Scientists baffled by Qantas passenger who didn't use loo for 17 hours

If there was ever a doubt whether business class really is as good as they say, then this man's experience onboard a Qantas flight may hold the answer.

Early findings from the ground-breaking Qantas Perth-London jet lag study has been overshadowed by one passenger's toilet habits.

At a Qantas media event held in Sydney earlier this week, the study's lead researcher, Professor Stephen Simpson from the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, revealed staff were astonished to find one male business class passenger didn't move during the entire 17-hour long haul.

So shocked were researchers by this discovery, that they were moved to have monitoring equipment tested to ensure it wasn't faulty. Long story short — there were no issues with the wearable tech involved.

"The one thing we couldn’t believe was how little [he] moved. One subject took zero steps," Simpson said, according to the New Zealand Herald.

The airline's new Dreamliner business class offering includes cushy lie-flat seats and gourmet meals designed by celebrity chef Neil Perry, begging the question — was this man's flight so comfy he didn't need to leave his seat, or does he simply have giant bladder?

READ: World's first jetlag-free flight? Inside Qantas' ground-breaking Dreamliner business class cabin

The study just moved into its second phase, monitoring select passengers on the new 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which launched its historic Perth-London service in March.

As well as sporting a wearable device that measures physical activity, sleep and posture over the course of the flight, study participants are required to note down on iPads how they're feeling intermittently throughout the 17 hours.

"Early results are allowing us to begin to associate passengers’ experience of jet lag after flying on the new Dreamliner Perth to London service with their patterns of diet, sleep and physical activity, both prior to flying and while onboard," Simpson said, in a statement.

The study will eventually be expanded to include up to 1000 volunteers, spanning a variety of flights.

READ: What Qantas and Air New Zealand's new codeshare deal means for passengers

Qantas' partnership with the university has already contributed to innovations in how the airline operates flights, with cabin lighting and humidity, temperature, meal timings and recipes altered to assist with the effects of jet lag.

It's still early days, but have all these innovations started to make a difference?

"Initial results indicate a generally low level of jet lag on this route, which may reflect the design features of cabin and service that have been implemented in partnership between CPC and Qantas," Simpson said.

Perhaps one of the most interesting findings to emerge in these initial findings was that those who got out of their seat and moved around frequently were likely to feel worse.

Apparently, passengers who stuck to a normal routine, which included quality sleep, exercise and healthy meals, fared better at their final destination.

Qantas' head of food and beverage Helen Gray also revealed that moving meal times to help flyers adapt to the new time zone was already impacting passengers.

"What's most exciting, is that customers are telling us they are experiencing real benefits. We have seen a double-digit increase in our customer satisfaction scores."

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