Can someone give a quick explanation of what the deal is and how it came to be that Bono’s 146 was used?
Sure. Qantas "bought" some slots at Heathrow for £multi-m each and would like them for more Oz flights but can't get the right aircraft and/or other permissions yet.
Heathrow slots cannot be "bought" of course, though there are ways round this, but if you do not use them they are lost on a "use it or lose it" basis.
Enter someone (it is Flightline but could have been others) who have happened to be contracted to run a useless operation to fill the slots on behalf of QF to keep them used each day. The flights are not even conveniently timed for connections at LHR to QF manstream flights. QF continues to codeshare with BA as well on MAN-LHR, which carries the bulk of the connecting passengers, with more convenient times too.
Obviously an old 146 is about as cheap as it gets per flying hour. Presume the flight has to be something QF have licences for, hence Manchester.
As you roll round and round the LAM hold think of the slots (2 in, 2 out daily) wasted in this way to meet some arcane rules.
Wonder what their load factors are.