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United Airlines is hoping to steal the title of world's longest flight from Qatar Airways with the announcement of its new US to Singapore route.
The US airline says it will start flying between the Los Angeles Airport and Changi Airport, a distance of about 14,000 kilometres, making it the longest route to or from the United States.
Westbound flights will be a derriere-numbing 17 hours and 55 minutes, about 25 minutes longer than the Doha to Auckland route. They will leave Los Angeles each evening and arrive two days later local time in Singapore.
New world's longest flight touches down
Qatar Airways has taken the title for the world's longest flight with its Doha-Auckland non-stop route. Watch as the airline's Boeing 777 touches down in Auckland for the first time.
The airline said on Thursday that assuming it gets government approval, flights will start October 27 using Boeing 787 planes.
"It's the longest route from the US to anywhere in the world," Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of international planning told USA Today. "It's definitely prestigious."
The longest current US flight is Qantas' 13,804km trip between Dallas-Fort Worth and Sydney, Australia.
Qatar's 14,535km, 17-and-a-half-hour Doha-Auckland service is currently the world's longest flight in terms of time after it knocked Air India's 15,127km, 15-hour Delhi-San Francisco route off its perch.
LONG-HAUL TRAVELLERS IN FOR PITCHED BATTLE
Boasting about record long-distance flights is fine if you are travelling business class but for most passengers it's a cooped-up crush.
Qatar may have bested Emirates for the now longest-haul flight but Qatar's economy class passengers will have to endure more cramped seats than competitors.
A quick trip to SeatGuru shows Emirates long-haul economy seats typically offer 81 to 86cm 'pitch', or leg room, while Qatar 's Boeing 777-200LR offers 76cm.
On the plus side, if you're short and wide, Qatar economy boasts 48cm broad seats while Emirates gives passengers 43 to 45cm wide seats.
Air New Zealand's 777-200ER falls somewhere between the two Middle Eastern giants, providing 45cm wide economy seats and pitch of 78 to 84cm.
AP
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