The Longest Flight in The World Is Getting A Luxurious Upgrade

At just under 19 hours, Singapore Airlines’ flight between Singapore and New York is the world’s longest flight—and it will soon be a lot more comfortable for some.

A sneak peek at the forthcoming business-class cabins coming to Singapore Airlines’ long-haul flights.Courtesy of Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines recently announced plans to introduce all-new front-of-the-aircraft cabins across its fleet of seven Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range) planes. The carrier, which regularly ranks among the world’s best airlines, uses that aircraft to fly what is currently the world’s longest flight route between Singapore and New York, clocking in at just under 19 hours and covering 9,585 air miles. The plane is also used for additional long-haul flights from Singapore, including to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

“The new first-class and business-class seat designs will incorporate thoughtful elements that push the boundaries of comfort, luxury, and modernity,” Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said in a press release.

This will be the first time first-class seats will be available on the ULR aircraft, and they are slated to debut sometime in 2027. What exactly those new seats will look like, the airline hasn’t said, though it did release a sneak-peek rendering showing a suite stretching across at least three windows and equipped with a wide-screen TV and a lie-flat chair. (Singapore does have first-class on its Boeing 777-3000ERs and Airbus A380s, the latter featuring suites, which include twin beds and separate armchairs.)

Singapore Airlines’ A380s feature first-class suites that can be combined into a larger sleeping area.Courtesy of Singapore Airlines

The carrier has also been tight-lipped about what is in store for the revamped business class. However, a glimpse offered in a rendering shows sliding privacy doors, something that is absent from the airline’s current business-class seats and that has been a growing trend in the aviation industry. (In recent years, Air France, American Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, among other airlines, have added or announced new door-equipped business-class seats.)

“Over the past six years, we have extensively engaged customers and stakeholders in the design of our next-generation long-haul cabin products, anticipating their evolving preferences and expectations down to the finest details,” Goh said.

Currently, the ULR planes have 67 business-class seats and 94 premium economy seats (there are no economy seats, partly for the comfort of passengers on nearly day-long flights and partly because it helps cut down on weight, an essential factor on lengthy journeys). After the retrofit, the aircraft will feature 4 first-class suites, 70 business-class seats, and 58 premium economy seats.

In addition to the A350-900ULRs, Singapore Airlines is also redoing 34 of its long-haul Airbus A350-900s, with 42 of the new business-class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 192 economy seats. (The latter two, the airline said, would “be refreshed to enhance the travel experience for customers” but offered no additional information on what that would look like.) These planes will enter service in 2026.

Singapore Airlines said the new seat designs will be the same as those on its future Boeing 777-9s. However, given that the 777s have repeatedly been delayed and aren’t expected to enter commercial service before 2026, the A350s could potentially be the first opportunity travelers have to experience the new seats if the Boeing aircraft continue to experience postponements.

In recent years, airlines have been investing heavily in revamping and expanding their premium cabins, from Emirates expanding its premium economy offering to United upgrading its Polaris international business-class seats.

However, many carriers have eliminated long-haul first-class cabins in favor of additional business-class seats. American Airlines, for example, is in the process of discontinuing first-class seats on all international flights and replacing them with more business-class seats, as passengers are less willing to splurge for first class, according to the airline. Business class and premium economy, on the other hand, strike a balance between luxury and profitability.

When asked why Singapore Airlines was adding first class when other airlines were moving away from it, James Boyd, vice president of public relations in the Americas, told Afar, “We are introducing first class to our nonstop services from the U.S. in response to consistent demand we see for premium air travel, particularly on the world’s longest flights.”

https://www.afar.com/authors/bailey-berg