Australian travel giant Luxury Escapes took off from Melbourne to Malé recently with seasonal flights operated by a Maldivian Airlines Airbus A330-200, reducing the travel time between the cities by several hours. The journey is comfortable, quick and very enjoyable in Business Class, as James Wilkinson discovered.

There are many ways to travel to the Maldives from Australia and until Luxury Escapes launched new direct flights from Melbourne in May this year, that meant traditionally having to stop in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi to get to Malé.

The new weekly direct flights from Melbourne to Malé, launched on May 18, have been a winner for Luxury Escapes and have made it easier than ever to get to and from the picturesque Indian Ocean nation.

The flights are operated by a Maldivian Airlines Airbus A330-200 aircraft, that formerly flew with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and maintains the former operators’ cabin layout of Business Class and Economy Class, including ‘Economy Plus’ extra legroom seating.

In the Business Class cabin, find comfortable flatbed seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, a decent inflight food menu, amenity kits and entertainment on iPads for the 12-hour overnight flights in each direction.

Lounge access is also available in both Melbourne and Malé, which is ideal for pre-flight dining and maximising rest on the flatbed seats during the journey.

Maldivian is a ‘dry’ airline, so you won’t find any alcohol on the flights, however given the late departure time from the Victorian Capital of 11:20pm, you’re more than likely to enjoy a tipple in the lounge at Melbourne Airport and get into sleep zone soon after take-off.

One of the best things about the evening departure times from Melbourne and Malé is they connect well to seaplane timetables and by landing in the Maldives at 5:55am, you can be at your resort by 8:00am and head straight to the beach.

In return, you can depart your resort later in the afternoon and connect to the Malé-Melbourne service and it means you’ll have two extra full days in the Maldives.

The direct flights and in particular the timings are a game changer for Luxury Escapes and it’s no surprise the services are incredibly popular.

Luxury Escapes CEO and Co-Founder, Adam Schwab, said the launch was a defining moment for Australian travel, eliminating the long-standing gap in direct access to one of the world’s most sought-after destinations.

“The Maldives has long been a bucket-list destination for Australian travellers, but the time and complexity of travelling via a transit in Singapore or the Middle East had been a major deterrent,” he said.

“With great support from Melbourne Airport and in partnership with the national carrier of the Maldives, we’ve been able to unlock a direct route and package it with exceptional value across a range of resorts, from ultra-luxury romantic escapes to family-friendly options.

“All of this combined will position the Maldives as the new Mediterranean for Aussie travellers,” Schwab said.

Flights and luxury resort accommodation packages start at AU$2,399 per person for five nights. Standalone flights can also be booked and return Economy fares start from AU$1,379.