18 Hours on the World’s Longest Flight: Singapore Airlines Business Class From Singapore to New York

There are many ultra-long-haul flights these days, made possible by technological advances resulting in airplanes with enormous ranges. At the top of the longest list, there’s an undisputed champion: the daily Singapore Airlines service from Singapore to New York’s JFK airport. It beats the airline’s flight to Newark, also in the New York area, by a few miles. Airbus A350s operate both.

This is a chronicle of my 18-hour stay in an airplane seat aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ24 in January 2025.

Booking Singapore Airlines Business Class on the Cheap

Long-haul flights in business or first class can cost significantly less when departing from Asia than when departing from the U.S. Searching for a return flight to New York from Kathmandu, Nepal, in January, I found a relative bargain on Google Flights: the lowest fare from Kathmandu (KTM) was $1,970.

Even better, it was a 1-stop connection via Singapore on Singapore Airlines, known for its excellent service. It would include the longest nonstop scheduled flight in the world, from Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK), a monster that often spends almost 19 hours in the air. It would be a great way to test the airline’s fabled reputation without breaking the bank.

Google Flights sent me to the Singapore Airlines site to book, and once there, the fare fell to $1,861.51 if I chose the nonrefundable option.

I paid it with the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, which earns 3x points on all travel, and credited the trip to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Singapore and Alaska have a partnership, and in business class on Alaska’s partner airlines, you earn 125% of miles flown. This netted me a hefty total of 14,662 miles in the Mileage Plan program, one of our favorites at UP.

Choosing Meals With Book the Cook

Several airlines offer passengers in business and first the possibility of choosing meals before departure, but Singapore Airlines takes it to another level. Usually, you get to choose from among 3 or 4 dishes, but on this flight, Singapore offered 39 entree choices. You read that right.

Singapore Airlines calls this Book the Cook.

With 3 full meal services scheduled for the flight from Singapore to New York, I knew there would be a lot of food. I chose a nasi biryani (“spiced basmati rice with chicken curry and local pickled vegetables”) for lunch and then laksa for dinner: a classic Southeast Asian noodle dish, in this case with prawns in a coconut broth.

The third meal was unavailable for prebooking a week before the flight, but based on Singapore Airlines’ reputation, I wasn’t worried about finding something to my taste onboard.  

6 Hours in the Excellent SilverKris Lounge

Singapore’s Changi Airport is a worldwide favorite of frequent travelers, and with good reason. It’s spotless, runs efficiently, and has plenty of space to relax even without access to its lounges.

This is my experience there and on the flight, as it happened.

5 a.m.: Beautiful Changi

I’m back at Changi after several years. The red-eye from Kathmandu was on a Boeing 737-800 with no screens or Wi-Fi, an airplane that Singapore Airlines is phasing out. While the cabin crew was excellent, the plane didn’t measure up to the rest of the fleet.

The airline’s beautiful home base makes me forget it quickly.

When I deplane at Terminal 2, it’s still dark. I need to transfer to Terminal 3, where the SilverKris lounge is and where the New York flight departs. The Skytrain and clear signage make it a breeze.

The first thing that greets me when I enter Terminal 3 is the smell of freshly baked pain au chocolat from a café. Details like this one help make Changi, for me, the best major airport on the planet, hands down.

Granted, Changi does not escape the mold that all big international airports are made from these days — a combination of shopping mall and food court with brands found anywhere globally. But it perfectly does the job of being the business card for a top global city.

Each of its 4 terminals has either airline-specific or Priority Pass lounges, and it’s time to go find mine.

5:15 a.m.: In the Lounge

Singapore Airlines’ own SilverKris lounge is easy to find following the signs.

The lounge is 2 separate spaces for first and business class. First class enters on the left side into a rarefied world marked by purple signage. Only Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s in Singapore’s fleet have first class; on all other planes, the top class is business.

I go right into the less exclusive realm of business class, color-coded in blue.

It may be less posh, but even as I walk in, I can tell that I’m going to like it. I had read that it’s 32,000 square feet, and it looks huge.

Even better than the space? The service. I wanted to send some postcards from Kathmandu, but the post office at the airport there was closed, and it isn’t clear if there is one open at Changi. So I ask the lone staffer at the lounge desk if she knows of one, and her reply is that she will be glad to send them for me, postage on the house.

Meanwhile, I’m getting peckish, and I’m spoiled for choice: from croissants to noodles, there are several food stations to choose from.

It’s hard to resist the lure of the laksa station. It may be early morning, but when crossing this many time zones at once, meals become haphazard. Breakfast laksa it is.

The lounge’s 2 wings, stretching left and right from the entrance, each have their food and beverage stations. I’m going to be very well-fed and hydrated.

The lounge is empty from 5:30 to 7 a.m., then fills up until 10 and rapidly empties again as people arrive from Europe and leave for ongoing connections to Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. But I always find space to sit comfortably, and it’s never noisy.

There are several coffee machines throughout the lounge and many self-serve liquor, wine, Champagne, and beer options. I’m facing 18 hours of dry airplane air, so I’m drinking only water, juice, and plenty of green and jasmine tea. The espresso I get from one of the machines is decent, but nothing more.

The bathrooms deserve a mention as they are probably the best kept in any lounge I’ve visited and are full of thoughtful touches like disposable dental and shaving kits.

8 a.m.: Shower

I have time for a shower, something I can’t recommend enough if you have a long layover in a lounge that offers the option. I ask an attendant to book a shower room, and he hands me a pager that will ring when one is available, in about 45 minutes.

Half an hour later, it is ready. The room has space for my large backpack, a showerhead and rain shower with good pressure, a dental kit, and a powerful hair dryer. It’s too bad it’s limited to 30 minutes per user, or I would luxuriate here for a while.

The SilverKris shoots quickly to nearly the top of my lounge rankings. I could spend a whole day here working remotely, eating well, and pampering myself — an increasingly rare experience. This is why I leave at 11:20 a.m., the last possible minute to catch the flight.

Onto the Flight

On the way to the gate, I am reminded that I would not have needed a lounge to eat well at Changi, where food options are plentiful.

At the gate, there’s no free-for-all rush to board. Instead, a few dozen passengers sit quietly, waiting for their zones to be called.

Docked in front of the big windows, with 2 jetways attached — 1 exclusively for business class — our plane looks like any other Airbus A350. But its tail number, 9V-SGC, identifies it as an aviation-geek treat: it’s one of just 7 A350 ULRs built for ultra-long range, able to stay in the air for up to 20 hours with 6,300 gallons of extra fuel.

11:40 a.m.: On Board

I’m among the first on board, welcomed by a flight attendant wearing Singapore Airlines’ classic sarong kebaya uniform. The immediate impression is one of elegance and roominess. The seats look huge compared to other business classes.

This plane has 94 business seats and 67 in premium economy. Mercifully, there is no coach class on this airplane that can fly nonstop almost for a full day. The 161 seats are about half of what other airlines put in their A350s.

The layout is a classic 1-2-1, with the center block perfect for couples.

I’m in 15A, on the port side.

At the seat, there’s everything you expect on a long-haul flight in business: pillow, slippers, extra socks, eye mask, a menu. But I notice something missing. Where’s the bedding? And the toiletry kit?

A quick examination reveals that the bedding — and a lot of it: there is a mattress pad and extra pillows besides the comforter tucked behind the seat back. I’d later discover the amenities in the lavatories.

As I settle in, the mini-suites feel wide. At 28 inches, these are among the widest business class seats in the world; regular A350s typically have biz seats between 20 and 22 inches wide. And, incredibly enough, the aisles don’t feel cramped despite the wider seats.

Hot Tip:

Singapore Airlines is installing new seats on A350s and adding first class, but that won’t happen until 2026.

There’s a vast amount of floor space, too. This adds to the feeling of being on a comfortable living room couch.

Meanwhile, the captain announces that our forecasted flight time is an exceptionally low 17 hours and 15 minutes. Strong winter winds must be blowing really fast at high altitudes, and they’ll speed us to New York.

After the predeparture drinks tray arrives, flight attendant Nicole introduces herself and confirms my Book the Cook orders. Also, would I like a Champagne or another drink after takeoff? I ask for green tea. The late great Anthony Bourdain advocated skipping the food and drinking to oblivion on long flights, but I’m going to do the exact opposite: lots of food, no booze.

The only annoying thing about the seat is the push-to-release table and storage area to my left. It pops open whenever I rest my elbow on one of them.

12:35 p.m.: Takeoff

We’re taxiing behind an Air Asia Airbus A321, which, according to flight-tracker sites, is going to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’ll be in the air a little longer than 30 minutes.

It’s about half past noon, and we’ll be in the air, local time, until almost 6 the next morning.

Time to explore the inflight entertainment, which has a whopping 386 movies and a ton of music. The only problem is that the big, crisp display isn’t a touchscreen, and I can only use the remote.

The system has a favorites function, so it’s easy to save many movies as you explore. I assemble quite an international playlist, from Hollywood classics to Korean horror and spy flicks.

There’s also a decent music selection, plus live TV, including BBC, CNN, and CNBC. And then there’s the real star: fast, stable, free Wi-Fi. On my phone, it clocks in at a speedy 31.8 Mbps download speed, and it stays connected without a hiccup all the way to New York.

1:30 p.m: A Long Leisurely Lunch

The green tea Nicole promised arrives exactly 1 hour after wheels up, with a bowl of warmed nuts. We’re operating on Singapore time, so lunch will be served shortly.

The entree I’m served after the smoked salmon appetizer is a better chicken biryani than I’ve had at many Indian restaurants.

When the dessert cart rolls around, it’s been an hour since lunch service began. I like the leisurely pace. I mean, what else are we doing? After I’m done with the chocolate cake, I know that I will not arrive hungry in New York, which is still more than 15 hours away.

A post-lunch stroll to the aft business cabin reveals it’s even emptier than the front one.

The premium economy section just behind is closed off with thick curtains buttoned to the bulkheads. There’s a space in front of the curtains where I can stretch. From back here, it looks like no one’s on board. The quiet is almost eerie.

This is also where the bigger 2 of the 4 business-class lavatories are found. They have dental and shaving kits as well as an assortment of toiletries. Now I understand why I didn’t find an amenity kit at my seat: Its contents are available in the bathrooms anyway.

The other lavatories between the 2 business cabins are much smaller.

3:50 p.m.: Korean Horror, Plus Sleep

This would be the moment to change into pajamas, but strangely enough, Singapore doesn’t provide them on this flight. Other airlines do, even on much shorter flights. It’s not a big problem, but certainly a noticeable miss by an otherwise impeccable airline.

I recline the seat and watch Exhuma, an extremely scary Korean horror film. During the film, the cabin goes dark, and it’s dark outside, too: we’re cruising south of Japan, and the sun has just set.

Nicole notices I’m awake, unlike several of my fellow passengers, and comes to inquire if I would like something to drink. Service is discreet but attentive.

After the movie, I do some work using the Wi-Fi, visit the central galley for water and snacks, and then it’s time to think about sleeping.

Putting the seat into bed mode requires getting out of it and manually lowering the back, like a car’s collapsible rear seat. (I discover this when Nicole notices I’m fiddling with the seat and comes to lower it for me.)

It’s now 7 p.m. Singapore time, but clocks are pretty meaningless when crossing 13 time zones in 18 hours. I just know I’m fading and have an inviting, cozy bed ready.

9:30 p.m.: Dinner Over the North Pacific

I wake with 8 hours and 39 minutes remaining. Outside, it’s still pitch dark, and we’re north of the Aleutian Islands, approaching the halfway point.

My stomach is telling me that the last real food I had was 7 hours ago. As if reading my mind, Nicole appears to ask if I would like the second meal I had preordered. I say yes and ask for another tea while my dinner gets warmed up. I’m not bothering to put the seat back up. Let’s just think of this as self-indulgently eating in bed.

Dinner is a knockout, one of the best inflight meals I can recall.

The chicken satay appetizer may be the best I’ve ever had. The seared tuna salad that follows isn’t in the same league, but the laksa entree is spectacular. With chili on the side, I can kick up its velvety broth to whatever notch I want. It’s even better than the laksa I had in the lounge.

After reading and Instagramming, it’s past midnight Singapore time, and this thing is getting to be a bit much, even for a practiced long-distance flyer: We’re still 5 hours out!

Flightradar24 on my phone tells me we’re over Alaska and about to cross into Canada, the lone eastbound flight bucking the stream of cargo jets headed to Asia.

2:30 a.m.: Nap, Canada, and Another Meal

Later, I wake from a couple of hours’ nap dehydrated and a little disoriented. My phone is just as confused: the weather widget on the home screen displays a subfreezing -6 degrees Celsius, while the weather app has me in the tropical heat of Singapore. Where are we? Actually over Manitoba, Canada, where it’s afternoon.

Having noticed I’m lifting the window shade, a flight attendant comes to ask if I need anything and offers an amenity kit. I don’t need it since the lavatories have everything, but it will make a good toiletry bag for future travel.

He explains that I can choose when and what I want for the final meal service. I decide on chicken noodles.

JFK is still a couple of hours away, and most other passengers are still sound asleep when I wander into a galley for more water. Nicole, who is mixing a Singapore Sling, asks me if I would like one before catching herself and remembering that I told her I wasn’t drinking. I’m having another green tea instead.

My chicken noodles are served at 4:05 a.m. Singapore time, 1 hour and 50 minutes out. I timed it well: it’s 3 p.m. in New York, which will leave me hungry for dinner at home later.

5:05 a.m.: Lights on, We’re Getting There

After breakfast/dinner/whatever that was, the crew turns the lights on to begin arrival preparations. Soft light begins to flood the cabin, and some window shades come up, letting in the rapidly setting afternoon sun.

It’s time to put the seat upright, and it’s a bit complicated to do myself — the only real drawback of this seat — so I ask Nicole to do it for me.

We’re coming in from the north, following the Hudson River. The captain’s arrival announcement tells us it’s 21 degrees Fahrenheit in New York City, and it looks even colder from up here. Ice floes dot the water.

When we overfly the city, the sun is almost gone. Manhattan is on the other side of me, and over Queens, I get a good look at LaGuardia Airport. It’s 4:40 p.m. down there.

JFK comes into view minutes later, its 4 runways making a precise pattern in the snow. The Wi-Fi cuts out after staying on without a hitch all flight long.

At 4:52, we are on the final approach as the wing flaps come out with a whirr and the gear comes down.

A silky smooth touchdown at 4:59 p.m. local brings us back to earth after 17 hours and 22 minutes in the air. We have covered 10,390 miles, pushed by the jetstream winds to an amazing 598 mph average speed.

And the best thing? The longest nonstop flight in the world hasn’t felt like such an ordeal. Between the comfortable bed, great food, and top-notch service, those 17 hours went by in a flash.

But the New York that welcomes me home is still its classic self, a far cry from Singaporean efficiency. At baggage claim, after breezing through Global Entry, the dirty conveyor belt comes to life with a startling clank. People wince.

“Welcome to JFK,” one passenger says to his travel companion. “You’re not in Singapore anymore!” 

Final Thoughts

Singapore Airlines lived up to its reputation: On the longest flight in the world, it treated me well.

Although the seat itself was not as private or technologically advanced as its best competitors, it made for a really cozy space for 18 hours. Would I recommend spending your cash or points to fly this product? Yes, with no hesitation.