# Antarctic sightseeing flights - has anyone tried these? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2012, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014 "2012-08-29T07:07:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/1 "2012-08-29T07:07:33Z")
A few friends have raised the idea of going on an [Antarctic sightseeing flight](http://www.antarcticaflights.com.au/), prompted by this recent [newspaper article](http://www.smh.com.au/travel/holiday-type/winter-escapes/to-antarctica-in-a-day-20120823-24ofd.html). The flights take place during a relatively short window in the summer flying season in January and February. The concept sounds really interesting and I’m sure that the views would be absolutely amazing…at least initially. But I also wonder whether all that ice might not start to look very similar after a few hours. And the eight hours or so in flying to and from Antarctica would be over featureless, open ocean. I wondered whether other Dopers had any experience of similar flights, or of flights to the Arctic? And yes, I remember the [Air New Zealand Erebus disaster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_New_Zealand_Flight_901) in 1979, so there’s no need to bring it up. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/2 "2012-08-30T22:27:02Z")
No comments? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/3 "2012-08-31T01:43:36Z")
I’ve never seen the Arctic in winter (closest I’ve been is Yukon in summer) but I’d jump at the chance to see either the Arctic or Antarctic ice. I don’t think it would be repetitive - the changing angles of the sunlight, the wind and blowing snow - fascinating! The flights over the water might be a bit dull, but then so is a flight to Europe. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/4 "2012-08-31T13:27:32Z")
This isn’t quite relevant, but it sure is interesting: A thread on another forum called [ask me about living in Antartica](http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3353510&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1) It’s 11 pages of info and good photos–about Antartica, and how people live there.The photos are from ground level, though. Not what the OP will see on an airborne tour ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/5 "2012-08-31T19:51:58Z")
Seems interesting, but I question whether I’d find it worth anything like what they are charging. It sounds as if you need to pay around $4k simply to be assured of a continuous good view, which itself is hostage to the notoriously fickle weather. For about 2.5 times that much you can do a cruise to Antarctica, where you’ll get to see wildlife as well as scenery, over a considerably longer time. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/6 "2012-09-01T07:22:39Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Seems interesting, but I question whether I’d find it worth anything like what they are charging. Yes, I thought the cost was pretty steep and it’s definitely an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/7 "2012-09-01T13:32:17Z")
Would you really gain much more than flying over Switzerland in winter? I really don’t know. We have had some friends do Antarctic Tours which I would love to try but they are very expensive. And it is hard to think the Mt Erebus disaster was over 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antarctic-sightseeing-flights-has-anyone-tried-these/633014/8 "2012-09-01T14:00:15Z")
I alway find that viewing scenery out an aircraft window is dis-associated and unsatisfying at the best of times. I have trouble imagining that flying over Antarctica would do anything other than frustrate me.