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Watch What It’s Like to Be on the World’s Longest Flight (Video)

Oct. 19, 2018
3 min read
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Watch What It’s Like to Be on the World’s Longest Flight (Video)
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One week ago, I embarked on the longest nonstop journey of my life — for the second time. Singapore Airlines operated the world's longest flight, from Newark to Changi Airport, until it was forced to retire its flagship route, along with the gas-guzzling Airbus A340-500, in November 2013.

Since then, a handful of other airlines have fought for that record-breaking title, but even Qatar's 9,074-mile journey from Doha (DOH) to Auckland (AKL) will have to make do with runner-up — a new aircraft capable of operating the nearly 10,000-mile journey just made its debut, finally marking the return of Singapore SQ21 this month.

This time around, I got to spend 18 hours (and change) onboard SQ's first Airbus A350-900ULR. Even in business class, it felt like the journey would never come to an end. Naturally, the first thing people ask, is 'what did you do for all that time?' I could tell you, of course, but given the novelty of this ultra-long adventure, I figured it'd be more fun to mount a GoPro, and keep the camera rolling from gate to gate:

So, how did I end up occupying my time? Let's break it down...

Hour 1: Taxi, takeoff and figuring out what to eat
Hour 2: Changing into pajamas, surveying movies, Singapore Sling
Hour 3: Lunch! And an incredible 2006 Chateau Rauzan-Segla Bordeaux
Hour 4: Dessert, cheese and some chamomile tea
Hour 5: Getting ready for a long post-meal snooze

I didn't go to sleep right away, though — Singapore partnered with Canyon Ranch for some wellness enhancements for this special flight, and the company's CEO told us that it's best to give yourself a couple of hours to digest before hitting the hay. That's more or less impossible to pull off on a six-hour redeye, but with another 14+ hours left to go after our first Singapore 21 feast, delaying sleep a little bit longer felt like an entirely reasonable request.

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Don't let me spoil the video for you, though — be sure to catch the clip up above before you go. Then, for more on the world's longest flight, see:

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $395
  • Recommended Credit

    740-850
    Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

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  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month