World's most gruelling flight

[Flapping_Madly]

Sorry about the newspaper style heading.

In a couple of months my wife and I are flying Heathrow --Hong Kong---Auckland.

So that's 12 hours-2 hours while they suck out the toilets--and then 11 hours.

Coming back both flights can be up to 2 hours longer because of headwinds. I'm told.

Is there a more gruelling journey than that?:confused:

Also does any wise person out there know what sort of seat occupancy we can expect? Thinking about chance of grabbing 3 seat for a good sleep.

Also --silly question probably--excuse ignorance--are we kept on the plane while they sweep up the empty crisps bags?

Also do they make up time and land on time? The plane departs LHR between 25 and 90 minutes late every night --generally about 40 minutes late. Air New Zealand that is.

Many thanks

[25F]

Couple of years ago I flew from Heathrow, to Kansai, to Cairns, to Port Moresby, to Goroka. That was a shade under 36 hours end-to-end.

[Flapping_Madly]

Ah yes --see what you mean.

If I did London hong kong Auckland Sydney Singapore Moscow Paris Madrid Lima. With just refuelling breaks that would be a real bugger. What I meant was the most gruelling as a --what to call it --route? scheduled regular back and forth jobby-- know what I mean?

Regards

[sinala1]

How about EK SYD-DXB-IAH?

SYD-DXB STD 2110 STA 0545 (A340 14hr 35min), DXB-IAH STD 0905 STA 1635 (B777 16hr 30min)

Sold as a formal connection


Ouch :ouch:

[rjtjrt]

Quote "Couple of years ago I flew from Heathrow, to Kansai, to Cairns, to Port Moresby, to Goroka. That was a shade under 36 hours end-to-end."

I think that is a valid response to the original question about world’s most grueling flight. Bloke was trying to get from London to Goroka in PNG. No direct connection but still a continuous journey from one destination to another. Not muck around going back and forwards.

[RingwaySam]

Do Singapore still fly SIN-EWR direct? That's a good 17-18hrs surely... :eek:

[PAXboy]

Flapping I can't answer your question as to whether you disembark at HKG, as I have not done that route but the airline (or agent) can tell you.

As to the late departure from LHR, bear in mind that EVERY carrier now builds time delays into their schedule. On even a short domestic sector, there is time built in. If the block time is typically one hour, then up to 15 minutes will be added in the schedule. This allows them to arrive on time and have good statistics for publicity.

As to getting a three seats to yourself? Impossible to know until the moment the doors close but every carrier works towards having a 100% occupancy. The computer programmes that calculate how many people will buy a ticket but not show up - and consequently how many extra tickets they can sell - is a fine art and works very well. You have to assume that you will not have any seats to play with.

[25F]

rjtjrt - yes, I'm a bloke - to be fair to Flapping, it wasn't the most direct connection. It was the cheapest. I could have flown to POM (Port Moresby, PNG) from Singapore and Manila (I think). But not on the days I wanted to travel. Also there seemed to be lots of Japanese people transiting at POM (budget traveler types) so I assume that there was some sort of route available there (i.e. from POM to Japan) as well, but I couldn't find it at the time.

The nice thing about it was that the return JAL flight included bed and breakfast in the Kansai airport hotel.

[tezzer]

Just done Canberra to Melbourne (Qantas) then onto EK for Melbourne to Singapore (8 hours), with an hour stopover while the cleaners came through and yes, we were offered the chance to stay on board, which I did, then another 8 hours to Dubai, for a 9 hour layover, then a very slow journey (almost 10 hours) from Dubai back to Manchester.

Add in a day's work in Canberra on the day I travelled, and by the time the EK driver dropped me off at home, I had been "on the go" for almost 50 hours.

Absolute killer.

[Bushfiva]

A few years back I did NRT-CDG-NRT-AMS-CDG-AMS-NRT without leaving the airports, overnight in Tokyo, then NRT-AMS-LCY. It wasn't too bad actually, but after a few days in London Saturday arrived one day earlier than I expected.

The killer flights for me are those around 5 to 8 hours: not enough time to get fed, watered, and sleep.

[parabellum]

I would think that Lynham - Falkland Islands and vv in the back of a C130 would be the most gruelling flight, but it obviously doesn't qualify as a civil flight. Sorry, thread drift :uhoh:

[Haven't a clue]

Used to do Buenos Aires to Miami (8hrs) to San Fransisco (5 hrs) to Taipei (15 hrs) - with transfers around 48 hrs total - for a few years, all on United. Little sleep, no showers, primitive lounges and huge jet lag. Oh, and Miami immigration was a scramble. "Premium pax can use the Blue lane" boasted the airline, but so did the majority of the other travellers...

Occasionally a Montevideo or Santiago to BA sector got added as well. To be fair the baggage never got lost, and I sat in 1A. All before 9/11. I wouldn't contemplate a US transfer these days, and there are now carriers routing through NZ or Oz.

[Cremeegg]

Check the ANZ website which will tell you if you change aircraft at HKG - I suspect not - in which case they'll want you off the aircraft whilst it's cleaned. Also gives you a chance to stretch the legs whilst "in transit". Havent done CLK but it cannot be worse than the old transit box at LAX and that was before 9/11. I, too, have avoided the US since 9/11; before they were just b******y rude now they are paranoid.

ANZ are amongst the best although I hear legroom is not as generous as it once was. The days of three seats to your self are long gone. Pre-book; and turn up early at the airport to make sure of a reasonable seat. With so many people having access to the booking systems the ordinary SLF seems destined to suffer with the worst seats.

Sit back and relax - you'll need to after suffering this insane "security" nonsense that is inflicted upon us - but has yet to stop anything. Plenty of water - no alcohol - little food - and start working on NZ time as soon as you leave - then you will suffer little from jetlag. There are those of course that claim to suffer jetlag back from Greece to UK on their summer hols.

Auckland Airport getting better all the time - it can now cope with three 747's at once.

[PAXboy]

CremeeggPlenty of water - no alcohol - little food - and start working on NZ time as soon as you leave - then you will suffer little from jet lag.Just to show that it works differently for some. My long trips are with average water - more alcohol than I have on the ground and average food.

I find that, on the ground, I have a very small capacity for alcohol and get tipsy very easily (it's cheaper!!) but in the air, I drink more and NEVER get tipsy.

Lastly, I stay on the time zone of departure until arrival. I change my watch whilst we taxi to the stand. For me, jet lag is often more to do with my overall tiredness at the start of the trip, rather than how many zones I am going to cross.

I have tried the opposite way (as you describe above and almost everyone recommends) but I found that it did not change the experience of jet lag at all.

[Pax Vobiscum]

How about EK SYD-DXB-IAH?
True, but you'd have to be a strong EK supporter to prefer this to UA's SYD-LAX-DEN-IAH which at under 22 hrs is about 10 hours quicker :)

In the late '70s and early '80s, Pan Am used to run PA001 and PA002 as round-the-world flights with a route approximately (scratches bonce):
JFK-LHR-FRA-THR(!)-BKK-HKG-TYO-LAX-JFK and v.v.
Sadly, I don't have my old timetables to confirm how long this all took. It's a bit of a shame NZ don't do this with NZ038 and NZ002 to produce an LHR-HKG-AKL-LAX-LHR route!

Oh, and Flapping_Madly - at least you're not going on NZ001 via LAX which adds another couple of hours to the Auckland journey. If you've not been to NZ before, it's worth every minute of the 24hr trip!

[10secondsurvey]

Parabellum,

How many hours is it to Falkland in a C130?? Currently, it's around fifteen hours with a BA747 to Buenos Aires from London with one stop.

Just noticed you use the Scottish Motto (nemo me impune lacessit) under your name.

[Little Blue]

EMA-EDI with my 18 month old daughter ! Trust me...It's the longest 45 mins of my life ! And we do it at least twice a month ! No wonder I'm bald !

[tezzer]

Yup, we've all just been top trumped by that one, except of course when said 18 month old is sitting behind you squaking for 45 minutes to 16 hours !

Having had 2 daughters myself, I do feel great sympathy for any parents travelling with kids, nightmare !

[27mm]

Ascension to Stanley via Fat Albert took approx 13hrs - that's if you didn't get turned back due to Stanley weather, of course, which happened on several occasions. IIRC, some Albert guys logged over 24 hours continuously airborne due to having to return direct Ascension. Respect!

[NZScion]

Even if you do get a row of 3 to yourself on ANZ in Y class, there is no point using it. The armrests in the raised position only go up to about 75 degrees from the horizontal, so if you lie down, you just have armrests digging into your back (or you are constantly falling off, and the crew don't like you sleeping on the floor).

However, the seats are comfortable, and the pitch is sufficent for me (I'm 185cm / 6' 2"). The IFE is great as well.

[Flapping_Madly]

Thanks NZScion. That makes me feel a bit better about it.

Can I risk thread drift please---it's my thread I started it--- I understand the return leg leaves Auckland at midnight. Smashing. Can you tell me what the meal situation is on board. At that time of night do they give you anything or not? I ask not to moan but to plan ahead. It could be a real bugger of a grueller if the fodder situation fouls up. Any advice most welcome.

[NZScion]

I think you will find that the midnight departure includes a dinner, plus a breakfast in the "morning". If you are heading back via VHHH on ANZ039, you may wish to try and stay up a little longer, to try and sync your body clock with Hong Kong (and London) time. Remember with regards to Jet Lag, it is usually easier when going west than east.

I hope this helps, enjoy your stay in NZ :)

NZScion

[Pax Vobiscum]

AKL dep 23:55 HKG arr 06:15 - Meals: Dinner, Breakfast
HKG dep 08:15 LHR arr 13:35 - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Coming back, NZ02 (via LAX) is quicker by two hours (flying with prevailing tailwind), but you'd need a RTW ticket, which is usually a lot more expensive.

PS Times change fairly drastically at the end of March, when NZ clocks go back and ours go forward an hour (or is it the other way round :) )

[PAXboy]

I don't know about NZ clocks, but www.timeanddate.com (http://www.timeanddate.com) show them as going forward by one hour.

UK clocks go Forward, PV. The link to remember it is:
"We leap forward into summer and fall back away from winter"
(unfortunately, the italics here only slope forward not kcab) :p

So, it looks as if we both step forward by one hour. But it's possible that we do them on different days and that will cause the offset to increase for a while - as happened this year with Europe and the USA. Previously, they had synchronised with Europe and then decided not to any more. I sit to be corrected.

[NZScion]

Currently, it is summer in New Zealand (Southern Hemisphere), so you are half correct :). We will be going back one hour into winter, while you go forward into summer. I'm not sure the exact date of the change, but in NZ we usually change back to standard time around the end of March.

[John Hill]

My most grueling experience as a passenger in recent years has been Auckland to London via LA. The flight sectors are long enough but what should be a break to stretch the legs etc in LAX is spent standing in a queue for American 'immigration' procedures. Even transit passengers are subject to that, even if you are getting back on the same plane.

Personally, I find the North America route Europe to NZ more tiring than the Asia route but I dont have an explanation for this.

[Pax Vobiscum]

Sorry PAXboy, I should've used the 'tongue in cheek' icon instead of a smiley. Antipodean time changes coincide with European ones, but go in the opposite direction, giving a net change of +/-2 hrs.

John Hill - thanks for confirming something I'd merely suspected, that flying AKL-LHR via LAX doesn't avoid the need for US immigration clearance. I suppose you just have to make something up for the 'location of first night's residence in the USA' box! I'm amazed that they can turn the flight around in only 2 hours.

[John Hill]

They turn the flight around by having desks dedicated to the flight. The last trip I fley through there they actually had the desks set up in the entry to a transit holding pen. If you happen to be near the end of the queue you will spend the entire 2 hours waiting in a corridor to be 'processed' before entering the holding pen. I try to fly via Singapore instead.

[NZScion]

No wonder that the route to EGLL via VHHH is more popular. Initially ANZ flew via KLAX with the B744, but that was very quickly changed to be the B772, once the HK route came online.

[Pax Vobiscum]

NZScion - currently back to a 744. I know because it flies past my house every morning and afternoon :ok:

[Coleman Myers]

Auckland - Los Angeles - London ... not that bad unless its on Air New Zealand !.

[PAXboy]

Pax VSorry PAXboy, I should've used the 'tongue in cheek' icon instead of a smiley. Antipodean time changes coincide with European ones, but go in the opposite direction, giving a net change of +/-2 hrs.
Doh!!! :ugh:

I fell for your dastardly ruse, PV. All it required was for me to think about it for half minute ... :ouch:

[MarlboroLite]

The dopey bint in our office needed to get me to Sao Paulo, so she booked me.

Humberside - Schipol
Schipol - Paris CDG
Paris CDG - Sao Paulo.

Her reasoning was that a Business class fare with AF was slightly cheaper than with BA...... :ugh:

[John Hill]

...and on the subject of dopey bints..

I needed a price for a fare New Zealand to Madagascar so I called our local airline (a well known international carrier!) for some indication.

She started by looking for sectors to Singapore, I 'ahemed' and she assured me that that would be the best route, next she was talking about Heathrow but I held my tongue then she started looking for connections to J'burg. At that point I asked 'What about Air Madagascar from Perth?' This induced a frantic rattling of the keys but she got her face saver "But that only goes on Tuesdays!":p

[grumpysnail]

To the OP, even if you've got a chance to stay on the plane I'd get out. A couple of hours is long enough for a shower and a stretch.

Most annoying trip for me was Sydney-Heathrow-attempt to transit JFK on my way to Sao Paulo and miss flight due to American paranoia-Rio-Miami-LAX-Sydney.

Rio-Miami-LAX-Sydney really annoyed me as I was oringinally going Rio-Santiago-Auckland-Sydney but dopey travel agent managed to lose that part of the trip when changing my London dates. Took about 40 hours with stops to get home from Rio.

[MarlboroLite]

After Finishing work in Sao Paulo, my office informed me, i needed to go to Madrid, and the tickets/ travel itinery will be waiting for me at the hotel. Easy i thought, without knowing the airline schedules i presumed i could get a TAP flight from SP to Lisbon, and get an internal flight from Lisbon to Madrid, Simple eh?.

No.......

Sao Paulo - Miami
Miami - JFK
JFK - London
London - Madrid

Now i don't mind traveling. But stupid bookings like above and my previous post, make my blood boil. I dont pay for the tickets, the customer who wants to me to come and fix there machinery for them does, in a round about sort of way.
The only saving grace is, any flight over 2hours in duration, is allowed to be booked in business class...and when they forget that, i always have the company credit card! :E

[Atishoo]

Marlboroughlite....

Nxt time book ya own flight instead of using your slave !! that way if anyone is to get a telling off then tell yourself off LOL (joke)

[galaxy flyer]

A couple of years ago....

Home to KBOS, KBOS-KLAX, KLAX-AKL, wx divert to Nadi for 2 hours (stuck on QF 744), back to AKL, hold, land, turn for BNE. 36 or 37 hours total in Y! Earlier this year overnight JFK-UUEE, sit for 6 hours overnight again for Petropavlovsk! Two consecutive nights flying.

GF

[John Hill]

In the early 90's, Wellington to Prague via Auckland, Tahitti LAX, JFK, Frnakfurt.

A 'technical delay' at Faaa meant missed connections in the US and the new connections were disrupted by weather. Eventually I made it to Frankfurt to learn the next available CSA to Prague was 6 hours wait so I went into the city by train and had a look around. Arrived in the client's office at Prague 46 hours after leaving home to be greeted by "You are here at last! Now we can all go to the pub!". Four hours at the pub before I was allowed to go to the hotel. Fortunately I had been specially trained for that sort of thing!;)