Singapore Airlines has successfully launched the world’s longest commercial flight between Singapore and New York.

SQ22 departed Changi Airport on Oct. 11, 2018 at 11.37pm (Singapore time) and arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport a day later, at 5.29am (US Eastern time).

With this trip, the brand new Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range) made history.

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I was among the lucky first in the world to experience this 18-hour body-clock-scrambling journey with my teammates, Rachel and Wei Choon.

Did we enjoy it? Is water wet?

#1. Inaugural flight = Get to the boarding gate early for free buffet, entertainment, and prizes.

If all flights are like this one, the stipulated two-hour buffer before the flight departs will not be enough.

International media personalities, such as CNN anchor Richard Quest, were spotted either taking a selfie or reporting live.

Regular, non-media passengers were also on board and they too got to enjoy the festivities.

#2. Travelling in luxury can be awkward

As someone who has never travelled Business Class (much less Business Class on the best airline in the world), the amount of privacy and personal space felt unusual and took some getting used to.

For the most part, I struggled with a strange feeling of loneliness and anxiety, even though I was seated in the middle section of a 1-2-1 configuration, which meant there was another passenger next door.

I recall that for a good 20 minutes after takeoff, the only human face I encountered was Elizabeth, the flight attendant in the Business cabin who happens to also be the narrator in the much-talked-about SIA flight safety video, and who was taking orders for welcome drinks.

It was neither possible to see Wei Choon nor Rachel, who were both seated in the row just in front of me, without having to slip out of my seat and take a few steps down the aisle.

There is also a privacy screen between the seats in the middle section, and noise-cancelling headphones that drown out even the gentle hum of the airplane.

It felt like being alone in a hotel room -- kind of nice, but also weird at the same time.

Guess the rich and successful have their problems, too :/

#3. If you not atas, at least act a bit like you are.

There is a detailed in-flight menu in every seat pocket.

Read it, study it, memorise it. No Business Class traveller wants to look uncouth when asked what variety of wine one wants served with one’s meal.

If in doubt, pretend you know what you are doing and ask for the oldest wine. Alternatively, request a different one each time.

#4. Request special meals in advance.

Do it online, and at least 48 hours before your flight. I promise the 30 minutes you spend scrolling through the unending list of meal options will all be worth it.

SIA’s "Book The Cook" service allows Business, First Class, and Suites passengers to select from eight categories of cuisine, including creations by SIA’s International Culinary Panel (a.k.a. master chefs of the world).

For the first meal service, I booked myself the lobster thermidor.

In Business Class speak: “lobster tail sautéed in butter, flambéed in brandy, sprinkled with cheese, and served with creamy mushroom sauce, garlic and spicy mustard, and buttered asparagus”.

It was great.

#5. 19-hour flight in economy class will be unimaginable

There are no Economy seats on SIA’s Singapore to New York non-stop flight, for reasons you probably can imagine, i.e. deep vein thrombosis.

Instead, there are the full-leather Premium Economy seats which can go for as low as S$1,200 (two-way) during promotional periods. For a Singapore to New York trip, that’s not bad at all.

Why stop there, though? Get ten-fold comfort by paying just three to four times as much to secure a seat in the Business cabin.

The ability to convert the seat into a bed allowed me to lie flat on my back, which in turn allowed me to get -- collectively -- almost six to seven hours of undisturbed sleep throughout the flight.

This made the 18-hour journey feel not much longer than a 10-hour one.

Too bad I probably can’t afford it on my own, but having now had a brief taste of High SES lifestyle, I can’t wait to eat cai png for several months to save up and have another go.

#6. Pilots are amazing.

The advertised duration of the flight is 18 hours 45 minutes.

The total distance to cover is 15,344km, but distance flown and flight times can vary because of headwinds, tailwinds and a host of other factors that have nothing to do with winds.

By assessing weather patterns and flight paths, however, our crew of four pilots, led by Chief Pilot Captain Leong, managed to get us to New York safely in 17 hours 25 minutes.

This is nearly half a day quicker than most flights with a stopover.

Captain Leong and his flight crew achieved this by flying the plane through a channel of favourable tailwinds in the North Pacific. Yay.

Or maybe this is a case of under-promising and over-delivering.

#7. SIA’s cabin crew are the best in the world. Fight me.

I’ve flown on many carriers. Some boast the most advanced planes, while others pride themselves on comprehensive in-flight entertainment systems.

After all these years, the SIA flight crew still offers the most consientious in-flight service.

Hot towels? Check.

Responsiveness? Double check.

Service with a smile no matter the time of day? Check check check.

SIA’s Singapore to New York route is served thrice-weekly, departing Singapore on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Look forward to daily operations commencing from Oct. 18 after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service.

Photos by Rachel Ng, Goh Wei Choon, and Daniel Ho. 

Flight courtesy of Singapore Airlines.

Wifi router courtesy of Changi Recommends.

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