I am in favour of the non-stop flight. I have flown the 19 hour trip from SIN-LAX. At first it seemed really a daunting flight for a 6' 4" guy in EY. But SIA had increased seat pitch, width, leg space, TV screen and threw a bar in the back so people could socialize and get very pissed!!!
But that space comes at a premium....
When I booked to fly to SYD I decided to stop over in Hong Kong for 2 nights on the out bound flight and Dubai for 2 nights on the way back via Bangkok. Granted the stop over in Bangkok was only 2 hours but we visited to wonderful cities (HKG & DXB) which we wouldn't have done if the flights were non-stop.
It just goes to show that Airbus have a better strategy than Boeing. For Airbus to make an aircraft that will go head to head with Boeings new design, all they have to do is fit the same engines and a new wing to an already economical design. The A330.