I've just spent a day in the air.
No, not just a day traveling, heading to airports, dealing with buses and terminals, and making connections. But nearly a full day in a pressured metal tube alternating between roughly 34,000 and 42,000 feet above the Earth — most of that above the Pacific Ocean.
The Australian airline Qantas ran a test flight for its "Project Sunrise" initiative — a program to launch regular commercial service from Sydney to New York and Sydney to London.
The flights, at about 9,900 and 10,500 nautical miles, respectively, represent the farthest — and currently the longest, in terms of time — nonstop flights today. While a nonstop flight from London to Sydney has been achieved once, 30 years ago, it hardly counts — it was flown with a completely empty 747 that had no seats, and it barely had enough fuel to make it. The New York-Sydney route has never been done without a stop in Los Angeles.
When it landed, the flight, designated QF7879, became the longest commercial flight in the world, surpassing Singapore Airlines' regular commercial service between Singapore and New York, although next month's test of the London-Sydney flight will surpass this one.
Airplanes and airlines are more technically advanced now than ever before, with better fuel-efficiency, longer ranges, and computer-aided logistical planning. But as some flights get longer, the question is whether passengers and flight crews can tolerate more hours in the air without a layover to break things up.
Qantas used this flight – and plans to do the same for the London route – to conduct research into how pilots, cabin crews, and passengers cope with the long flight time. In particular, data gathered from monitoring of the pilots and flight attendants will be used to help Qantas make a case to Australian aviation regulators that it's safe to have crew work in shifts for potentially 20 hours or more.
The airline also tested a redesigned cabin service, meant to help passengers minimize the effects of jetlag as they cross 15 time zones, and reduce the magnitude with which an ultra-long-haul flight can exacerbate those symptoms. Cabin lighting, meal services, and food options were tailored to help passengers and crew either feel more awake, or be more attuned to nighttime.
This flight also doubled as a delivery of a new Boeing 787-9, from Boeing's Seattle plant. There were only 40 passengers and 10 crew, including four on-duty pilots. Passengers included several Qantas frequent flyers participating in the research study, off-duty Qantas employees, researchers, and media, including this reporter.
The flight with a full load of passengers and cargo is not currently possible – the heavier load would reduce the plane's fuel range.
Two planes in development from Airbus and Boeing would be capable of flying these routes. Qantas has said that it will decide by the end of 2019 which one it will use and that it expects to start commercial service as early as 2023, Alan Joyce, Qantas' CEO, said. The airline had previously hoped to launch service by 2022.
Due to the low passenger load, each person was allocated a business-class seat that could convert into a bed. Passengers were also encouraged to spend some time in the coach cabin in order to balance the plane.
Although the flight would obviously be a different experience in coach with a full plane, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce discussed several options to make an ultra-long-haul flight in coach more comfortable.
Regardless, the nearly 20-hour trek in business class, with the redesigned cabin service, was a notably different experience compared to other long-haul flights I've flown in premium cabins, including first and business class.
Aside from that, it was truly a unique experience. After all, it's not every flight that you see an airline CEO doing calisthenics in his pajamas.
While it is Business Insider's policy not to accept free travel, we were not able to pay for the New York-to-Sydney trip because it was classified as a "ferry flight," for which US Department of Transportation regulations prevent the airline from accepting any money for fares. Business Insider did pay for the return flight with the airline.
From takeoff to landing, plus before and after, read on to see what the 19-hour and 16-minute flight was like.
Because the main purpose of this flight was to study how pilots and cabin crew could remain properly rested and alert during ultra-long-haul flights, the four pilots worked out a customized work schedule, in conjunction with the researchers.
The pilot-in-charge, Captain Sean Golding, described the shift period for the four pilots, who worked in two shifts:
"The whole crew will be on for the first hour-and-a-half. Then, I'll take a two-and-a-half hour break. I'll work for the next five-and-a-half hours, sleep for the next five-and-a-half, work the next two-and-a-half, and we'll all be on for the final approach and landing."
"Sometimes, I sleep better on the long-haul flights than I do at home," he added.
This was part of the anti-jet lag study being performed on several passengers. It was 12:30 p.m. Sydney time, so we had to stay up for at least a few more hours. The lights came up, and I took advantage of the chance to explore the rest of the plane.
Some airlines' premium economy products are basically the same as coach, just with slightly larger seats and slightly better food. These seats, though, were much different from a standard economy seat. One Qantas employee described them as "more of a level below the full business class, rather than a small improvement on coach," and based on some time in the seat, I think that's a fair assessment.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who was on board the flight, said that although the eventual flight would have an economy cabin — compared to Singapore Airline's 18-hour Singapore-New York flight, which is operated by a plane with just premium economy and business class — the airline is looking at ways to make it bearable for an ultra-long-haul flight.
Some options, he said, include spacing the seats out to offer more leg room, as well as pulling some seats out to create a communal area for passengers to spend time during the flight. They could sit and chat in this space, stretch, or simply stand up for a few minutes to keep the blood moving.
Carl Petch, one of the passengers involved in the research study, said that an area like that would be crucial for making it through the ultra-long-haul flight in coach.
"You'd need a communal area to walk around, or do work, or something," he said. "You can't just sit for 20 straight hours."
Having fewer seats seems like it could be cost-prohibitive, but it may actually be a necessity. A low-density configuration will likely be required in order to boost the planes' fuel range so it can reach its destination without stopping to refuel.
Joyce also noted consistently positive ratings from passengers on the airline's nonstop flight between Perth and London, which, at over 17 hours, is only a little shorter than the Project Sunrise flights.
Dr. Carroll described moving during flight as a crucial part of mitigating jet-lag symptoms after ultra-long-haul flights. Eventually, other passengers and crew came over to participate, so the group moved into the aisles.
This would obviously be impossible on a normal flight, although Joyce said that the communal area he envisions on future ultra long haul flights could offer short guided stretch and exercise videos on monitors.
I slept for an astonishing eight hours and thirty minutes, my best-ever sleep on a plane, even in first or business class. I woke up once or twice because of turbulence or to use the lavatory, but I was still blown away by how well I slept, even considering how tired I was by that point.
For those lucky enough to be in first or business class, this strikes me as the ultimate advantage of an ultra-long-haul nonstop flight, compared to one with a stop — there's more time to settle in, and eventually sleep without interruption.
Nick Mole, one of the participants in the passenger research study, expressed similar sentiments toward the end of the flight.
Mr. Mole often flies in business class, but said that he generally feels better rested after an ultra-long-haul direct flight, rather than one with a connection, including Qantas' service to New York via Los Angeles.
"I feel better than I usually do," he told me. "The timing and service helped, and I got some good uninterrupted sleep."
Daniel Brescia, another passenger, agreed.
"I'm curious to see how the jet lag feels in a day or two, though," he added.
Captain Lisa Norman, the pilot who took delivery of the plane and flew it to New York for the Project Sunrise flight, said that Australian air-traffic control sent a text message to the flight crew as they entered the airspace: "Good morning. Hope everyone is still feeling fresh and comfortable."
The pilots replied: "Sunrise is dawning on Research Flight 1. Feeling good and fresh. Thanks."
QF12 would land three minutes after us — despite leaving New York three hours earlier.
I felt better after this flight than I've ever felt after a long-haul flight, including those on which I was lucky enough to sit in a first or business-class cabin with a lie-flat seat. On 15-hour flights to Seoul and Tokyo, I've landed feeling utterly exhausted, while on shorter seven or eight-hour flights to Europe, by the time I manage to digest, relax, and fall asleep, it's practically already time to land.
For obvious reasons, I won't bother comparing the Project Sunrise experience to ultra-long-haul flights when I've been in coach. The longest I've ever done there was about 18 hours, although that included an hourlong refueling stop during which we could stretch our legs. Also, I was a kid back then.
I think that Qantas is onto something with this technique of immediately switching time zones, tailoring lighting, meal options, and service flow around sleep, and promoting healthy actions like stretching, staying awake until evening in the destination's time zone, and suggesting limiting alcohol before the second meal.
There's also something undeniably pleasant about being able to fly somewhere direct — especially when it saves as much as three hours, as we did compared to the QF12 flight.
However, I simply can't imagine a flight this long in economy with the current configuration and a full load of passengers. Joyce's discussion of adding pitch and a communal area makes me optimistic; this is something that Qantas will have to figure out if it wants to offer a full three or four-cabin configuration if and when the nonstop New York-to-Sydney route officially goes into service.