Originally Posted by tom911

HEADING FOR INDIA ABOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 292 — A subdued crowd gathers at the airline gate at Chicago's O'Hare. They speak in hushed tones. They sit quietly and wait. There's no sense of urgency, no gaiety — not like the festive folks across the aisle who rush in at the last minute to jump on a short flight to San Diego, or is it Cancun?

The fliers on American Airlines' new USA-to-India flight know they are facing a long haul — the longest that American offers worldwide — and they're steeling themselves for it. Fifteen hours on a plane. Fifteen non-stop hours. On a plane. With no stops.

"I knew it was going to be a long flight to begin with, so I had that kind of 'how-much-longer attitude' right from the get-go," says Josh Robins, a musician from Austin who is making his first trip outside the USA.

Robins and about 240 others on this recent flight are part of a new breed of traveler — the endurance flier. They're among the growing number of people who are willing to pay 30% to 40% more for a flight with no stops that saves them hours on cross-global journeys.

Rest of the story:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztra...t_x.htm?csp=34