How To Master The World’s Longest Direct Flights

Emirates will set a new benchmark for long-haul flights, with its recent announcement of a direct route between Dubai and Panama, lasting an exhausting 17 hours and 35 minutes. In light of this sky-high news, we compiled a list of the longest non-stop flights from Asia Pacific and Europe and shared tips on how to master the long hours above the clouds.

The inaugural flight, due to take-off on February 1st, 2016, will out-fly the current longest non-stop flight, which is operated by Qantas Airways from Dallas to Sydney, lasting 16 hours and 50 minutes.

Singapore Airlines used to deploy the longest non-stop flight in the world, flying from Newark to Singapore which lasted almost 19 hours. This route was discontinued on 23 November 2013, but Singapore Air has plans to revive this route once a commercially viable aircraft that can fly non-stop to the U.S. has been developed.

Currently, the longest flight originating from Singapore is operated by Singapore Airlines, which connects Singapore to London with a flight duration of 13 hours and 25 minutes. In comparison to other routes originating from the Asia Pacific region, the longest non-stop flight is Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong-New York route, which clocks in at 15 hours and 50 minutes. Following that is the flight from Sydney to Dallas, which is operated by Qantas Airways and lasts 15 hours and 35 minutes.

*Longest non-stop flights available in terms of time.

To help travellers survive flights that can last almost a waking day, the we collected a list of helpful tips and hacks to beat the altitude blues.

Pick your time of travel wisely: If you’re not good at sleeping on planes, book a day flight. This way, you can go to sleep when you arrive and avoid a sleepless night.

Pick your seat in advance: Check-in on time to get your preferred seat. Most online check-ins open 24 hours prior to the flight, so set a reminder to do so as soon as possible. On a short flight, it might not matter too much where you sit, but on a long-haul flight it can get annoying as you don’t want to be stuck in the middle, or have an aisle seat close to the toilet which might prevent a restful sleep.  

Pack your travel essentials: Prepare a comfortable flying outfit before going on a long-haul flight. Use a layering tactic for your clothes so you can add or remove extra garments,  depending on the temperature in the cabin. Bring everything you need to create a cocoon: eye mask, earplugs, scarf, inflatable pillow. It is also handy to have a toothbrush, comb and deodorant with you to freshen up during or after the flight.

Find ways to kill time while on board: Bring your own entertainment to avoid being limited to the inflight movie selection. Have your favourite music with you, bring a book or your own films or TV series, and anything else you enjoy doing in your free time – this way time will pass by much faster.

Ask and ye shall receive: Act cordially towards the cabin crew and the sentiment will be reciprocated. Whether you need a spare pillow and blanket for extra comfort, or just a friendly chat in between meal services, be sure to ask nicely and treat the cabin crew politely.   
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