The world's longest flights

Published May 19, 2012

| FoxNews.com

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Long-haul, non-stop flights have become increasingly popular, particularly among business travelers eager to avoid the extra hassle of the dreaded layover. State of the art airplanes built to fly incredible distances have been introduced by many of the world's largest airlines. Here are the world's five longest flights by distance traveled.

Newark, NJ to Singapore on Singapore Airlines

Flying a staggering 9,535 miles from the American East Coast to the Southeast Asian metropolis, Singapore Airlines flight number SQ 21 holds the record the longest non-stop flight in the world, according to the New Jersey Port Authority. A long-range four-engine Airbus A340-500 carries up to 100 business class passengers across 12 time zones on this lengthy 18-hour flight. On board, travelers can enjoy a self-service snack bar, as well as the extra legroom afforded by a convenient one and two-seat configuration.

Distance: 9,535 miles

                                   

Los Angeles, Calif. to Singapore on Singapore Airlines

It seems that, when it comes to long-haul flights, Singapore Airlines holds the monopoly with both the longest by distance and by time. The flight from LAX to Singapore takes upwards of 18-and-a-half hours to complete in one go, despite being roughly 800 miles shorter in distance than the journey from Newark. This is due to the increased wind resistance the LA flight encounters as it traverses the Pacific, while the Newark flight passes more easily over the North Pole.

Distance: 8,770 miles
 

Sydney, Australia to Dallas, TX on Qantas

Australia's largest airline, Qantas, launched its Sydney to Dallas flight in 2011 to replace its San Francisco route.  The flight takes almost 15 ½ hours to complete as it passes over the vast Pacific Ocean, making it the longest uninterrupted scheduled flight for a Boeing airplane. Qantas has earmarked its longest flight as one of the launch routes for a new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner, due to be introduced in mid-2013.

Distance: 8,578

Johannesburg, South Africa to Atlanta, GA on Delta Airlines

Four pilots and two separate flight crews man the 16-hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg in South Africa. Delta Airlines' longest journey transports almost 300 passengers on board a Boeing 777LR across the length and breadth of the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, passengers can ease into the transition with a mix of American and South African menu options.

Distance: 8,439 miles
 

Dubai to Los Angeles, Calif. on Emirates Airlines

Emirates Airlines flies LA's glitterati to the parched sands and high-rises of Dubai in just over 16 hours. On this lengthy journey, passengers will pass through three continents and over 8,300 miles between the two metropolises. On board are 217 economy passenger seas, as well as a 42-seat business class, as we as luxury suites showcasing Emirates' trademark starlit ceiling that simulates the time of day at the destination to help reduce the impact of jet lag.

Distance: 8,339 miles

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American Airlines to overhaul premium seats

American Airlines to overhaul premium seats
May 09, 2012
by CBNews.com

American Airlines said Wednesday that it will overhaul the most expensive seats on its international fleet, and will drop its highest class of service on some planes.

Those front-of-the-plane seats attract the highest-paying passengers. They're also a sought-after upgrade for frequent fliers. Airlines have been focusing their spending on the premium seats as they compete for the passengers who fill them.

American didn't give a specific cost estimate for the overhaul, but said it will spend "several hundred million dollars per year in enhancements to the customer experience." At the same time, it's juggling its bankruptcy reorganization and asking a judge to let it throw out employee contracts so it can replace them with cheaper ones. It's also dealing with US Airways Group Inc.'s efforts to convince creditors to think about letting it merge with American.

Most of the seating changes American announced Wednesday don't begin until 2014.

All of American's planes have at least two cabins &#8212 coach, and a front cabin called first class or business class, depending on the flight. Some of its international flights have a third cabin, called Flagship Suite, on its 777-200s. Some of those were added as recently as 2009, according to American's website.

On Wednesday American said it will return to having two cabins on those planes "to better match capacity and demand." American flew 47 of those aircraft as of the end of last year, out of 617 in its mainline fleet. It said it will install new lie-flat business class seats on those planes. The 777s are its biggest planes, and airlines have traditionally seen international first class as especially important for competing against overseas airlines.

American is getting 10 new 777-300ERs, and those planes will have three cabins. Those are set to begin arriving late this year, continuing through 2013. American is also keeping three cabins on its 767-200s, which it uses between New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles and San Francisco.

American, based in Fort Worth, Texas, also said it will overhaul up to half of its 58 Boeing 767-300ERs. They are mostly used on flights to Europe and South America, as well as some long-range U.S. flights. The overhauled planes will get 28 lie-flat business class seats. The new 777s and refurbished 767s will also have American's new "Main Cabin Extra" coach seats with more legroom. The airline plans to charge extra for those.

The 767-300s that aren't overhauled will be retired over time, American said.

Also, US Airways said on Wednesday that it is wrapping up an upgrade to business-class seats on its 16 Airbus A330s, which it uses for flights to Europe and to Tel Aviv, Israel. US Airways calls that front section of the plane "Envoy." Those seats recline flat and include a power outlet, along with other amenities.

Delta Air Lines officially has abandoned the Atlanta-Shanghai route.

************************************************************************ Delta Air Lines officially has abandoned the Atlanta-Shanghai route. According to a May 3 memo filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Delta returned to DOT the seven U.S.-China frequencies it had been using to serve the route. Those frequencies, according to a DOT spokesman, will be made available "to another carrier that requests them." The carrier launched nonstop service between the two cities in 2008, but suspended it twice, first in light of "the economic slowdown" and then in January 2012 as a result of high fuel prices and "our overall capacity reduction." *********************************************************************** Delta wants to retain Tokyo-Guangzhou route rights By Bill Poling Delta has advised the Transportation Department that it still isn't ready to operate a Tokyo-Guangzhou connecting leg as part of its U.S.-Asia service, but it wants to hang on to the unused route rights, which were granted in 2010. The carrier faces a use-it-or-lose-it deadline of June 1 to begin the service, using rights under the U.S.-China agreement to operate seven weekly flights on the route, but it is asking for a one-year postponement. The deadline has been postponed before, but Delta said there is no harm to the public or other carriers because there is a surplus of U.S.-China flight authority. It said airline rights for 37 weekly flights to China are already going unused. At the same time, Delta formally returned to the DOT the seven weekly frequencies it had been using for its Atlanta-Shanghai nonstop service, which had been operating off-and-on since 2008.