered Explorer Economy.

These are located either behind the aircraft’s wing or toward the back of the plane. 

Explorer Economy seats are the LIGHT PINK seats shown below.

How many Explorer Economy Seats are there?

On the Qantas Dreamliner these are only three rows that make up this class of seating. A total of 22 seats are considered Economy Explorer so you can see why you might have to book early. 

I was seated third row from the back of the plane and in the middle row which is seats D,E & F. One great thing about being in the middle row is that there is no one seated in seat E, so you have some free space. I found it easy to get up and move around the aisle.

Pros and Cons of the Ecomony Explorer (cheap) seats

OK, so I’m going to weigh up all the PROS & CONS in this Qantas Antarctica Flight Review so you an start to make an informed decision if it is really worth booking the cheap seats.

Pros of Explorer Economy seats – Antacrtica Flight Review

• Being on the new Dreamliner that takes you on this Australia to Antarctica flight you’ll find the windows are much BIGGER than other aircraft. This means seeing over peoples head is much easier. I found the viewing was fairly good.
• You are free to stand in the aisles and also wander to the back of the aircraft or to where there is any window free.
• One of the best things about moving around the cabin is being able to swap from one side of the aircraft to the other when there is a better view out the other side. For those in their allocated seats near the window, they have to wait for the captain to maneuver the plane in order to see the best view. It means you can choose one view over the other by placing yourself on either side of the aircraft.
• You’ll get to walk around more rather than being stuck in your seat.
• Explorer Economy seats do not rotate at the half way point, whereas

Cons of flight to Antarctica with Qantas – Explorer Economy Seats

• You don’t get you own personal view. But it is worth mentioning that for those who purchase window side seats, you may only get the seat next to the window seat, not the actual window seat. This is standard in economy. Also, anyone with these window seats only has them for half the flight. Passengers are then moved out and the next group of passengers who booked the same exact seating class take over. In other words, they too will spend half the flight being near the aisle.
• You may be challenged with looking over others in order to see a great view. This is particularly more common when standing in the aisles.
• There are more passengers than “free windows” that make up the common areas. This means sharing the view and taking it in turns to peer out the windows up close.
• If you have mobility issues or are not able to stand to long periods of time, the 4 hours of flight viewing over Antarctica might be more challenging.

Do the Pros outweigh the Cons?

This is just my personal opinion but YES I do believe the Pros outweigh the Cons.

1. You save a lot by sitting in Explorer Economy compared to the other seating classes.
2. Everyone was really accommodating in taking turns. I also found many people weirdly not taking advantage of the time spent looking out over Antarctica. I actually thought it was crazy for people to spend all that money and not make the absolute most of it. Many got up, took a picture an then sat back down. Better for me I guess.
3. You go where the view is. If the plane banked left, I went left. If the plane banked right I went right. If the back area near the free windows was congested I went to the aisles. If the back area was free I stayed there. It worked out really good.
4. The fact that everyone except us has to rotate their seats and yet pays double what us budget travellers paid, I felt my $1199 cost was actually very reasonable. If I did it again, I would go Explorer Economy again without hesitation.
5. Everything else included on this flight was the same (unless you were in Premium Economy or Business Class). The meals, drinks and entertainment were all the same. 

Conclusion to Qantas Antarctica Flight Review – the cheap seats

This is a bucket list list experience and not one that comes around too often. 

Regardless of whether can afford a fancy business class seat or one with restrictions such as the Explorer Economy seats, it’s well worth the adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

The fact that Antarctica Flights enable all budgets to experience seeing Antarctica in a day is truly magnificent. I’m lucky for that reason otherwise I might have never made it onboard this mind blowing flight.

So if money is an issue or like me, you have other adventures just around the corner, don’t hesitate to book a cheaper seat on this once in a life time experience. 

If you have any questions or hesitations please feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your questions or general thoughts.