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posted by Fnord666 on Friday October 12 2018, @10:41AM   Printer-friendly
from the your-worst-nightmare dept.

Take off for the longest non-stop flight

The world's longest commercial flight has left Singapore for New York, beginning a journey expected to cover more than 15,000km in almost 19 hours.

Singapore Airlines is relaunching the service five years after it was cut because it had become too expensive.

A spokeswoman for Singapore Airlines said Flight SQ22 departed at approximately 15:35GMT with 150 passengers and 17 crew.

The flight from Changi Airport to Newark took off amid much fanfare.

The flight time is about 90 minutes longer than the previous longest non-stop service.

Qantas launched a 17-hour non-stop service from Perth to London earlier this year, while Qatar runs a 17.5-hour service between Auckland and Doha.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said there was demand for customers for non-stop services which help cut travelling times compared with flights which have a stopover.

Ahead of the take-off, the airline told the BBC that business class seats for the flight were fully booked, and there were "a very limited number" of premium economy seats left.

The airline is not planning to offer any economy bookings on the route.

A business class ticket will entitle passengers to two meals, and the choice of when they are served, plus refreshments in between. They will also have a bed to sleep in.

Premium economy fares will get three meals at fixed times, with refreshments in between.

Do people want to fly for 19 hours?


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  • (Score: 2) by legont on Friday October 12 2018, @12:41PM

    by legont (4179) on Friday October 12 2018, @12:41PM (#747870)

    Thai airways flight NY to Bangkok, while somewhat shorter, was definitely not 90 minutes shorter. I flew it multiple times and have a way-point on my GPS within 50 miles from the North Pole. It would not always take the North Pole way. Depending on the jet stream, it would often deviate significantly and go over Alaska as opposed to Russia's gulag.

    Yes, I flew economy and it took over 18 hours.

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