Would you take a 29-hour direct flight? This airline just made it possible

China Eastern’s journey between Buenos Aires and Shanghai will cross some 15 different time-zones - Xinhua/Shutterstock Editorial

Even if you’re someone who can doze easily on flights, it remains a daunting prospect, spending 29 hours (minus a two-hour stopover) in the skies, as your plane travels 12,500 miles in a brain-scrambling journey across the globe.

That’s the reality that will await lucky customers of China Eastern Airlines this winter, as they embark on what is set to be the world’s longest ever direct flight: an epic journey between Buenos Aires and Shanghai which will cross some 15 different time-zones.

Leaving aside who would even want to do that, it begs the obvious question: how on earth is a 29-hour flight even possible? The answer to that lies in the fact that the aviation industry uses a slightly different definition when it comes to the word “direct”.

Direct vs non-stop flights

Generally speaking, a flight that goes straight from one destination to another (i.e. the sort of thing you and I might describe as “direct”) is actually called a “non-stop” flight. By contrast, a flight that is advertised as “direct” goes between two destinations, but makes at least one stop along the way. Clear? Not quite.

Furthermore, a “direct” flight is different from a “connecting” flight, which is when one airline essentially sells you two tickets at once, requiring you to change planes. With direct flights, passengers will stay on the same plane – even if they disembark during the stop to stretch their legs – and in the same seat.

For British travellers, the most famous example of an ultra-long direct flight is probably the British Airways/Qantas flights between London Heathrow and Sydney. All in all, the journey takes almost 25 hours, which includes a short fuel stop (1 hour 40 minutes) at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Doing your homework

What’s it like to take these kinds of flights? Even for travellers used to spending the best part of a waking day in the sky, the challenge requires a bit of extra planning – not least a thought-through strategy to maximise sleep. That’s particularly so if you’re braving the whole flight in economy.

Back in 2019, Rhys Jones, aviation editor for the travel website Head for Points, managed to purchase one of the “golden tickets” when Qantas held a centenary sale, selling a handful of tickets from London to Sydney for just £205. After getting over the excitement of bagging a bargain, he put together a plan to try to make it as painless as possible.

Qantas operates 25 hour flights between London Heathrow and Sydney - Getty

“As a frequent flyer with BA silver status, I had the advantage of being able to use the lounges – which had showers – including during the stopover,” he says. “But the most important thing was getting the right seat. With a bit of research I worked out the row that was most likely to be empty (unless the flight was totally full) and luckily my homework paid off.”

“Most long-haul flights give you some sort of amenity kit, but I took extra moisturisers and even one of those sheet masks. I’d never worn one on a plane before but it was well worth the awkwardness of looking strange for a bit in order to arrive feeling less dried out.”

Going long

When it comes to long flights, there are a handful of other routes which deserve a mention as holding a particular record and which may merit some additional planning.

The world’s longest non-stop flight (i.e. an A-to-B journey with zero refuelling stop) is hosted by Singapore Airlines, with an 8,300-mile, ocean-crossing venture between New York City and Singapore. If you’re departing from JFK, the route takes a staggering 18 hours 45 minutes, due to the additional tailwinds.

If things go to plan, Singapore Airlines will be kissing goodbye to that particular record in two years’ time. That’s when Qantas is set to debut its much-anticipated “Project Sunrise”: a new non-stop service between London and Sydney, with a flight time of just under 20 hours.

Giving the imposing prospect of spending that long in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers, Qantas is making some adjustments for comfort. The planes will have 20 per cent fewer seats in order to give passengers more legroom. There will also be “wellness zones” for travellers to stretch their legs.

Cramped quarters

Of course, not all planes are so spacious to begin with. The current record for longest route on a single-aisle “narrow-body” jet belongs to Scandinavian Airlines’ service between Copenhagen and Washington DC. The flight is 8 hours and 29 minutes long on the westbound journey, and 7 hours 50 minutes coming back.

While they use a single-aisle jet on this particular route, Scandinavian is at least a full-service carrier, so offers all the comforts that come with that. Passengers are served a meal and drinks, and can also make use of the in-flight Wi-Fi (provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink) to pass the time.

There’s even a business-class cabin, with seats that convert into a flat bed. Though, the single-aisle arrangement means that you’re facing across the plane when you’re sitting up, which might not be for everyone.

For the brave, Wizz Air currently offers long haul routes at budget prices - Ewan Partridge/Alamy Stock Photo

For masochists looking to do the longest possible budget flight on a single-aisle jet, look no further than Wizz Air’s Gatwick to Jeddah service. The westbound leg of the journey takes just under seven hours: an hour more than Ryanair’s longest route (Warsaw to Tenerife) and on par with a typical JFK-Heathrow service.

Despite the extra flying time, the service is identical to any other Wizz Air flight, meaning that you’ll have to pay for any drinks or snacks. Though the airline does use its new Airbus A321-XLR jets which it insists are slightly more comfortable (“these seats offer more shin clearance versus existing ones”, says a Wizz spokesperson).

Compare that with China Eastern Airline’s record-breaking service and you get quite the predicament: 29 hours on a full-service flight where they will at least feed you and let you stretch your legs, versus spending a quarter of that time on a crowded single-aisle jet with non-reclining seats and a queue for the toilets.

If you’re looking for a travel dilemma to chew over when passing time on your flight, that one should keep you going for a bit.

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