The 8,277 nautical mile (15,329 kilometer) flight from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey with 161 business class and premium economy seats will eclipse the 7,843 nautical mile Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Auckland as the world’s longest, according to airline data provider OAG.
Airlines including Singapore Airlines, Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) and U.S.-based United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N) are adding ultra-long haul flights that can capture an airfare premium of around 20 percent versus flights involving one or more stops.
The Singapore-Newark flight marks the return of a popular route for Singapore Airlines. The carrier had flown the marathon flights until 2013, when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus SE (AIR.PA) A340-500 jets uneconomic. It has since flown to New York’s JFK Airport via Frankfurt.
Singapore Airlines is Airbus’ first and to date only customer for the A350-900ULR, an ultra-long range version of the fuel-efficient twin-engine A350 jet.
Qantas has said it is considering the purchase of the A350-900ULR or Boeing Co’s (BA.N) 777X to allow it to fly non-stop from Sydney to London from 2022, an even longer 9,200 nautical mile journey.
Singapore Airlines said on Wednesday that it also plans to introduce non-stop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles with the A350-900ULR at a later date.
The airline expects to receive its first A350-900ULR in September, with all seven on order due by the end of the year.
LATEST!
• Novel way for KrisFlyer members to use their miles for everyday spend
• Launches with 18 merchants spanning different categories, with more to be progressively added
24 July 2018 – The SIA Group’s KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme today launched KrisPay, the miles-based digital wallet which enables members to convert KrisFlyer miles into KrisPay miles instantly for everyday spending at partner merchants island-wide.
The innovative platform will allow members to choose from using as little as 15 KrisPay miles (equivalent to about S$0.10) to pay for their purchases at partner merchants, either partially or in full.
For a start, KrisPay miles will be accepted at 18 merchants spanning different categories of beauty services, food and beverage, petrol and retail. Selected partners will offer discounts during the launch period. More merchants will be progressively added to the platform, and members can expect frequent in-app promotions and more app features to be delivered in the coming months.
KrisPay is available for download now on the Apple and Google Play Store. Once it has been downloaded, members can easily turn their KrisFlyer miles into KrisPay miles using the app’s instant top-up function. Once transferred, KrisPay miles have a validity of six months. To pay for purchases, members simply need to scan the KrisPay QR code at the merchant, and key in the amount they wish to pay with their KrisPay miles.
Fly SIA! You are a great way to arrive at your destination happy, healthy and refreshed!
The Travelling Gourmet TM recommends respectfully: Fly the best, forget the rest 🙂
The Travelling Gourmet TM with cheerful and bright Betty Wong, SIA’s Divisional Vice President