Countdown on for world's longest non-stop flight
By Sarah Porter
BBC News, Singapore
11 October 2018
The battle to offer the world's longest non-stop flight steps up a gear on Thursday, when a new Singapore-to-New York service takes off.
Singapore Airlines is relaunching the service five years after they withdrew it because it had become too expensive.
It will cover more than 15,000km and is scheduled to take just under 19 hours.
Qantas launched a 17-hour non-stop service from Perth to London earlier this year, while Qatar runs a 17.5-hour service between Auckland and Doha.
Have passengers been snapping up the tickets?
The flight from Changi Airport to Newark's international airport in New Jersey will be taking off amid much fanfare and with barely a seat to spare.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) said there was demand for customers for non-stop services which help cut travelling times compared with flights which have a stopover.
The airline told the BBC that business class seats for the flight were fully booked.
However, there were "a very limited number" of premium economy seats left.
The airline is not planning to offer any economy bookings on the route.
A business class ticket will entitle passengers to two meals, and the choice of when they are served, plus refreshments in between. They will also have a bed to sleep in.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45795573