World's most gruelling flight
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World's most gruelling flight
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?
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
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?
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
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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
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
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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.
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.
Paxing All Over The World
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.
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.
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.
The nice thing about it was that the return JAL flight included bed and breakfast in the Kansai airport hotel.
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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.
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.
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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.
The killer flights for me are those around 5 to 8 hours: not enough time to get fed, watered, and sleep.
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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 
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Cremeegg
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.
Plenty 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.
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.
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How about EK SYD-DXB-IAH?
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!
Last edited by Pax Vobiscum; 10th Dec 2007 at 16:14.
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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.
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.
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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 !
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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 !
Having had 2 daughters myself, I do feel great sympathy for any parents travelling with kids, nightmare !
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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!
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.
However, the seats are comfortable, and the pitch is sufficent for me (I'm 185cm / 6' 2"). The IFE is great as well.