JpMaxMan

Boeing Debuts Layover-Buster ; Long-Range 777-200LR Can Fly New York to Sydney Without Stopping. The World Gets a First Look at the Longest-Range Plane Today in Everett. Welcome to the 20-Hour Nonstop Flight, Courtesy of Boeing.

http://www.go2uti.com/headline/newsi...7&head=Customs

Seems like a good market for an all biz class config.

Doppy

20+ hours on a plane - that's going to be one heck of a ride.

ByrdluvsAWACO

While I like flying, 20 hours just seems too long to be packed into a regular Y seat. There would have to be some type of E++, or EMRTC(Even More Room Throughout Coach) seating involved.

Globaliser

Anyway, the market's not currently big enough for a JFK-SYD nonstop, is it?

sheepherder

I think it would be great as an alternative to LHR-BKK or SIN-SYD. Better to
have on shorter flight than the two long flights via LAX.

djjaguar64

There is always a market. The YVR -SYD route is a popular route and look at the JFK - SIN flights. People prefer non stops as it gets you to your destination fast and w/o any hassles. Well even SQ created comfortable Y seats, that is necessary otherwise, pax in Y will suffer lower lumbar conditions.

wahooflyer

It's also because of weight restrictions on the A345; the plane wouldn't be able to make it from EWR to SIN nonstop if it had a fully loaded cattle-class Y section. Executive Economy, with fewer seats, solves the weight problem.

Herb687

Weren't endurances of 20+ hours doable in the latter part of the prop age? I remember reading somewhere that TWA's Super Connies operated U.S. West Coast to Europe nonstop (eastbound only). That would be a flight time in the neighborhood of 20-24 hours, I imagine.

Come to think of it, those Pan Am Clippers across the Pacific must have also had some mighty long sectors (even with stops at places like Midway or Wake Islands).

Globaliser

Sorry, how would JFK-SYD non-stop be a great alternative to LHR-BKK-SYD? Of course there's always a market. The question I posed was whether the JFK-SYD market is big enough to support a non-stop 777 service.

YVR-SYD may be busy but it's not particularly profitable, as I understand it. And it's not non-stop, which makes the analogy unclear.

notsosmart

I would think that the US eastern seaboard could help support a NYC-SYD route, if not our little podunk town of 8+ million.

Question is, would anyone be willing to do it in Y? That's an open question. SQ style seating would have to be involved, IMO, if not an all-out full-biz configuration as the OP suggested.

Globaliser

If that were true, I suspect that QF would be operating more than its current frequency of 4 x 744 a week - the economics of which are apparently only feasible because of the cargo load, which of course cares little about whether it flies one-stop or non-stop. Pax loads are not that good, and of course some of the pax load gets distributed at LAX to non-SYD flights (ie AKL, BNE and MEL).

magexpect

In my opinion, one must be nuts to even consider to be on a plane for such a long time without a stopover...

I once had to fly from SYD to LHR and back in a hurry as I had to attend a funeral. The experience was traumatic, to say the least and I flew F...

My limit is at 14 and a half hours between SYD and LAX. Give me a stopover and a loss of a day anytime...

I admire those who can envision a longer flight. My question: in which shape are they arriving? Are they functional?

spotwelder

Hi,

Well you lot do not sound like really mileage junkies to me. I used to do two round the worlds a month Europe-North America-South West Pacific-Asia-Europe and then I moved onto flying LHR-SIN-SYD-CBR every weekend, there or back. My average flight time per week was 29.5 hours.

If I had been in Washington DC and there was a choice between JFK direct SYD or going through the zoo of LAX, you bet, get me on that AATR72 from AAmericAAn EAAgle out of National and I would be away.

The reason that the market is a bit thin via LAX is that you have to go through LAX. Have you ever tried it as a non-US citizen? Even hand baggage only it is not too nice.

If it is a day flight for most of the 20 hours then the jet lag in economy will be OK if you remember to stay awake.

As for the old flight times in the props, yes they routinely did over 18 hours in passenger service. Some aircraft were capable of much longer flight times. In WW2 there were several aircraft based at my home airport which carried out 28 hour missions as standard on ice patrol from Scotland on the Russian convoy runs.

Back to planning my trips for the next two months London-MEL-SYD-CBR-CNS and home, London-Ghana for three days, London-Nigeria day return, London-Argentina and 5 domestics, London-Bogota and 4 domestics and who the hell suggested going London Saipan for a day's work?

Globaliser

I'm not nearly in spottie's league, but I can usually get enough sleep between LHR and SYD (in either direction) to just hit the ground running when I get to the other end. It's play in Sydney (or Canberra if I'm going there straight away), but usually straight into the office in London.

And never mind F, this is Y. If you do two or three of these a year, you learn to do it.

Analise

A nonstop from NYC? Somehow I think that would be greatly successful. Anyone know how successful the 18 hour nonstop EWR-SIN is doing?