Qantas, Australia's prominent airline, responded to the spike in air travel demand due to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour by making a unique move. The airline flew an Airbus A380 from Melbourne to Sydney to help accommodate 485 passengers originally booked on three separate flights operated by Boeing 737s. The decision to operate this special flight was influenced by severe storm forecasts limiting flights into Sydney airport and the "incredibly high demand" for flights into the city because of Taylor Swift's tour.

More than 600,000 people attended Swift's performances in Sydney and Melbourne. Qantas mentioned that the A380 passengers were initially slated for later flights, suggesting they weren't traveling for the concert. However, due to the overwhelming number of people traveling to see Swift, finding alternative seats on other flights proved challenging. Swift's final show is scheduled for Monday night.

Notably, Qantas typically operates A380 jets on long-haul international routes to destinations like Los Angeles, London, and Singapore. Flight 7168, departing late, flew for about an hour from Melbourne to Sydney before embarking on a 13-hour journey to Los Angeles the following day, according to Flightradar24 data.

Taylor Swift's tour has significantly impacted local economies worldwide. In Cardiff, Wales, hotel room prices have surged by $230 ahead of her June performance, as reported by the analytics firm Lighthouse. Likewise, in Warsaw, Poland, the demand for short-term rentals has skyrocketed by 2,020% year-over-year, states vacation-rental data firm AirDNA.