Luxury Escapes Launches Australia’s First-Ever Direct Flight To The Maldives
Game changing new flights from Melbourne to Malé
Australians will soon gain access to non-stop flights direct from Australia to the Maldives, thanks to an exclusive new offering by Luxury Escapes. The flights from Melbourne to Malé are dubbed the ‘Luxury Escapes Express’ and are operated by Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives.
The seasonal route is set to operate for a six-month period from 18 May 2026, subject to regulatory approval. These Luxury Escapes Maldives flights will be the first time Australians will have access to regular non-stop flights to the luxury island archipelago. Of course, the main drawcard is the significantly reduced travel time to the Maldives.
Current flights from Australia to Malé require a stop somewhere like Colombo, Kuala Lumpar or Singapore, with travel times often at least 20 hours. The Luxury Escapes flight operates direct to Malé in around 11 hours.
Another huge advantage is that Luxury Escapes has negotiated seaplane or speedboat transfers to outer-island resorts, plus early check-in. With flights landing close to 6am, that’s essentially a whole extra day you can be sipping cocktails by the pool!
Luxury Escapes CEO Adam Schwab says the Maldives flights come in response to thousands of customer requests for direct flights.
“According to our booking data, hotel reservations are up 17% with an average length of stay between five to six nights, so we tailored our flight schedule to allow almost seven days on the ground.”
“Travellers are currently spending almost 24 hours getting to Maldives, with an overnight stay at Singapore or Dubai - the Luxury Escapes Express will give our guests extra days to enjoy their dream Maldivian getaway,” adds Schwab.
What To Expect On The Flight
These flights are run as a special charter for Luxury Escapes, therefore the only way to book a seat is in combination with a Luxury Escapes package. Flights are operated by Maldivian, onboard a widebody A330-200 aircraft with 264 seats.
This aircraft used to fly for KLM before joining the Maldivian fleet, and retains that familiar seating across three cabin classes. All flights include a baggage allowance, inflight entertainment, plus a meal and drinks service.
There are 18 lie-flat Business Class seats up front in a 2-2-2 layout. While this is no longer a world-leading product, considering most travellers to the Maldives are couples, it's a suitable seating arrangement.
The Economy Class cabin consists of 246 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, with a reasonable 31” of seat pitch. If you’re of the taller persusaion, the first few rows are designated Economy Plus, and offer 35” seat pitch and more recline. Guests will also be able to book out an enture four-seat row in Economy for what Luxury Escapes is dubbing, ‘cuddle class’.
The schedule sees flight Q2957 depart Melbourne at 11:20pm each Monday, arriving in Male at 5:55am the following day, with a 11 hour 35 minute scheduled flight time. The return flight is slightly shorter at 10 hours 50 minutes, and blasts out of Male at 8:40pm of a Sunday for a 12:30pm touchdown in Melbourne the following day.
Package Pricing & Inclusions
As mentioned, the only way to book these flights is via a Luxury Escapes Maldives package.
Launch packages begin at $2,599 per person for return Economy flights plus five nights at a five-star Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. You’ll also get roundtrip shared speedboat transfers, early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), daily breakfast and dinner, a daily US$40 dinner credit per adult, plus complimentary use of snorkelling gear, kayaks and pedal boats.
Another value-packed option is five nights at the Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort for $4,549 per person. In addition to the direct flights for Melbourne, return seaplane transfers to the resort are included. There’s also early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, two hours of free-flow drinks during lunch and dinner, a sunset cruise, 10-50% resort discounts, and more.
How To Book?
Seats are limited, so act quickly to secure your spot. You can browse packages and book online with Luxury Escapes here, or call a Maldives travel expert on the priority line at 1300 676 418.
