Have you ever dreamed of climbig aboard the world’s longest commercial flight, connecting the two farthest points on the planet in an arc over the North Pole?

PHOTO: © SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Singapore Airlines’ Flight SQ23 hustles you from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport in approximately 18 hours, depending upon the flight path. (Launched in 2020, the route covers roughly 9,536 miles and is just 3 nautical miles longer than the previous record holder: Singapore Airlines’ flight between Newark Liberty International Airport and Singapore.)

The route operates on an Airbus A350-900ULR, the only aircraft capable of making the non-stop flight. Airbus only made seven, developed exclusively for Singapore Airlines.

“When we first started this new category called ultra-long haul flying, we knew we had to completely rethink the in-flight experience, start to finish,” said James Boyd, vice president of public relations, Singapore Airlines. “We knew we needed to rethink things like lighting, humidity, pressurization, air flow, dining and entertainment.”

For this route, Singapore Airlines placed extra emphasis on comfort. The flight employs two sets of cabin crew who operate in shifts to provide fresh-faced service for the 67 seats in business class and 94-seat premium economy cabin. The special build foregoes the typical coach cabin to outfit passengers with ample space (and to save weight for fuel).

PHOTO: © SINGAPORE AIRLINES

The business-class 1-2-1 configuration means there are no middle seats. The 28-inch seats are among the widest business-class seats in the world. (The business-class seats on a standard A350 measure 20–22 inches wide.) In business class the seats convert into lie-flat beds to ensure a good night’s sleep. A mattress pad and extra pillows tuck behind the seat back. To stay hydrated, passengers receive amenity kits upon boarding with La Labo lip balm, hand moisturizer and facial mist.

The premium economy cabin features a 2-4-2 layout, with three rows of individual seats toward the back of the plane. These seats recline 8 inches and measure 19 inches wide, more generous than those on most aircraft. The airline worked with experts from Canyon Ranch to develop an in-flight stretching routine designed specifically for a seat in premium economy.

PHOTO: © SINGAPORE AIRLINES

To prepare for service between New York and Singapore, the airline expanded its roster of on-demand entertainment, with nearly 2,000 options including hundreds of movies and plenty of music. Passengers in premium economy get a 13.3-inch monitor, while passengers flying in business class have 18-inch screens.

Passengers can also log in to the Internet to work or play at virtually any point along the journey, thanks to a satellite WiFi connection powered by Panasonic Avionics’ global network.

You’re unlikely to go hungry on this flight, with snacks and meals served throughout the journey. Singapore Airlines offers its Book the Cook service on this route to let passengers preselect meals. The menu includes a wide range of cuisine from American fare like pizza and burgers to Asian dishes such as Chinese pork rib noodle soup and fried noodles.

PHOTO: © SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Boyd said the airline teamed up with Golden Door to create “an extensive roster of wellness-oriented dishes designed to help you get a better night’s sleep or promote alertness or reduce inflammation or a sense of bloating when you eat a big meal.”

The airline also worked with lighting designers to refine the more than 16 million possible LED light color combinations to create palettes that promote alertness or restfulness, allowing passengers to adjust their circadian rhythm.

Time management is key to enjoying the world’s longest flight. “I recommend time blocking,” said Krista Ritterhoff, a travel publicist who has flown the non-stop route several times. “Think of the 18-hour trip as three shorter six-hour flights — one for dining and entertainment, one for sleeping and one for working.”

Sleeping in the middle of the flight helps travelers adjust to the local time zone and avoid grogginess upon arrival, Ritterhoff added. “If you fall asleep too early into the flight, you’ll wake up with a lot of time left and you’ll feel dehydrated. But if you sleep right up until landing, you won’t have time to adjust for the day ahead.”

INFO TO GO
Singapore Airlines’ Flight SQ23 provides non-stop service between New York (JFK) and Singapore Changi Airport, departing from JFK Terminal 4. The route covers some 9,500 miles over about 18 hours. Flights depart JFK around 10:15 p.m. and land in Singapore around 5:30 (+2) a.m. The check-in counter opens three hours prior to departure.