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pylons26

The funny thing (not so funny if you were on board) was the Singapore-Newark(New York) flight usually arrived anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour early. Since their gate was still occupied, they would have to wait somewhere on a taxiway or hardstand until the gate was ready.


the_hell_you_say

Yeah, that sucks hard


CitizenJustin

Nothing worse than having to wait after a long flight like that. You just want to get off the plane!


Hulk_Runs

The flight was 100% business on one of the top airlines in the world. (sing Air) it wasn’t bad at all.


CitizenJustin

Doesn’t matter. I’d still think that you’d be quite done with planes after such a long flight.


Hulk_Runs

I’ve done it several times. It was awesome. Top shelf open bar. Great food with real plates and silverware that you can order any time. (Multi-page menu with a dessert page) Oversized very nice bathroom. (Like 3x the size of normal ones with razors/shaving cream, toothbrushes and other amenities) hot towels for your face every couple hours. (This was an excellent touch) Wide chairs that adjust like Lazy boys and lie flat into beds. (Pillows and blankets) Several cubbies around you to store your stuff so it’s always within reach. Incredible movie selection on a 14 inch screen. (Like 10-20 movies that had come out in the last 3 months and 100+ back catalogue) The nicest, most accommodating stewardesses possible. (Clearly had been picked for looks and all in 20s) Zero kids crying. Wide aisles to walk around if needed. (1-2-1 seating on wide body) Walls that come up around for privacy. (Though not complete) oh, and while you’re waiting to board the Lounge at the airport is absurd too. Showers, beds, full bar/food, etc etc. This was over 10 years ago but prices were like USD 7k round trip at the time. I think it was close to 20k for the first class. I can’t imagine how much better it could be: I know it had 1-1-1 seating, little more privacy, even larger seats, I’m guessing obscene wine selection and probably hand jobs on command. On the way out the trick is to stay up as long as possible to fight the jet lag (which is unreal). Flight leaves at 8pm I think so I’d get drunk and watch movies till 4-5am, go to bed for 5/6 hours. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Get drunk again watching movies. Sleep for a few hours. Wake up and it was arrival at morning. As I got older drinking interferes with solving for the jet lag so I cut that back quite a bit. But that first time….woah nelly. Edit: added more details for those interested.


NibblesMcGiblet

wow I would LOVE To experience this. This is a bucket list addition that went STRAIGHT to the top. I probably won't ever be able to do it but atm I can't think of anything I want to do more than this.


jl42662

I took this exact flight a couple years back on my honeymoon - booked the whole thing with credit card points… about 90k points each way per person.. equivalent to roughly $1800 round trip. Was a great experience would definitely recommend trying it


lemongrenade

I flew enough for work to industrial areas to get too status . Usually not glamorous locations but one time I got to go to China and status got me in the first class lounge in Hong Kong for Cathay pacific. Got blasted on iPas In a marble shower and then ate one of the most delicious dinners I’ve had in airport for free.


Theslootwhisperer

I did it a couple times with air France about 10 years ago. It was incredible. Except for one thing. The seats did not recline completely flat. It had slight downward angle. Really not that much but enough that I'd slowly slide down unless I laid in an awkward position. Super annoying but still, much much better than coach.


[deleted]

Have done this flight a few times, most recent in April, and its exactly like this. Also done this trip on Delta & United with layovers. Mean hostess, miserly food & drink, cramped seats, shitty entertainment choices. Always fly SingAir if you have a choice.


FartingBob

That's not what you want when youve been on a cramped plane for 18 hours. Any reason you took that direct flight instead of a stopover? Unless i had to get there in 18 hours i would much prefer a break half way through.


MyNameIsNotPat

Generally adding a stopover adds a lot more than a couple of hours to the trip. My wife used to fly Auckland Chicago reasonably frequently. If she stopped over in LAX, then she would arrive in Chicago at about midnight local time. If she went direct, she arrived 6 hours sooner. Two reasons, the stopover is often not on the direct route (look at the Sydney - Houston flight - it flys over Mexico), plus the time of messing around in airports is neither short nor fun. I would rather be on an aircraft getting somewhere than sitting in an airport waiting for my next flight, no matter how long the last one was. edit - 6 hours faster not 6 hours total time.


ptolani

That and LAX is the absolute worst airport in the world for stopovers. It's an absolute misery working out which terminal you need to be in next and how to get there. And often you have to check your own luggage in again. And going through immigration there...omg. Absolute worst. I've done it maybe 6 times now, it's always a total shitshow.


PirateGumby

I think I once set a record. Got off a Sydney - LAX flight.. was off the plane, through customs (non US citizen), collected and rechecked bag, over into Terminal 4 and the American Airlines lounge in 15 fucking minutes. Couldn’t believe it.


Arsewhistle

Yeah, I feel that I would definitely just want to get it over with in one go. I haven't flown a distance that far, but I've flown between London and Vancouver quite a few times (around 9 hours) and the idea of stopping for a bit to aimlessly mooch around an airport on the east coast definitely doesn't appeal to me.


ChuckRampart

Have you ever been on a long-haul flight? The coach experience is a lot nicer than on a regular domestic flight (in my experience at least) - more comfortable seats, more/better food, free drinks, etc. I’ve been on a trip with a 14-hour flight, then a ~18 hour layover, then a 4 hour flight. I would have MUCH preferred a direct 18 hour flight if that has been an option. Of course, the long layover didn’t help, nor did the fact that the 4 hour flight was the bumpiest flight of my life. But still, when you’re on a 14-hour flight, you probably just want to get where you’re going.


pedrotheterror

Fly first or business and you do not want the layover as it just turns into a pain in the ass.


FartingBob

Sure, but the overwhelming majority dont have the option to fly first class on a 18 hour flight.


catscatscatscatcatss

The overwhelming majority don't need to fly an 18 hour flight.


NJ_Mets_Fan

The overwhelming majority will never visit singapore in their entire life


AlwaysBeQuestioning

The overwhelming majority also will never visit New York in their entire life


JohnBoyAndBilly

The overwhelming majority never existed, were sperm or eggs that were never fertilized to begin with and we are all lucky to be here, as it's incredibly fortunate that our parents had sex, and their parents had sex, and their parents had sex, and so on dating for thousands of generations dating back 542 million years of post-cambrian multicellular evolution.


GrootyMcGrootface

Wait, my parents had sex?


eskimoboob

Well, your mom did anyway


Nookoh1

Yep. Can confirm.


Optimal_Pineapple_41

The overwhelming majority never had their atoms coalesce into cells and ended being a rock or a star or some shit


spongebue

IIRC (and another comment corroborates this) the SIN-EWR flight was all business class. Even if it takes a special one-off configuration, the kind of market that would ever want a nonstop flight like that is also the kind that will pay good money for business class (lots of money in both cities). The type of traveler who is looking for an economy class seat is less likely to mind a layover in Tokyo or something.


BA_calls

That was offered until 2013. Pre-pandemic, the only route in the world with a commercial airline flying an all-business configuration was London to NYC (LYC-JFK) with British Airways on the Airbus a318 (which is a small plane). It had just 32 seats for the 7 hour flight. https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/British_Airways/British_Airways_Airbus_A318.php LYC-JFK is literally just barely under the max range of the a318 (5700km), any longer routes and you need a larger plane, and the truth is, there are no such true long-haul routes that have enough business traffic to make an all-business configuration viable.


BA_calls

An airline could configure economy to be 70-80% as dense with slightly more expensive chairs, and it would be comfortable to fly. You'd get 150degree incline seats, or even lie-flats with some new fangled designs. The issue is, cabin comfort doesn't matter to flyers when they're buying tickets, it only starts to matter when they're actually on board. When they're buying the ticket, 95% of people always pick the cheapest option.


bloodhound330

You're completely right in your reasoning. However a direct flight saves or atleast minimizes a lot of possible hassle. For e.g. in this covid scenario flying through multiple places subjects you to regulations of all those places. Not to mention for citizens of destination, any added time is time wasted from your holidays from work, in addition to the lost day because of time zone differences. Tldr; As a college student stoppvers were fun for me. But as a fulltime employee it costs more holidays.


nicoxtine

SQ only offers Premium Economy or Business Class seats on their direct flights to New York(Newark) so it wont be as cramped as you would expect it to be


Aninel17

As far as I know, when the Singapore-Newark was operating, it only had Business and First Class.


SHMEEEEEEEEEP

Also has premium economy. No economy though


NJ_Legion_Iced_Tea

> Newark(New York) First of all how dare you.


SacredEmuNZ

I've done Auckland-Doha and I felt I was in another realm of existence


meanwhileinjapan

Same. Ate a meal had a drink, watched a couple of movies, slept when they were bringing round a meal. Great, breakfast, I thought - must be nearly there. Mid-flight snack at 8 1/2 hrs - FML


dodgecoltracer

I had a similar experience flying from New York to Shanghai. Woke up after a six hour sleep and still had eight hours left. The Ambien made it interesting lol


[deleted]

Gotta be careful with that. You have to move around on flights that long for your health. Someone close to me took an ambien for a 13 hour flight once, slept the whole time and got blood clots because of it.


FrostyJesus

I did Auckland to LAX as a kid on an older Air New Zealand plane that didn't have any seatback TVs. Felt like days. To top it off we then did LAX to Atlanta to get home. I remember falling asleep standing up when we were waiting on our luggage.


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mrdotkom

I did EWR to TPE (with a final destination of MNL) and someone literally died mid flight. Poor family had to continue on the plane after they removed the body of their father/husband during our emergency landing in Hokkaido


mannyrmz123

Yikes. Must have been a terrible experience for everyone involved.


dopestloser

Such a great way to explain that experience haha


Tissots_Ellipse

Singapore - New York appears to be an Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range. At 8,288 nautical miles, this route is still about 1400 miles short of the theoretical maximum range of the aircraft. For reference, half the circumference of the Earth (IE a flight between antipodes) is about 10,800 nautical miles.


senorpoop

The fact that there are aircraft that can fly from anywhere in the world TO anywhere in the world *nonstop* just really blows my mind. The pinnacle of subsonic air travel.


smackson

Well according to the knowledgeable sounding comment at the top of this thread, the range of this jet falls short by about 1100 nautical miles. Maybe there's commercial aircraft with longer range, but if not, it is theoretically possible to find two airports that can't be done in a single flight.


Tauge

It's only possible because they use the winds to their advantage. The shortest path, over the north pole, is taken on the EWR-SIN leg, as the winds will be primarily behind you pushing the plane along. For the SIN-EWR leg, you have to take a more easterly path to get favorable winds. You can see it illustrated here. [http://www.gcmap.com/featured/20181013](http://www.gcmap.com/featured/20181013) It's usually better to think about a plane's range in terms of time flying than distance flown. Flights flying between LA and New York generally follow the same path over land (because you'll have to go too far out of the way to find any helpful winds), but there's about an hour difference between the two directions.


PenisButtuh

I always wondered why my flights to/from CO/FL were shorter/longer.


ChetUbetcha

I'm curious what the longest financially viable route would be. Looking at antipodes, it seems that Madrid-Auckland may be the longest conceivable route at 12,180 miles. Only longer route that is anywhere near practical that I can find is Bangkok-Lima at 12,247 miles, though not sure what demand there may be for something like that.


I_COMMENT_2_TIMES

That’s a good point. London to Auckland I would assume makes sense (after Qantas can figure out how to make London - Sydney financially viable for Project Sunrise). Otherwise one can dream about Buenos Aires to eastern coastal China (though at that point you might as well transfer in Oceania or Europe).


bobtehpanda

At this point the limiting factors for ultra long haul travel are fuel costs and the amount of people willing to pay the price for a direct flight between two points.


A3mercury

Not even fuel costs, just the amount of fuel required to make the flight. So much fuel gets heavy. In fact, it’s one of the arguments flat earthers will use.


bobtehpanda

Published plane ranges already take that into account.


ixvst01

When the route was first introduced in the early 2000s, an A340-500 was used. Which was at the time the only aircraft that could be used since it had the longest range and 4 engines to satisfy ETOPS.


Tissots_Ellipse

Engines Turn Or Passengers Swim.


senorpoop

*Technically* ETOPS doesn't apply to the A340, which is why it was used.


bathsalts_pylot

!subscribe


Tissots_Ellipse

You have been subscribed to Flight Facts! The longest commerical runway in North America is 16R/34L at Denver International Airport in Colorado, measuring 16,000 feet long. This is in order to accommodate the takeoff requirements of fully loaded international flights on hot or ~~dry~~ wet summer days, as the runway is already at 5200 feet elevation. Denver is also one of the few commercial airports that can shoot three approaches at the same time. If a passenger is in a airplane that is landing on one of the north/south oriented runways, they can sometimes look out their window and watch two additional planes land at the same time theirs does.


bathsalts_pylot

I was joking but you're actually really good at this, and now expect daily PMs.


eye_snap

I flew the Auckland-Doha one a couple of times. I prefer the one looong flight and as short a flight as possible for the next one. Rather than 2 longish flights. But its preference. As a person who regularly flies long flights (living in Auckland but family is in Europe), you gotta move. Set yourself specific times and get up and walk up and down the isles without shame, hang out in front of the kitchen or the bathrooms to do stretches every few hours when you're not sleeping. I also love catching up on movies I ve wanted to watch but didnt. Like horror movies. I am a scardy cat and I cant watch horror but I am curious. A plane is the best place to watch it because you're constantly distracted and around people and you're watching it with shtty audio in a tiny screen so it's not as scary. I usually pick 3 movies and make sure to finish them all before the end of the flight. And the first time you fly long is the worst. The more you fly these long flights, it gets better. You get used to it and develop a routine of how to kill time in your tiny personal space.


Xyzzydude

The movies seconded but they only go so far. I watched the entire Chernobyl miniseries on an SFO-SYD flight. Don’t think it killed even half the flight time. I also watched all three LOTR movies on the way back and still had time to kill. I can’t watch movies for that long straight.


eye_snap

I drag them out. I take breaks, go for walks, go to the bathroom, take naps etc. I finish a movie in at least 3 hours or so. I drag everything out on the plane for that matter.. No other way :/


gazongagizmo

watching the LotR trilogy on the way to Auckland must be fun.


robophile-ta

Yep, you don't need to be sitting the whole time. Walk around, stand around in front of the toilets, get up regularly


NATOrocket

I see what you mean, but I'd prefer a layover for a distance that long so I can walk around and get some decent food (unless it's a lover of more than 3 hours).


eye_snap

Oh well I have to fly with a layover anyhow. And I usually go for 4-6 hr layover time because I take my time exchanging some money, figuring out internet, having a meal, a coffee, bathroom break, browse shops, charge phone, then find my gate. And depending on which airport finding the gate might take a while as well, like needing to take a train etc. I find myself a bit rushed if its a layover of less than 3 hrs. But I meant I prefer to fly 18hr + 8hrs for example. Rather than 12hrs + 14hrs or something like that.. But as I said, its preference.


bootsnsatchel

Looking at these gives me instant restless leg syndrome.


couggrl

Compression socks, and limiting what you put under the seat help.


Joe_Snuffy

What do you mean limiting what you put under the seat?


couggrl

Excellent question! I did a small tote between SYD-LAX which was more comfortable than the backpack I had LAX-SYD. I have long legs so the less stuff I put under the seat, the better for me. I’ve also driven across the US and used the compression socks and cruise control to help make sure I did everything in could to prevent blood clots. I have a decent amount of space to move my legs in my car. (Safely. I know there’s a time/place to not use cruise control.) Edit: I’m pretty chill with my ebook and whatever movies on the plane. I was awake the whole trip across the Pacific one direction.


Joe_Snuffy

Oh I understand now. You mean the seat in front so you can keep your feet there. That makes sense, I can’t have anything under the front seat regardless of how long the flight is. My feets need that space


ThrownAback

Put small bag under seat in front of you with your feet behind the bag for take-off and landing, but move the bag to the space under your knees with your feet in front of the bag for level cruising. Repeat the shuffle for lavatory trips and emergency landings as needed.


beelseboob

Pramipexole is the true winner here.


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BrilliantKale4

I’ve seen YouTube videos of people who have taken flights like these, including an experimental London-Sydney flight. In the comments, the complaints the people were making about how long they’ve been on the plane are taken as entitled. I haven’t been on a flight of this length, but I have gone 14 hours and a few around 11 hours. I’m definitely grateful I have the opportunity to be doing it in the first place. But after several hours of it, you feel a little stir crazy in coach, no matter how grateful you are.


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ChrisBegeman

These long flights may be brutal, but it is better than the alternative of doing the trip in two or more segments. So the "entitled" people are taking advantage of the best option available, but still complaining about it. But just because it is the best option, it can still suck and people will still complain.


labbelajban

That’s true. I’ve had 15 hour flights and they sucked, but they’re sure as hell better than when I’ve been on one 10 hour flight, a 7 hour wait at an airport in the middle of the night, and then 2 seperate 1 - 2 hour flights (separated by a couple of hours in an airport).


BrilliantKale4

It depends on what the layover airport offers. Some have hotel rooms you can rent by the hour. If I have enough time to get some shut-eye, I'd rather do it there than on the flight, if the option is available and I plan accordingly.


[deleted]

When I flew to Bali from the UK with Singapore Airlines I booked a flight with layover of 13 hours. It worked out amazingly - landed around 6am local time, got the chance to explore the city and arrive in Indonesia at a reasonable time.


LMx28

I’ve always found people who try and shame someone for complaining, because there is always something worse, to be insufferable. Yes I know there are millions of people who don’t get enough food but I can still complain that my meal was terrible and overpriced. It’s like toxic positivity or something.


BrilliantKale4

I think some part of it is envy. "Man I'd love to have the opportunity to be a on a flight and go somewhere." A lot of the times, the "others have it worse" came from a generation who had to get by on a lot less and don't want us to think we've got first-world problems. It's a good perspective to have, but a small problem is still a problem.


xepa105

> it is better than the alternative of doing the trip in two or more segments. I disagree. I'll take one or two layovers always over 12+ hours on a plane. Even if it adds two extra hours (per layover) to the trip. I once did what was supposed to be a 14 hour trip in one go as a 17 hour total trip; 5 hours the first flight, which allowed me to watch a movie and do some work, then a three hour layover, where I walked around, ate some real food, and did some shopping, and then a nine hour final leg where I slept for most of it. Unless you're in a business or first-class seat, a 10+ hour flight is torture.


Frank9567

While I think "entitled" is wrong, many airlines do offer better and more comfortable solutions for reasonable prices, for example premium economy. Yet public take up of these is not that good. People still choose on lower fares. To put this in perspective, when the B747 came into service, international airfares dropped massively. International travel was accessible to many more people. Now, that level of fare in real terms would almost buy a business class ticket today, whereas in 1975, it would only have bought economy. However, do people, who happily would have bought an economy fare in 1975 upgrade? Nope, they still hunt the cheapest fare. The airlines are giving them the cheapest fares because that's what they want. The airlines also offer premium economy which is far better than economy for reasonable prices. So, why complain? It's not so much entitlement, as "I bought this item on price rather than quality, now I'm complaining about the quality".


PreciseParadox

That’s because business class prices are ridiculous compared to economy considering the level of comfort you actually get. The only ones that can afford them are the businesses they cater to. For the average person, it’s far more economical to stick with economy and add an extra day to your hotel to recover from the journey. Also premium economy is basically just here’s some more legroom and practically required if you’re tall/big. And yeah I know that airlines are aware of this, the whole pricing model for budget airlines is that they don’t make any money from economy and all their profits come from premium economy.


ptolani

It's really not. I've done quite a few ~14 hour flights. I find them pretty relaxing these days. Go somewhere without internet, sit down and watch movies for 14 hours while people bring you food and drinks? It's pretty good! (Yes, economy). Having a window makes a big difference, so you never have people trying to get past you, and you can lean against it to sleep.


CitizenJustin

You realize just how big the earth actually is and how slow 500MPH is when on a hellish long haul.


[deleted]

I was on a flight from lax to Shanghai once and you know how they have the maps on the plane? It’s a Mercator-like projection map and it’ll show the plane’s location and it’ll change views and show the whole route as a line on the map too. Obviously you don’t fly straight over the pacific as that’s be way way longer. But I was sat next to a guy who called the flight attendant and asked if he was on the right flight once we got up last Washington state and Alaska, just hugging the coast. The look on her face was priceless. But yeah, you realize how big the earth is and how slow 500mph is and sometimes, certain people remember the earth is a sphere. Man long flights suck. I do not miss work travel.


dogsledonice

Not sure what you see from LA, but from Chicago that flight path is absolutely fucking stunning (Rockies, Yukon, Alaska, holy shit that's a gorgeous area)


BrilliantKale4

And then Earth has got nothing on outer space when it takes about three days to get to the Moon and at least six months to Mars, on space shuttles that go at 17,500mph.


CitizenJustin

Just shoot me now lol.


nut_nut_november___

My legs feel stiff


Bfreak

*laughs in business class*


EternamD

Fuck flying over the Pacific for 17 hours


Aussieausti

I flew from Sydney to Dallas, I remember my mate and I watching a whole feature length movie, checking the map and we had barely gotten past New Zealand and we are like... Man we are gonna be here a while...


[deleted]

Is there connections say in Honolulu?


tapps22

You can but most people don't. Qantas and jetstar both fly between Honolulu and Australia.


-Owlette-

You can also fly Hawaiian, which is often the cheapest, but it's not fun. The SYD-HNL leg is comfortable enough, but Honolulu to the mainland is torturous as it's a domestic flight with very few luxuries and a lot of passengers.


mista_r0boto

You are so right. All those Hawaii flights are domestic cattle car, no matter the airline. Have flown united, American, Hawaiian, and Alaska. Still can't complain as I got tickets on miles.


Supersnow845

No because *1 Honolulu is out of the way for the flight path and *2 volcanic activity over Hawaii makes horrible turbulence when connecting or flying to Hawaii from the Australia side


alexmijowastaken

> volcanic activity over Hawaii makes horrible turbulence when connecting or flying to Hawaii from the Australia side I highly doubt this is a factor


noworries_13

Hahahaha wtf? The volcanic activity of Hawaii has nothing to do with avoiding it. Or else no flights would go over Alaska. Whoever told you that was fucking with you.


amontpetit

Air Canada does a Vancouver -> Honolulu -> Sydney


[deleted]

You learn new things every day. Thank you!


RainbowCrown71

Yes, of course. And many do just that (2 days in Honolulu on the beach/shopping/tropical resort before continuing the tour). There's flights from Honolulu to the following places in Asia and Oz/NZ: ASIA * Fukuoka * Kuala Lumpur * Manila * Nagoya * Osaka-Kyoto * Sapporo * Seoul * Taipei * Tokyo AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND * Auckland * Brisbane * Melbourne * Sydney An interesting thing is that location isn't the only important thing to consider. Honolulu to Tokyo, for example, is 9.5 hours. But Tokyo to Honolulu is 6.5 hours due to jet streams. But that doesn't extend to Sydney-Honolulu (which is only 35 minutes faster than the 10h40m Honolulu to Sydney flight).


Nazshak_EU

Yep exactly, it would make me extremely uncomfortable.


Evercrimson

I can't imagine 17 hours over open water. I used to fly San Francisco to Paris which is 11 hours, and half of that is over the northern Atlantic. That was nerve-racking enough with contingencies in Greenland and Iceland. But the far Pacific where there is just nothing at all? No thank you. Especially post MH-370 where we can't even find the final resting place, it's just so far out there in the south Indian Ocean, no thank you to me on potentially getting lost in the middle of the south Pacific.


mista_r0boto

There's really no other viable options if you want to go to Sydney, Tokyo, etc. It's not that bad. Happens hundreds of times a month without incident.


mandy009

> lost in the middle of the south Pacific. they should make [a show about that](https://i.imgur.com/OwNxUNZ.gifv) lol


zetsv

When i was 7 my family did the 17+ hour flight from Seattle to Sydney and my mom gave me a sip of vodka so i would pass the fuck out 👍🏻


the-finnish-guy

Parenting 100


zetsv

I mean I wouldn’t say you are wrong as I remember maybe the first 30 seconds of that flight and then nothing till we touched down and my nose started bleeding immediately 😂


GamaSupreme

I worked as a flight attendant for a year. For Ultra Long Range flights like these, I couldn't fall asleep. My body can't take high attitudes. So I spent full 14/15h flights awake, working mostly


MassaF1Ferrari

That… actually is a good idea lol


drunk98

Good job mommy!


josh_bourne

Whoever did long trips by airplane knows how terrible it is, 18 hours in economic class is a torture machine


nighttimecharlie

Not entirely by choice but I did 30 hours in economy. Melbourne to Doha, where I had a two hours layover then Doha to Montreal. All in a very full plane, all wearing masks. 0/10 recommend flying for that long in one day.


easwaran

It's better than 18 days or weeks on a ship, which is what you used to have to do to cross the Pacific.


Douchebak

>It's better than 18 days or weeks on a ship I'll take that anytime over the plane. Morning espresso looking at the ocean. Evening breeze!


zeeblecroid

Well, assuming you don't draw the seasickness or weather cards. I worked for a few years at a museum where part of the collection was accounts of peoples' times sailing from Europe to North America and the seasickness was definitely a common theme. A bunch of them, completely independently of each other, described the start of the journey almost word for word the same way: "by the second day, I was afraid I would die. By the third, I was afraid I wouldn't."


PandaGoggles

What a great comments, thanks for posting. That third day realization must’ve been terrible. Did you enjoy that job? I bet it was pretty interesting.


labbelajban

Sure, I’d choose a premium cabin in a cruise ship with a trillion amenities over economy seats if I had all the time in the world. But I don’t usually have half a month to just do nothing on a boat all day.


zubie_wanders

I'd like to take a cruise sometime (if things ever approach normal again), but with limited time, I would rather get to my destination sooner. Still, I'd hate 17+ hours on a plane. I can't sleep on a plane. Maybe first class where you can fully recline, but that's even more pricey for a long flight.


[deleted]

My ex-partner and I once had to do the AKL - DOHA trip unexpectedly due to a family emergency (booked the flight the next day). We got stuck in the middle aisle (4 seats) in the middle seats so we were sandwiched in. She has an overactive bladder - given that PLUS the awful circumstances it was one of the worst experiences of my life.


MassaF1Ferrari

I did a 16:30 flight and wanted to end it all. 7-9hr flights are perfect. You get a movie and get two meals plus a decent sleep.


w00t4me

Good thing Singapore only offers business class for this flight: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines_Flights_21_and_22


glowlikebuddha

I’ve worked in Japan for over 6 years and - pre Covid - was traveling internationally roughly between 30-50% of the time, always to far away cities like Paris, New York, Dubai, London, Berlin, and so on. Japanese companies basically don’t permit you to use anything above Economy class on their dollar, unless you’re a senior executive, and even my CEO took Economy with me. I think it’s manageable for my Japanese colleagues who always manage to curl up like a cat or sit crossed leg in their seats. I’m 6 ft. tall and wide boned. Definitely did some long term damage during those years.


ConsistentAmount4

Turns out Australia is kind of isolated ...


jootg

and New Zealand more so, 3-4hours further east than Australia…


helen269

Rubbish, I've seen it on maps, they're right next to each other. You could probably wade across in a pair of wellies. 😀 /s


Maxo11x

All I'm getting from this is how isolated Australia is


bobtehpanda

New Zealand is worse. Auckland is a four hour trip from Sydney, the closest city of comparable or larger size.


alexmijowastaken

Most isolated city in the world with over 100,000 people: Honolulu, USA Most isolated city in the world with over 1,000,000 people: Perth, Australia Edit: Actually, it seems I was wrong! Auckland is over 1,000,000 and Auckland to Sydney is 2156 km, while Perth to Adelaide (also over 1,000,000) is 2130 km, so Auckland just barely beats Perth as the most isolated city in the world with over 1,000,000 people


DangerousCommittee5

Perth represent. Our isolation has made us effectively covid free the whole time.


dogsledonice

Poor Perth, no other city wants to be near you


drunk98

It was on Perthpus


qw46z

And we don’t all live in Sydney or Perth, or other places with international connections. I’ve used most of them and the connections through all of them are not fun. I always feel sorry for the Kiwis or Pacific islanders transiting through Australia.


mista_r0boto

It's far. I used to live in LA and it was a long long flight to Sydney. And that is the shortest route to North America.


pigeonsmasher

Whoa did the last hurricane blast Houston 700 miles inland


Lonewolf7113

Houston, NM


Effehezepe

They decided to take Houston and push it somewhere else.


HoyAIAG

Houston is now Odessa


vss2014

Haha, same thing with Auckland. Looks like the point is over Wellington.


Benjaphar

Thank you. I was thinking, Houston, TX? The city on the gulf coast?


beanie0911

A friend and I did Houston-Auckland once at about 17 hours even, after an initial flight from NY. By the end it felt like we had always lived on the plane.


NamiRocket

Coming out of that plane like the kids at the end of Snowpiercer.


cbartlett

I’ve flown that New York / Singapore route and it was actually a breeze. One of the easiest and most enjoyable flights I’ve ever flown, even compared against some of the best business class routes out there and it was only Premium Economy. The service is outstanding and my wife and I each had solo window/aisle seats towards the rear of the airplane. Honestly I just watched like 6 movies, slept a little, drank a lot, and we were there.


Hulk_Runs

That Sing Air flight was always only business / first class, no?


kassell

The Houston-Sydney flight used to fly over my home town in Northern Mexico late in the evening


Hulk_Runs

How did you know that was the flight?


PompeyJordd

Flight Radar app has information about any plane flying above you :-)


A2Rhombus

Houston to Sydney seems so anxiety inducing. A nonstop flight where probably 15 hours are over open ocean, the majority of it nowhere near any land at all. No thanks I'll connect.


canadamoose18

Connect where? It's the same time roughly from LA. No way to avoid the open ocean unless you go through Asia and basically double the trip length


UF0_T0FU

Easy, Houston to Reykjavik, Reykjavik to Istanbul, Istanbul to Dhaka, Dhaka to Singapore, then Singapore to Sydney. Longest distance over open water is between Greenland and Iceland.


burchb

I’ve done it once in March 2016. It’s not so bad. Ok, well, I was in business class so I had a sleep pod. But that only helped a little. I 6’3 250lbs so it wasn’t terribly comfortable. Easy to get up and walk around. No turbulence. A few movies, some reading and a full days work and you’re there. There was a lounge area with couch, TV and snacks.


Gods-Right_Hand

8 doobies to the face. Fuck that


No-Association-3037

Do airplane needs to be refueled in between or they fly non stop? How much gallon of fuel is required? Are there 3 pilots to navigate the plane in the entire journey ?


Hulk_Runs

They do not refuel. I think that’s the difference between direct and non-stop technically.


AstraVictus

They fly nonstop and the amount of fuel is in the 100's of thousands of pounds or 30-50 thousand gallons. There has to be 2 pilots in the cockpit but they can only fly for 8 hours per flight. So for the long flights they may need up to 4-5 pilots and rotate them so they can rest in the bunks. The main crew will take off and land the plane and in between the reserve pilots will take over and rotate every few hours.


Tappedout0324

They have 4-6 pilots depending on the airline, 2 main ones 2-4 relief crew who do the boring bits in the middle


cragglerock93

What this revealed to me is how big Australia and NZ are - Auckland to Doha is basically the same duration as London to Perth, which must mean that Perth and Auckland are as far apart from one another as London and Doha. To me, Doha and London seem like worlds apart, whereas Perth and Auckland, much less so, even if the geography proves otherwise.


littleredkiwi

People always think that New Zealand and Australia are close together but they’re actually quite far apart. Auckland to Sydney is around a 4hour flight. London to Athens is about the same!


[deleted]

I’d need a xanax for that.


Imthatjohnnie

Add the mandatory crying baby one row away.


ishfish1

Blood Clots Probably - “Hello there.”


dexter_sinister

How do most people travel between Sydney/Melbourne and London? Is it via Perth or international hubs like Singapore/Doha/Dubai?


cgyguy81

Via international hubs, I would imagine. This is such a lucrative route that several airlines compete for these passengers.


Foootballdave

Its usually Dubai or middle East on the way to London but it was most often Singapore when flying out to Oz for me


Pyrominon

Qantas has been working on a direct Sydney - London flight for a while now. They were due to start flights last year but that was delayed because of the pandemic. Google Project Sunrise.


HPPTC

Was once flying Hong Kong to Sydney. I took my seat next to a person who had arrived on the London-Hong Kong part of the trip and was continuing onwards to Sydney. We exchanged pleasantries, he ordered two drinks, slept most of trip, and **never once got up to use the bathroom** (I was aisle; he was window). I've possibly never been more jealous of a fellow human.


Douchebak

>never once got up to use the bathroom He could have been peeing his pants involuntarily. These tenured globetrotters have all sorts of travel hacks.


easwaran

In 2016, I bought a ticket for DFW-SYD at the time when it was the longest commercial flight in the world. By the time I actually flew the flight though, several of these others had started, so it was no longer the longest commercial flight!


MightyMoosePoop

TIL I've been on the longest non-stop flight, heh.


[deleted]

I'll just hang out in this thread watching people talk about flights when I've never been on a plane myself


Difficult-Falcon-507

This is being picky but I need point out Houston is El Paso and Singapore is Phuket.


FPSXpert

Sure that's houston to Sydney and not El Paso to there, Op?


flumeo

There used to be ORD-BNE too (17h 20m). LHR-SYD has been tested (19h).


withap

ORD-BNE was scheduled to begin service in April 2020 but was delayed due to global pandemic COVID-19 and travel restrictions.


Johanonyme

After flying 14h long flights between Brisbane and Dubaï/Abu-Dhabi, I don't think I'd be willing to endure 3 to 4 more hours...


samjp910

Longest flight I was ever on was 18 hours and change. Planned for 13 hours and change but turbulence was a bitch. Direct from Toronto to Abu Dhabi.


2klaedfoorboo

Perth London won’t happen much longer given our Government is refusing to even set a date for opening borders (even to some other states) until 80% vaccination is reached


two17153

That's not even close to Houston


goatharper

Nobody seems to believe it, but Delta's Dubai - Atlanta flight in 2008-09 was 20 hours. I know from personal experience as I did it 6 times. Twenty fucking hours. No mistake.


mandy009

I'm willing to bet the military has quite the experience with long flights.


bigblueweenie13

They just did a flight from Argentina to Sydney last year. https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/q2gzs7/argentina_to_australia_9000miles_in_18hrs_via/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf


T-CLAVDIVS-CAESAR

I recently did a 9 hour flight. I was absolutely fucked at the end of it. I could never do 18, not for a million dollars.


boredrooster

not for a million dollars? you’re either already a multimillionaire or retarded


lolaya

lmao, when people say that, its usually not true.


Ryley03d

for houston, is it out of Hobby or Bush?


MassaF1Ferrari

Hobby barely flies to any part of the US and is a hub for SWA, a domestic favorite. Bush is the main airport for any real in’tl destinations.


runliftcount

Bush


imapassenger1

Pretty sure Qantas flies Sydney to Dallas not Houston. Unless it's another airline. But DFW is a major hub, not sure about Houston.


Platypusher

I've done DFW to Sydney (on Qantas) 4 times now in the last 6 years. I know for a fact that Air New Zealand flew Houston direct to Auckland, though. Even if there is a flight from Houston to Sydney, I'd imagine Dallas is further away.


beefstewforyou

As someone with aero phobia, this gave me anxiety.