4 ms·
I don't think anybody really enjoys long haul flights, but personally, I especially dislike them. I'd much rather break my flight up into <8hr segments. I guess
by toomanybeersies 8y ago
I don't think anybody really enjoys long haul flights, but personally, I especially dislike them. I'd much rather break my flight up into <8hr segments. I guess with everyone trying to squeeze as much of their vacation time though, it's more efficient to take a single 20 hour flight than two 10 hour legs with a 3 hour layover.
A while back, I flew to Vietnam from New Zealand. My flight there was AKL-HKG-SGN (11h30m, 2h40m). My return flight was HAN-SGN-KUL-OOL-AKL (2h, 2h, 8h, 3h). Total flight time is about the same, but the total trip time including stopovers was 18 hours to Vietnam, and 24 hours on return. I found it so much more pleasant to be able to get off the plane, stretch my legs, and eat some real food every few hours. I really don't enjoy long flights at all and I don't think the couple of hours it saves is worth it. 4 hours is the limit for me being comfortable on a flight, after 8 hours I'm feeling quite uncomfortable but I'll manage, and 12 hours is the absolute limit for me for flying. 20 hours on a plane would be absolute torture.
I really don't see the point in these excessively long flights either, you usually have to layover somewhere anyway, these ultra-long flights are most often to a hub like DOH or DXB, where you then need to connect to your final destination.
Flying from Auckland to London, I'd much rather take AKL-HKG-LHR (12hr, 12hr) than AKL-DOH-LHR (18hr, 8hr). I'd even pay a premium of a couple of hundred bucks for it, although conveniently basically every option with one stopover from Auckland to London is about the same cost (I really don't know how it's profitable to fly from NZ to England for US$450 though, that's insane, I'm fairly sure freighting 100kg to London would cost more).
- FabHK 8y agoAgreed - if you fly Economy. For example, Asia to Europe it's quite pleasant to stop over in the Gulf (sorry, non-Gulf carriers :-) However, if you fly Business (or even First), my, are these long flights pleasant. Also, if you wish to minimise the number of take-offs and landings (eg out of a fear of flying, rational or not), non-stop flights are the way to go, obviously. EDIT: s/direct/non-stop/g
- ipsi 8y agoAs someone who also flies from NZ to London every now and then, I would love a non-stop flight from, say, London to Sydney, and then a short hop from there to NZ (the city I'm actually flying to couldn't handle a plane big enough to fly from London, sadly, so it's a minimum of one stop). That would be quicker, I'd be able to optimise my sleep better, and at least in business class it would be reasonably relaxing. Also, some stops can be quite stressful - LAX, in particular, is awful (Sorry, Air New Zealand, but I'll probably never fly you again while you go through LAX!). Also, several parents I've talked to would definitely prefer a single long flight to several shorter ones, given e.g., the stress of getting all your stuff + kids off and on the plane without losing them, the distress of ear pressure during takeoff and landing, etc.
- toomanybeersies 8y agoI thought Air NZ went to AKL-SFO-LHR these days?
- ipsi 8y agoNope, NZ0001/NZ0002 still fly through LA, unfortunately.
- grkvlt 8y agoIf you have status with an airline, then stopovers become more relaxing with access to lounges (food, drinks, internet etc.) plus many have areas where you can get some sleep, so economy might become more feasible.
- toomuchtodo 8y agoIf you don't have airline status, get a Platinum Amex for ~$500/year, which gets you Priority Pass and Centurion lounge access (among a raft of other benefits that are out of scope for this comment). To your point, stopovers become enjoyable; I no longer mind multiple legs when traveling internationally, and I plan my flights based on the stopovers with the best lounges I can access.
- amaccuish 8y agoI fly regularly from LON to NZ to visit family. I would also happily pay extra for the break in the middle. Hell I've even paid for business sometimes, since it's so bloody long. I wish there was an overnight ferry option of flying, where the cabin is just bunk beds, like russian sleeper trains.
- wild_preference 8y agoI’ve long yearned for a flight where we just lay down the whole time, stacked. I’ve envied everyone who could ever sleep in a sitting position.
- XorNot 8y agoI'd pay more for a flight where they just sedated me in advance and I woke up at my destination.
- sushisource 8y agoNow we're talking. I'll take a vodka and a valium, see you when we land.
- toomanybeersies 8y agoI assume you aware that it's not a great idea to mix benzos with alcohol?
- grkvlt 8y agoDiazepam is definitely useful, and 5-10mg ought to be enough to let you have a decent rest on flights between 6-12h long, I've found. But you'll probably be a bit groggy on arrival, so depending on your immigration status and the target nation, this may be something to consider ;)
- Taniwha 8y agoHaving had a horrific experience with my wife, halcyon and US customs I recommend being particularly careful here - try your dose out before you fly
- CydeWeys 8y ago> I really don't see the point in these excessively long flights either, you usually have to layover somewhere anyway, these ultra-long flights are most often to a hub like DOH or DXB, where you then need to connect to your final destination. Not necessarily. I live in NYC, and the ~20 million people that live here in the metropolitan area with access to these three international airports definitely benefit from long non-stop flights directly to destinations of interest, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Dubai. There are no non-stops to Australia quite yet (too far), but they're coming in a few years! If you live in a big international city and want to go to another big international city, which is a common travel pattern, then these nonstops really are nonstop, no connecting flights necessary.
- jerhinesmith 8y agoEspecially on long distance trips, I try to avoid layovers because of the uncertainty it introduces. If I could be guaranteed that my first leg would leave and arrive on time, then I'd happily book two legs with a break in-between over one long flight.
- smashingfiasco 8y agoI’m totally with you. I couldn’t imagine having to live for 20 hours in a plane. Of course, this wouldn’t be a thing if we had supersonic flight.