SQ to do SIN-LAX and SIN-NYC nonstop!

See http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031015/airli...irlines_1.html
or read below:

Singapore Air to launch direct U.S. service in Feb.

Wednesday October 15, 3:03 am ET

By Julie MacIntosh

NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SES:SIAL.SI - News)
will launch the world's longest nonstop commercial flight on February
3, a voyage between Singapore and Los Angeles that will take more than
18 hours, executives of the airline said.

The Singapore-based air carrier will follow up six months later by
launching nonstop service between Singapore and New York, which will
be routed over the North Pole and require two full sets of cabin crew.

The airline plans to introduce the service officially at a press
conference in Singapore on Wednesday.

Travelers willing to pay an extra five or 10 percent on top of the
cost of a one-stop ticket will save hours by avoiding stopovers in
Tokyo or Taipei, if they can stomach spending 18 hours on an airplane.

"We acknowledge that the flight is long, therefore we have to focus a
lot of our attention on the comforts and space in the aircraft," said
Michael Tan, a senior executive vice president at the airline, in a
telephone interview with reporters last week. "It's going to be a very
comfortable flight."

Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL - News) currently runs the world's
longest nonstop commercial flight between Newark, N.J., and Hong Kong,
which clocks in at just under 16 hours.

Singapore Airlines, Asia's biggest airline by market value, will use 5
new Airbus A340-500 aircraft to fly the once-a-day routes because the
trip is too long for its other aircraft to handle. The new airplanes
will be delivered in Mid-December.

COSTLY ENTERPRISE

To keep cabin fever at bay, Singapore Airlines has configured the new
aircraft with 181 seats, about 18 to 20 percent fewer seats than
usual.

Business-class seats, which can fully recline into beds, will have 64
inches of leg room and 10-inch video monitors. "Executive economy"
seats will have 37 inches of leg room, 9-inch monitors, and will be
set up seven abreast instead of the usual eight to keep travelers from
bumping shoulders.

Passengers can socialize in designated sections of the aircraft, grab
their own snacks and drinks, or play CDs, games, and movies on the
entertainment system built into their seats.

But all that pampering poses a significant challenge to Singapore
Airlines -- making direct flights to the U.S. profitable.

"There's no denying that this operation is an expensive operation, and
we will have a breakeven that is higher than on other flights," Tan
said.

"I think the most difficult challenge will be how to make the flight
financially successful, because it's a long flight and there are
payload limitations."

BUSINESS FIRST

Tan felt direct flights would be well-received by the business
passengers who account for the bulk of traffic on the routes because
they will be able to save time.

Most passengers have said they would rather fly nonstop between
Singapore and the United States than take a break along the way, the
airline said.

The airline debated whether to have first-class service on the new
routes, but decided against it due to aircraft limitations and the
stagnating -- and in some cases, declining -- market for first-class
seats, Tan said.

The United States and Singapore have an "open skies" agreement that
gives them more liberal access to each others' routes. Direct routes
into the United States will let Singapore Airlines take advantage of
that agreement, Tan said.

"I think that operating nonstop is the best way to develop the market
between Singapore and the United States, because of the open skies
agreement between the two countries," Tan said.

Singapore Airlines has no set plans to increase its service into New
York or Los Angeles, or to fly to other U.S. cities, but Tan said
Chicago and San Francisco looked attractive.

"In the future we'll look at increasing the flights where the market
demands," Tan said.

Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

Cheers

Will Barstow wrote:
Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

Dubai-NYC is about a 12-hour flight as I recall, so Dubai-SF would be 17,
still shy of 18.

Very very rough numbers.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

Will Barstow wrote:

Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

Here are the great circle distances for comparison, including the two
current longest flights:

EWR - HKG 8065 miles
JNB - ATL 8439

DXB - SFO 8103
DXB - JFK 6849
SIN - LAX 8770
SIN - JFK 9537

Hypothetically, if someone wanted to introduce a non-stop service from
Sydney to London or New York, the distances would be:

SYD - LHR 10573 miles
SYD - JFK 9950

In article ,
"Will Barstow" wrote:

Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

DXB-EWR non-stop has been done for a few years by 772. MH flies that.

From: Not the Karl Orff wrote:
DXB-EWR non-stop has been done for a few years by 772. MH flies that.

Just flew this on MH the other day
DXB-EWR was 14hrs 05 mins from takeoff to landing.
- - Paul

"Boxall's Accommodation" wrote in message
om...
See http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031015/airli...irlines_1.html
or read below:

Singapore Air to launch direct U.S. service in Feb.

Wednesday October 15, 3:03 am ET

By Julie MacIntosh

NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SES:SIAL.SI - News)
will launch the world's longest nonstop commercial flight on February
3, a voyage between Singapore and Los Angeles that will take more than
18 hours, executives of the airline said.

The Singapore-based air carrier will follow up six months later by
launching nonstop service between Singapore and New York, which will
be routed over the North Pole and require two full sets of cabin crew.

Actually, the flight would stay well south of the North
Pole. Flight Simulator has a flight planner, which can
route based on the actual air lines. To get from JFK to
SIN, it plots a route northwest over Canada and Alaska,
then turning southwest and coming close to Japan and
Taiwan, as it heads towards Singapore.

Malaysia does EWR-DXB nonstop. Dubai is a stop
on the way to Malaysia


"Will Barstow" wrote in message
...
Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

Cheers

Actually more than that. The air lanes between DXB
and JFK go around Iraq. The air lanes first fly over Iran,
almost to Pakistan, and then turn nortwest, over the
pole, to JFK. This routing takes about 15 hours.

"Miguel Cruz" wrote in message
...
Will Barstow wrote:
Anyone know if the Emirates services due to start next year will beat
this
record?

They are due to start Dubai - New York & Dubai - San Francisco with
A340-500's non stop?

Dubai-NYC is about a 12-hour flight as I recall, so Dubai-SF would be 17,
still shy of 18.

Very very rough numbers.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

" The Singapore-based air carrier will follow up six months later by
launching nonstop service between Singapore and New York, which will
be routed over the North Pole and require two full sets of cabin crew.

Actually, the flight would stay well south of the North
Pole. Flight Simulator has a flight planner, which can
route based on the actual air lines. To get from JFK to
SIN, it plots a route northwest over Canada and Alaska,
then turning southwest and coming close to Japan and
Taiwan, as it heads towards Singapore.

Looking at http://gc.kls2.com , the great circle seems pretty close to the
North Pole to me.