More than 2,000 flights take off every day, but only one can be the longest. ✈️🌍 Join me as we embark on a 18-hour, 10,000-mile journey from New York to Singapore. 🗽➡️🇸🇬 Singapore Airlines operates two flights out of New York: one to Frankfurt and one directly to Singapore, which is the flight I’ll be taking today. ✨ Let’s get started!
We began by taking a train 🚆 to Terminal 4, where Singapore Airlines operates at JFK. 🛬 Our flight today offers only two classes: First Class 🛋️ and Premium Economy. Since we were among the first to arrive, check-in was quick and seamless. ✅ Security was just as fast, thanks to Singapore Airlines’ participation in TSA PreCheck. 🛂
Now that we’re through TSA, it’s time to check out the lounges. 🛋️ Singapore Airlines doesn’t have its own lounge at JFK, so Business Class passengers (like me today) get access to either the Primeclass Lounge 🍷 or the Air India Lounge. ✈️ We decided to check out the Air India Lounge first, but when we walked in, there was no one at the front desk. 🤷♂️ After waiting around for a while, we gave up and headed to the Primeclass Lounge instead. Unfortunately, that was also underwhelming. 😞
Since we arrived early, we had some extra time for plane spotting. 🔭✈️ We even caught a glimpse of our aircraft arriving from Singapore! 🛫✨
After a short walk from security, we arrived at Gate A204, where our aircraft—a nine-year-old Airbus A350-900, registered as 9V-SGB—was waiting to take us to Singapore. ✈️🇸🇬 Due to the length of this flight, the aircraft is configured with only 161 seats available for purchase, significantly fewer than the typical 300 seats on other A350-900s. 🛫💺Boarding began right on time, keeping everything on schedule. ⏰✨🛬
We were seated in 23K, one of the larger Business Class seats. 💺✨ There is a smaller Business Class section at the front, but those seats were unavailable when we booked. This seat was pretty standard for Business Class, offering an IFE system 🎥, a reclining seat 💤, and a handy amenity kit. 🧴 The footrest was positioned to the right of the seat, which was a bit different. Singapore Airlines is currently upgrading their cabins, so this was the older configuration.
Once we were seated, a flight attendant came around with warm towels. 🛎️🧖♂️ This is always such a nice touch, especially at the start of a long-haul flight. 🛫💛 I really appreciate it when airlines provide this it’s a small gesture, but it goes a long way in enhancing the experience.
Pushback took quite a while 🚜✈️, but I enjoyed watching all the other planes passing by as we waited. ✈️👀 The taxi was surprisingly quick, even with the heavy ground traffic. 🚦
The takeoff was smooth and uneventful, but still exciting in its own way. 🛫✨ I loved watching the airport fade into the distance as we began this incredible journey the world’s longest flight. 🌍✈️ It’s amazing to think flights like this are even possible.
Speaking of long flights, Qantas plans to operate a nonstop route from New York to Sydney 🗽➡️🇦🇺 once they receive their new A350-1000 aircraft. 🛬🚀 This flight, expected to last over 22 hours ⏱️, will become the new longest in the world. 🌎🕒✈️ I’m already looking forward to experiencing it it’s a record-breaking journey! 🌟💺
As a long-haul flight, inflight entertainment (IFE) is one of the most important features. Singapore Airlines didn’t disappoint, offering an excellent system with live news, new releases, and dozens of movies. 🎥🎶 The highlight was the moving map feature, which showed us departing the vibrant city of New York and heading toward Singapore. 🌆➡️✈️
However, the IFE isn’t touchscreen and is controlled via a remote awkwardly placed to the right of the seat. 🖥️🎛️ Free Wi-Fi is available to all passengers who are members of the Singapore Airlines frequent flyer program, and it worked well throughout the flight. 🌐💻 Noise-canceling headphones were also provided 🎧, adding to the comfort of the experience.
About 30 minutes after takeoff, the flight attendant served warm nuts. 🥜 I reclined my seat, watched the moving map, and enjoyed the stunning view outside the window. 🌅✈️
For my first appetizer, I chose the “Hudson Valley Hot Smoked Marrow Farm Salad,” which was light and refreshing a great start to the meal. 🥗✨ About a week before departure, Singapore Airlines emailed us to pre-order our meals through their “Book the Cook” service. 🍳✈️ I opted for “Chicken Rice” to get a taste of Singaporean cuisine. It was flavorful and came with a variety of tasty sauces. 🍗🍚 For dessert, I enjoyed a caramel brownie with pistachio cream and black coffee, a perfect end to the meal. 🍮☕
Two hours into the flight, the flight attendant converted my seat into a bed while I changed into pajamas and brushed my teeth. 🛌🪥 The bed setup included a mattress pad, three pillows, and a blanket, making it super comfortable. 🛏️🛋️
The seat design was wide at the shoulders, which gave me plenty of space to move around a big plus since I tend to shift positions while sleeping. ✨💤 While the footrest being offset to the right might bother some, it didn’t affect me since I sleep on my left side. 😴👍 Overall, the setup was fantastic for a restful journey. 🛫🌌
After an incredible 9 1/2 hours of sleep 🛌✨, I felt a bit sad for the rest of the trip due to the significant time difference. 🌍🕒 Departing late at night in New York and arriving early in the morning in Singapore makes adjusting quite difficult. I hoped to get a bit more rest before landing, but after such a long sleep, I was fully wired and ready to go.
At this point, we were flying over the Black Sea 🌊✈️, and the view from the window was breathtaking.
To start we were given another warm towel to refresh ourselves. 🧖♂️✨ The meal service began with a tuna salad 🥗, followed by my pre-ordered “Book the Cook” option: a cheesy cheeseburger with a side of fries. 🍔🍟 The burger was absolutely delicious hard to go wrong with a classic like that! 🧄🥖 It even came with a side of garlic bread, which made the meal even better.
I decided to stay up, watch some movies 🎬, and get some work done 💼. The internet was absolutely spectacular, and I had no issues with it at all. After getting a good amount of work finished, we began our descent into Singapore. 🇸🇬✈️
As we descended from 41,000 feet, the flight remained smooth and uneventful—exactly how I like it. 😌✈️ The cabin lights gradually turned on, and everyone started to prepare for the day ahead in Singapore. 🌅🕶️ We touched down 40 minutes early at 6:20 AM. ⏰✈️
Thank you for reading my flight report! ✨✍️ This trip was inspired by Jeb Brooks’ New York to Singapore flight. What flight should I do next? 🛫 I’m aiming to put out a new flight report every week, so let me know what flight you’d like to see! 😄 I’m not the best at planning flights, so your suggestions are always welcome!
Flight info
Aircraft type: A350-900
Origin: KJFK
Destination: WSSS
Flight time: 18:15
Flight number: SQ23
Seat number: Business class seat 23K
Aircraft registration: 9V-SGB
disclaimers
Several AI tools were utilized to ensure this flight report is as professional and polished as possible.
“18hrs INSIDE the WORLD’S LONGEST FLIGHT (NYC to Singapore)”