Long Haul and Long Way
May 1981
I arrived at Heathrow to see my SAA 747 Non-stop London to Cape Town flight climbing into a bright blue evening sky.
On a full fare ticket British Airways were able to book me on a flight leaving 2 hours later, so first leg London to Nairobi, second leg Nairobi to Johannesburg, in a 747.
In Johannesburg SAA put me on the "stop at all stations" to Cape Town. That's when the fun started, Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - Kimberley - East London - Port Elizabeth - Cape Town
12 hours late getting home, 23 hours on an aeroplane.
But that was not the longest flight
January 1997
Brisbane - Sydney - Bangkok - London on a British Airways 747, sitting in the same seat for 25 hours.