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The Longest Flight in the World Just Landed in New Zealand

Feb. 05, 2017
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3 min read
IMG-Boeing_777-2DZLR_A7-BBH_Qatar_Airways_(10464991323)
The Longest Flight in the World Just Landed in New Zealand
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Qatar Airways flight #920 officially became the new world's longest regularly scheduled commercial flight when it touched down just a short while ago at 7:15am local time in Auckland (AKL), New Zealand, which is equivalent to 1:15pm Eastern here in the United States.

The eastbound flight from Doha (DOH), Qatar, is normally scheduled to take 16 hours and 20 minutes, with the westbound journey clocking in at just over an hour longer. Today's inaugural journey landed in Auckland around 15 minutes early, even after departing from Doha 15 minutes late. The 9,032 miles traversed between the two cities beats the previous titleholder — the Dubai (DXB) to Auckland flight served by Emirates since March 2016 — by roughly 208 miles.

The overnight flight landed at 7:15am New Zealand time. Image courtesy of flightradar24.com.

While Qatar will undoubtedly be proud of its accomplishment, some might argue that it's already been beaten by Air India, which reversed the direction of their Delhi (DEL) to San Francisco (SFO) flight this past October. That decision added over 1,800 miles to the actual distance flown on that route, while saving two hours and 13 tons of fuel thanks to more favorable winds in the eastbound direction. So today's Qatar flight is the world's longest by time and by point-to-point distance, but Air India travels more actual miles.

Regardless, neither airline may get to spend too long at the top of the mountain. Singapore Airlines has announced that, starting in March 2018, it will resume service between Singapore (SIN) and both Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (NYC), with the latter route covering roughly 9,500 miles. That distance would beat either Qatar's or Air India's claim to the world's longest flight. Singapore previously flew Newark (EWR) to Singapore with an all-business class Airbus A340-500, but discontinued it after retiring the planes. However, once the airline's new Airbus A350-900ULR's are delivered, it will be able to resume the ultra-long distance route.

In the meantime, if you're interested in trying out the current world's longest flight, Qatar is using a Boeing 777-200LR on this route, with 42 flat-bed seats in business and 217 standard seats in economy — award space is available in both cabins as early as this month and as far out as December. You can find award space using the British Airways Avios search tool at ba.com and book using miles from any Oneworld partner, including American AAdvantage miles at 42,500 miles in economy or 80,000 in business each way.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.