The World’s Longest Flights & How To Fly On Them
With newer, longer-range airplanes, we have been able to introduce longer and longer nonstop flights. This notably includes the Airbus A350ULR (ultra long range) which flies on the world’s longest flight: from Singapore to Newark. We have had ultra-long range aircraft in the past, such as the Airbus A340-500, which flew that route from 2004 to 2013 or the Boeing 777-200LR which also has a very large range. In the future, Qantas has proposed to fly from Sydney to New York and London, both of which would be the world’s longest flights and would put the flights at about 20 hours. They plan to use either an even more extended range version of the A350 or a longer range version of the 777X. However, Qantas doesn’t plan on flying those routes before 2022. So what are the world’s current ten longest flights, and are there any good ways to fly on them with miles?
1. Singapore Airlines – Singapore to Newark
- Flight Numbers: SQ21/22
- Aircraft: Airbus A350ULR (longest for aircraft type)
- Distance: 9,523 mi; 15,326 km
- Cabin Classes: Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-4-2)
- Inaugural Flight: October 11, 2018
- Scheduled Flight Time: 18h 25m – 18h 45m
Singapore Airlines originally operated this route starting in 2004 with an Airbus A340-500. They first operated it with premium economy and business class, although they eventually made the aircraft all business class. However, due to the inefficiency of the four-engined Airbus A340 and a lack of demand, they suspended that route in 2013. However, in 2018, with a more fuel-efficient aircraft, the Airbus A350-900ULR, Singapore Airlines started up the flight again. They now fly once a day from Singapore Airport to Newark, with 94 seats in premium economy and 67 flatbed seats in business class with all aisle access.
The flight runs for $2,000-$3,000 roundtrip in premium economy and runs for $5,000-$7,000 in business class. The flight is also bookable with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles for 73,000 miles in premium economy and 99,000 miles (saver) or 140,000 miles (flexible). For an almost 20 hour flight, those award prices aren’t bad, and if you can get a saver business class ticket, actually is an okay deal. To get Singapore Airlines miles, Amex and Chase are both transfer partners with Singapore Airlines so that you can transfer points from your American Express or Chase Ultimate Rewards accounts to Singapore Airlines.
2. Qatar Airways – Doha to Auckland
- Flight Numbers: QR920/921
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR (longest for aircraft type)
- Distance: 9,025 mi; 14,525 km
- Cabin Classes: Qsuite Business Class (1-2-1), Economy (3-4-3)
- Inaugural Flight: February 5, 2017
- Scheduled Flight Time: 16h 30m – 17h 40m
Qatar Airways launched its flight from Doha to Auckland in 2017, and at the time, it was the world’s longest flight, a record it would hold for a year and a half. There are 42 seats in business class and 230 seats in economy class. The aircraft uses Qatar Airways’ retrofitted Boeing 777-200LRs. That means that business class features Qatar’s latest Qsuites, which have closed doors and are in a staggered configuration. Additionally, the four center seats (they are forwards and backward facing) can be converted into a four-person suite and the two centermost seats can be converted into a double bed. Suffice to say, the Qsuite is the world’s best business class seat, and if you combine it with Qatar’s amazing soft product, it is very easily the best business class product in the world.
The flight runs for $2,000-$3,000 roundtrip in economy class and for a little under $7,000 roundtrip in business class. You can book the flight for 42,500 American Airlines miles in economy class, although you can’t book it with AA miles in business class. Additionally, you can book it for 54,250 miles in economy class or 108,500 miles in business class one way if you book it with Qatar Airways Qmiles. You can transfer points to Qatar Airways from Marriott, Citi, and Capital One.
3. Qantas – Perth to London Heathrow
- Flight Numbers: QF9/10
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
- Distance: 9,009 mi; 14,499 km
- Cabin Classes: Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-3-2) Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: March 24, 2018
- Scheduled Flight Time: 16h 45m – 17h 20m
Qantas has operated the Kangaroo route – flights from Australia to the United Kingdom – since 1935. Back in the day, it involved 12 days that included flights and train rides just to get from Sydney to London. Back in the day, they operated it with a De Havilland 86. They eventually shortened that route to only four days with the iconic Lockheed Constellation. Qantas then flew the Boeing 747 and then the Airbus A380 to London from Sydney starting in the 1970s, originally via Singapore via Bahrain. That route eventually only operated via Singapore and then was operated via Dubai and now is flown again via Singapore. In 2018, in addition to its flight from Sydney to Singapore to London, Qantas added the first-ever nonstop flight from Australia to Europe – from Perth to London Heathrow. Qantas uses their new business class product in a 1-2-1 configuration using the Thompson Vantage XL product in business. Additionally, Qantas has recliner seats in premium economy in a 2-3-2 configuration and has economy class in a 3-3-3 configuration.
The flight is available using money starting at a bit less than $1,000 roundtrip in economy class, although fares sometimes reach almost up to $2,000 roundtrip. In business class, the flight is available for $6,000-$7,500 roundtrip. Using miles, the flight is available for 55,000 miles in economy class one way, for 84,000 miles one way in premium economy, and for 112,000 miles one way in business class. Qantas is a transfer partner of American Express, so to earn Qantas miles, you can transfer points from Amex to Qantas.
4. Emirates – Dubai to Auckland
- Flight Numbers: EK449/450/10
- Aircraft: Airbus A380
- Distance: 8,818 mi; 14,191 km
- Cabin Classes: First Class (1-2-1), Business Class (1-2-1), Economy (3-4-3)
- Inaugural Flight: March 2, 2016
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 45m – 17h 5m
Although Emirates has been serving Auckland for over 15 years (from Melbourne and Sydney), they only recently actually began nonstop service to Dubai from there. In addition, they also operate a flight from Dubai to Denpasar to Auckland. When the flight began in 2016, it was the world’s longest flight and was operated by a Boeing 777-200LR, although soon after its launch the flight was upgraded to an Airbus A380. The aircraft is in a three-class configuration. First class has 14 closed suites in a 1-2-1 configuration (passengers also have access to the shower suite and the bar), while business class has 76 seats in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, and economy class is in a 3-4-3 configuration. The flight runs for just under $2,000 roundtrip in economy class, for $5,000-$6,000 roundtrips in business class, and for $9,000-$10,000 in first class (I mean, it is the world’s longest flight that has first class). With miles, you can book the flight for 71,000 miles in economy class, for 114,000 miles in business class, and for an actually pretty reasonable 155,000 miles in first-class one-way. Besides flying on Emirates or one of their partners, one can transfer Amex and Capital One points to Emirates to earn Emirates miles.
5. Singapore Airlines – Singapore to Los Angeles
- Flight Numbers: SQ36/37/38/39
- Aircraft: Airbus A350ULR
- Distance: 8,756 mi; 14,092 km
- Cabin Classes: Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-4-2)
- Inaugural Flight: November 2, 2018
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 45m – 17h
Singapore Airlines actually used to operate nonstop from Singapore to Los Angeles, although they suspended that service once they retired their Airbus A340-500s – the same aircraft that they flew to New York. Then, for a few years, they operated solely to LA via both Seoul and Tokyo using Boeing 777s. Then, for exactly one year (October 2017 to October 2018), United operated that route using Boeing 787-9s, although they eventually canceled it. Only one month after United’s flight ended, their partner Singapore Airlines resumed the nonstop flight from Singapore to LAX using the Airbus A350-900ULR (it’s worth noting that the A350-900 regular version could operate the flight, but they chose to use the ULR version). They now operate up to 2x daily nonstop from Singapore, with SQ36/37 operating daily and SQ38/39 operating 3x weekly. The flight is operated with 94 seats in premium economy and 67 flatbed seats in business class with all aisle access.
Prices start at about $1,200 roundtrip to $2,000 in premium economy, while business class fares start at $3,500 roundtrip in business class. Using Singapore Airlines miles, one way, it costs 68,000 miles in premium economy to fly from Los Angeles to Singapore. Whereas in business class, it costs 95,000 miles (saver) or 125,000 miles (flexible) for that same flight. Again, to get Singapore Airlines miles, Amex and Chase are both transfer partners with Singapore Airlines so that you can transfer points from your American Express or Chase Ultimate Rewards accounts to Singapore Airlines.
6. United Airlines – Houston to Sydney
- Flight Numbers: UA100/101
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
- Distance: 8,592 mi; 13,828 km
- Cabin Classes: Business Class (2-2-2), Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: January 18, 2018
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 50m – 17h 15m
United started the route of Sydney to Houston which made Houston their third city to fly to Sydney and Australia. This flight was actually the second flight from Texas to Australia, after Qantas’ flight from Dallas to Sydney (see below). United’s 787-9s don’t have their best product, and actually, have a worse business class than some of their older 767s and 777s. In business class, their 787-9s feature flatbed seats in a 2-2-2 configuration using the Rockwell Collins Diamond product. Having flown on the seat myself, the seat is comfortable and okay for a long flight, although is quite tight for business class and is not very private. Economy class is in a 3-3-3 configuration and has personal on-demand entertainment at all seats. Economy class generally goes for about $900-$1,200 while business class sells for a whopping $5,000 – $11,000 (depending on which way
7. Qantas – Dallas to Sydney
- Flight Numbers: QF7/8
- Aircraft: Airbus A380
- Distance: 8,575 mi; 13,799 km
- Cabin Classes: First Class (1-1-1) Business Class (2-2-2), Premium Economy (2-3-2), Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: September 29, 2014
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 25m – 17h
At the time that this flight was introduced, it was the world’s longest flight and also was the longest flight on the Airbus A380, a record it held for a number of years. Qantas’ Airbus A380s feature their old business class product, which is in a 2-2-2 configuration, is pretty dated and has almost no privacy. Luckily, Qantas will retrofit their A380s this year with their new business class and with a new premium economy product. Besides business class, first class features open suites in a 1-1-1 configuration (on the lower deck), and premium economy features recliner seats (on the upper deck). Economy class costs a minimum of $1,000 roundtrip while premium economy generally costs a minimum of $2,500 roundtrip. In business class, the flight generally costs from $5,000 to $9,000, depending on the dates that you fly on, while first class costs a minimum of $11,000 roundtrip, although prices sometimes go up to almost $20,000. Using Qantas miles, one way, economy class costs 55,000 miles, premium economy costs 84,000 miles, business class costs 112,000 miles, and first class costs 168,000 miles. Again, Qantas is a transfer partner of American Express, so to earn Qantas miles, you can transfer points from Amex to Qantas.
8. Philippine Airlines – Manila to New York JFK
- Flight Numbers: PR126/127
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
- Distance: 8,504 mi; 13,687 km
- Cabin Classes: Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-4-2), Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: October 29, 2018
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 35m – 16h 30m
Philippines Airlines actually has flown to New York JFK Airport since 2015, although until 2018, they operated the flight via Vancouver, which also provided a fifth freedom flight from JFK to YVR (Vancouver). They resumed nonstop flights in 2018 with a nonstop flight using their brand new Airbus A350s. The flight is actually their fifth nonstop destination to North America, after Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Toronto. Their Airbus A350s feature their newest in-flight products, with the fully flat Thompson Vantage XL seat in business class and also a new premium economy product, which is a first for them. On the flight, economy class generally costs $1,300 roundtrip, premium economy generally costs about $2,000 roundtrip, while business class generally costs about $4,000 roundtrip. There aren’t any ways to transfer points to Philippine Airlines and I doubt that many of my readers have a large stash of Mabuhay miles, so it’s probably not worth your (and my) time to list the number of miles it takes to buy the flight using miles.
9. United/Singapore Airlines – San Francisco to Singapore
- Flight Numbers: UA1/2/29/30; SQ31/32/33/34
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900[ULR] (Singapore), Boeing 787-9 (United)
- Distance: 8,504 mi; 13,687 km
- Cabin Classes (Singapore): Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-4-2), Economy (3-3-3)
- Cabin Classes (United): Business Class (2-2-2), Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: June 1, 2016 (United), October 23, 2016 (Singapore)
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 5m – 16h 40m
Yes, there are up to four total daily flights from San Francisco to Singapore. I find it crazy that the two airlines together (both are in Star Alliance) can fill up to four widebody jets a day on this ultra-long haul flight. In Addition, Singapore Airlines also operates another direct flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong to Singapore, making it a total of up to five direct (but the one has a stop in HKG) flights a day on this route! United Airlines has two daily direct flights from San Francisco to Singapore, both using Boeing 787-9s, which have flatbed seats in a 2-2-2 configuration using the Rockwell Collins Diamond product in business class. On Singapore Airlines’ daily flight, they operate a regularly configured Airbus A350-900, with business class, premium economy, and economy class. However, they also operate a 3x weekly flight on which they use an Airbus A350-900ULR, which is extremely premium heavy with only premium economy and business class. This means that there are a total of 24 nonstop flights on this route, with up to 205 business class seats a day on that route!
In economy class, the flights cost a minimum of $750 on United or $850 on Singapore Airlines. In premium economy, the flight costs a minimum of $1,500 roundtrip on Singapore Airlines (United doesn’t offer premium economy on that route). In business class, prices cost a minimum of $3,600 in business class roundtrip, although it’s rare to have prices below $4,000 roundtrip. On Singapore Airlines, economy class costs 38,000-70,000 miles one-way, premium economy costs 68,000 miles one-way, and business class costs 95,000-125,000 miles one-way. Again, on United, mileage prices vary a lot, although most of the time, economy class costs 40,000 miles one-way and business class costs 180,000 miles one-way.
10. Delta Air Lines – Atlanta to Johanessburg
- Flight Numbers: DL200/201
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR
- Distance: 8,434 mi; 13,574 km
- Cabin Classes (Singapore): Business Class (1-2-1), Premium Economy (2-4-2, will be introduced on this route in a few months), Economy (3-3-3)
- Inaugural Flight: June 1, 2009
- Scheduled Flight Time: 15h 30m – 16h 25m
Delta’s flight to Johannesburg is their longest route and has been operating for the longest consecutive time on this list. Delta currently uses a non-retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR on this route. That means that business class features their sub-par herringbone seats which are probably Delta’s worst business class seats, as they have almost no privacy or storage. Also, these aircraft don’t have premium economy yet. However, Delta will use their retrofitted Boeing 777s in a few months on this route which will have their latest premium economy product and their amazing Delta One suites. Flight prices start at $1,400 roundtrip in economy class and generally range from $6,000 (on a good day) to $11,000 in business class. The flight is redeemable for 60,000 miles one-way in economy class, 82,000 miles in premium economy (once it is debuted on this route), and a whopping 465,000 miles in business class for a one-way flight (this is probably the worst redemption ever)!. So yes, premium cabin award redemptions are extremely high on this flight, so don’t get your hopes up for flying Delta to Johannesburg on miles.
Conclusion
This list of ultra-long haul flights goes on and on. There are a ton of flights that have very similar lengths to #9 and #10 on the list, most notably the four flights from LAX to the Middle East. There comes a point where people might have to ask if ultra-long haul flights are even worth taking. I know many people who would much rather connect and have two or maybe even three equal lengths but shorter flights as opposed to taking one ultra-long haul flight because it simply is too long for people to be on an airplane for, especially if you aren’t in a premium cabin. Overall, the amount of ultra-long haul flights is really impressive, and I predict that we’ll see even more and more of them in the future, most notably with Qantas’ project Sunrise with potentially nonstop flights to New York and London.
What is the longest flight that you have ever flown on? Would you prefer two medium length flights or one ultra-long haul flight?
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