Brutally long flight, but better on-board time
Report from the world’s longest flight between Singapore and Newark
Getting from Singapore to New York in one hop is better than a layover — even if it involves taking the world’s longest flight.
That’s my jet-lagged verdict after disembarking from Singapore Airlines’ Flight 22, the return of the carrier’s Changito-Newark, N.J., journey after a five-year hiatus.
Travelling to the world’s opposite time zone aboard the fancy new Airbus A350900 Ultra Long Range is never going to be entirely painless. Doing it in business class — and there are no economy seats on this almost 18-hour flight — reduces a lot of the trauma. And in comparison with the other options to get from Singapore to the Big Apple — flying via hubs in North Asia, Europe, or the U.S. West Coast — this route is definitely preferable. I will choose it for New York work trips from now on.
Here’s what a coddled business traveller needs to know before embarking on this 16,737-kilometre trek between Singapore and Newark. PLANNING
Starting next week, flights will depart daily from Singapore late in the evening local time, and leave Newark, N.J., for the return journey mid-morning. This means you need to stay another night in the New York area compared with Singapore Air’s flight with the Frankfurt layover, which departs John F. Kennedy International Airport in the evening.
SQ22 cuts about five hours off the trip compared with the route through Germany, which includes a layover of about two hours. More importantly, not having to get off the plane gives you more flexibility on when you sleep, eat and work. I stayed up for the first meal and fell asleep around 2:30 a.m. Singapore time (2:30 p.m. ET).
Booking a standard-fare Singapore-Newark round trip ticket in business class, leaving on Dec. 1 and returning a week later, costs about US$8,000 (S$11,000). Premium economy costs about US$2,180 (S$3,000). THE CABIN
Regular Singapore Airlines business-class flyers will recognize the 67 comfortable and stylish seats from the regular A350-900s, which ply routes including Singapore-Melbourne and Singapore-San Francisco. They’re spacious, though not excessively so, with a width of 28 inches (71 centimetres). The seat flips forward to convert into a 78-inch (1.98-metre) bed. You can keep a small bag near your feet and there’s a storage bin in the right-hand console, as well as another next to the inflight entertainment screen.
I would recommend booking as far forward in the first business class cabin as possible.
The addition of a mattress topper makes the bed noticeably more comfortable than the same seat on other routes. I did manage 61/2 hours of almost continuous rest and felt good when I woke up.
The cabin ambience was pleasant, with subtle lighting and relatively low noise levels. GRIPES
There’s no skybar/lounge, and the space around the galleys is too tight to stand and stretch without getting in the way. Bathrooms are small and quite spartan. There are only four for the business-class cabins, and three for the 94 seats in premium economy. Be well prepared to wait. FOOD
Supper, served about 11/2 hours after takeoff, was a main with fruit as a dessert. I had the lobster thermidor from the Book the Cook menu for its nostalgia and novelty value. (It’s pretty tasty.) This must be ordered 24 hours before the flight. On-board options included pan-seared snapper filet and steamed lobster dumplings in superior soup.
The showstopper main meal was served about 11 hours into the flight, though you can change the timing if you prefer. This was the full Singapore Airlines performance: satay, appetizer, main, dessert, cheese, chocolates, served with Charles Heidsieck champagne and a wide range of wines and cocktails. Everything I ate was delicious and beautifully presented.
If that sounds too gluttonous, there’s a “wellness” option designed by Canyon Ranch. You can also order from a “refreshment” menu throughout the flight.
Singapore Airlines is known for the professionalism of its cabin crew members. And they all were thoughtful, warm and efficient. KEEPING BUSY
There are Wi-Fi and inflight roaming options to get online, including “all you can eat” roaming data packages available to people on a phone plan with two big Singapore telecommunications providers. If you plan to work on board, it’s important to note that on the North Pacific route (which we took on the first flight) there’s a Wi-Fi blackout of about two hours 15 minutes, starting around the 11th hour.
For entertainment, there’s the airline’s extensive selection of movies, TV shows and music, with an extra 200 hours of content for this flight.