How to survive the world’s longest flights, in style

Eight hours from Sydney to Singapore? It’s a doddle. 12 hours from Hong Kong to London? No sweat. But what about 17 from Perth to London? The good news is that this potentially bum-numbing marathon is actually easier than you might think.

As recent years have shown, “ultra-long range” flights – where globe-striding jets regularly tackle journeys of more than 16,000km – are now increasingly the norm, and it’s a trend that’s only set to continue as the likes of Project Sunrise lifts off from 2025.

For passengers, this translates to 18+ hours in the air. But while indeed a long time in the sky, these non-stop endurance tests prove the superior alternative to airport lay-overs halfway along the route, particularly for business travellers.

So if you’re in for the long haul, here’s the best way to handle it.

Singapore Airlines: Singapore-New York

Flight: SQ21/SQ22

Average time: 18 hours 35 minutes

Singapore Airlines originally flew non-stop between Singapore and New York (to be technically correct, the Manhattan-adjacent Newark) from 2004 to 2013, until rising oil costs grounded its gas-guzzling Airbus A340 jets.

New fuel-efficient Airbus A350 jetliners helped tilt the economics back in Singapore Airlines’ favour, with the route restarted in October 2018.

With a flight time of almost 19 hours, you'll want to settle in and get comfortable...

With SQ22 wheels-up from Singapore near midnight and reaching Newark around 6am, passengers see two long ‘nights’ bookending a brief sunrise near Japan.

Members of Singapore Airlines’ elite Solitaire PPS Club can make the best start to this marathon by visiting the SilverKris first class lounge at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 to enjoy a few glasses of Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime 2007, which sells for around SDG320 per bottle.

The new-look First Class lounge at Changi T3.

Surprisingly, there are no first class suites on this flight: only 67 lie-flat business class seats and 94 premium economy recliners.

So how do you spend close to 19 non-stop hours in business class, short of a Stilnox-induced coma? Savvy travellers think ahead.

The trick to doing the world's longest flight? Plan ahead, and you'll be sitting pretty.

Singapore Airlines’ online Book the Cook service lets you choose from an extensive selection of meals before you fly. There’s a staggering 43 dishes which you won’t see on the inflight dining menu, headlined by the ever-popular Lobster Thermidor but also embracing Singaporean, Chinese, Malay, Thai, Japanese and Indian dishes.

Why settle for the standard inflight menu when you can 'Book the Cook' for a Lobster Thermidor?

Singapore Airlines’ smartphone app also lets you browse the inflight video ands music library ahead off your flight, to create a personalised playlist which is synchronised via WiFi with your setback screen once you step onto the plane.

Singapore Airlines' inflight entertainment system lets you assemble a customised playlist before you fly.

This is especially handy when you realise that from start to to finish, you could spend the entire flight watching all eight Harry Potter movies or listening to every song ever recorded by The Beatles, twice over.

Read our review of the experience here.

Air New Zealand: New York-Auckland

Flight: NZ1/NZ2

Average time: 17 hours 35 minutes

No stopover, no changing planes – just one sleep and you’re in the city that never sleeps. That’s the chief drawcard of Air New Zealand’s non-stop connection between Auckland and New York City. Indeed, it’s a very good one. 

While the US-bound hop is indeed impressive at some 16 hours, it’s the return journey to Auckland that really tests the stamina of flyers – a mammoth 17 hours 35 minutes. The outdated ‘sleeper shell’ business class seat doesn’t help either.

Air New Zealand's Boeing 787 Auckland-New York business class.

Designed some 20 years ago, the seat often feels narrow and confining due to shoulder-height partitions either side, while the angled layout sees many passengers facing one another like commuters on a bus.

Thankfully a better business experience is on the way, though those seats won’t arrive until late 2024 – initially on a new fleet of Boeing 787-9s designed for these ultra-long range flights.

Bonus tip: choose an 'A' seat on the left side to avoid facing passengers the entire journey.

In the meantime though, it’s still a relatively comfortable and convenient option. A well-stocked library of movies ensures you’re unlikely to be bored for the duration, while free inflight Wifi delivers a decent 5-10Mbps for non-streaming activities.

Content is good, though the 11-inch screen leaves a bit to be desired.

Take a look at our in-depth review of the experience here. 

Of course, if you’re an Air New Zealand devotee but not travelling quite as far as New York, you could make use of the airline’s new 777 first class… or rather, Cathay Pacific’s first class.

Confused? Don’t be. Air New Zealand is actually taking on a leased Cathay Pacific 777 to help boost capacity and fill the gaps in its current network. Onboard, business and first class suites worthy of reclining in when it takes wing from Auckland to Houston. 

Cathay's 777 first class suites are now available on selected Air New Zealand flights.

Air New Zealand will be flying this particular 777 until late 2026, and in addition to removing Cathay Pacific branding from the livery, there’ll also be some minor rebranding done in the cabin.

Qantas: Perth-London

Flight: QF9/QF10

Average time: 17 hours

Sophisticated real-time flight planning software helps Qantas regularly shave slabs of time off the only direct flight linking Australia and the UK – it’s come down as low as 15¼ hours on the return London-Perth leg.

We rate Qantas' Boeing 787 business class as among the best in the sky.

It also benefits from one of the world’s best Boeing 787 business class seats: a spacious ‘business suite’ with plenty of room to spread out your work en route plus a 16-inch HD screen.

The Qantas Business Suite offers plenty of working space for the business traveller and corporate high flyer.

In addition to a wide selection of movies, Qantas’ recent Paramount+ collaboration has seen its inflight entertainment system loaded up with a mountain of entertainment, including numerous TV shows to binge during the flight. 

The Boeing 787’s cabin technology also helps mitigate the effects of jetlag through lower effective altitude, higher humidity and cleaner filtered air.

Wellness meals help reduce the impact of jetlag, but a glass of wine never hurt anybody...

Emirates: Auckland-Dubai

Flight: EK448/EK449

Average time: 17 hours 5 minutes

Featuring one of Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s, well-heeled passengers can find a haven in the superjumbo’s private first class suites. 

Emirates was among the pioneers of first class A380 cabins with sliding doors, and the first to add showers – two of them, exclusive to the 14 first class suites – for a quick freshen-up before landing.

Few things say 'luxury travel' like a relaxing shower above the clouds.

Combine this with a ‘dine on demand’ menu and there’s little reason to venture our of this rarefied realm.

Well, there’s one reason: head towards the rear of the superjumbo’s upper deck and you’ll find a cocktail bar where you can mingle with colleagues consigned to business class.

Emirates' Airbus A380 cocktail bar is perfecting for whiling away the hours.

Ask the bartender for the drink of your choice or have them surprise you with their favourite in-flight tipple, add some conversation and the hours will fly by.

Qatar Airways: Doha-Auckland

Flight: QR920/QR921

Average time: 17 hours

Though for a time the world’s second-longest flight, Qatar Airways’ non-stop Doha-Auckland has been on ice for a while now. However, it’s primed to show-stopping return in September 2023, with the 17 hour flight set to feature an A350-1000 for the first time.

Qatar Airways' stunning Qsuite is arguably the world's best business class.

Onboard you’ll find the bespoke Qsuite business class. Fitted with first class-style sliding doors, these wonderfully well-appointed suites become a cosy crib for relaxing or a private cocoon for sleeping.

A staggered layout sees some seats facing backwards but positioned closer to the window rather than the door, which gives you more of a private jet feel. (If you want to select those seats when making your booking, choose the A or K seats at rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11.)

Close the door, hit the 'Do Not Disturb' button and grab as many hours' sleep as you can on the Doha-Auckland flight.

If you’re travelling with your partner, request one of the paired middle seats which can convert into a double bed, then slip into the airline-supplied PJs and snuggle down.

Qatar Airways makes it easy for couples to enjoy an ultra-long flight.

The long flight also affords plenty of time to work your way through Qatar Airways’ extensive ‘dine on demand’ menu, which lets passengers order any dish at any time during the flight – perfect if your timezone-addled stomach fancies a mezze platter breakfast.

Take a look at our in-depth review of the Qsuite experience here.