19 votes

I just took the world’s first twenty hour flight. Here’s what it did to me

7 comments

  1. cptcobalt
    Link
    Here's TPG's coverage of the Project Sunrise flight too. I'd totally take these "project sunrise" flights. It sounds like Qantas' whole plan is to keep you up for as long as possible until it's...

    Here's TPG's coverage of the Project Sunrise flight too.

    I'd totally take these "project sunrise" flights. It sounds like Qantas' whole plan is to keep you up for as long as possible until it's time to fall asleep at your destination. This is so you arrive on roughly the same sleep cycle of where you're flying to.

    I really wonder what it'd be like to book a flight on one of these. It seems like it requires coordinated participation of everyone for the success of the flight: i.e., not falling asleep early.

    But don’t go booking your round-the-world flights just yet. Qantas needs new planes from Boeing or Airbus SE that can do the job with a full load of passengers, and a new deal with crew to work longer than 20 hours.

    Too bad. Hopefully Qantas can enter the market with a modified A350 that can do this flight, cause it's not been a good time for consumer confidence in Boeing.

    5 votes
  2. [6]
    mrbig
    Link
    What’s the big deal? I don’t get it. There’s people on week long bus rides all over the world right now. I know it’s not the same but come on. 20h is not that much time. Of course it would work.

    What’s the big deal? I don’t get it. There’s people on week long bus rides all over the world right now. I know it’s not the same but come on. 20h is not that much time. Of course it would work.

    3 votes
    1. [4]
      MimicSquid
      Link Parent
      The thing that makes bus and train travel different is the opportunity to get up and move around. A bus might be as constrictive as a plane, but you also get stops pretty frequently where you can...

      The thing that makes bus and train travel different is the opportunity to get up and move around. A bus might be as constrictive as a plane, but you also get stops pretty frequently where you can get up, move around, get some fresh air, etc. A train may stop less frequently, but is constructed so that you can walk the train. Planes have neither of those. You get your seat, and you are mostly expected to stay in it until your destination. It's a different thing.

      9 votes
      1. cfabbro
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Yeah, I have been on a cross country bus trip from Ontario to British Columbia (Canada), which took 3 full days, and it was more than tolerable thanks to the large seats and freedom to move around...

        Yeah, I have been on a cross country bus trip from Ontario to British Columbia (Canada), which took 3 full days, and it was more than tolerable thanks to the large seats and freedom to move around during the frequent stops for food/bathroom breaks. I even met a few people on the bus who I still regularly communicate with.

        Whereas the longest flights I have been on were 8h (Toronto to London and back, a few times) and I couldn't wait for them to end. I also felt terrible for a few days afterwards too. The cramped seats, recycled air, rapid time-zone change, bad food, limited bathroom options, and stress of dealing with airports makes a huge difference. So much so that even though Australia is on my bucket-list and I have a few friends down there I would love to visit eventually... I honestly don't know if I could physically or mentally handle the 20+ hours on a plane. :/

        5 votes
      2. SunSpotter
        Link Parent
        This is why I'd absolutely love to see Zeppelin travel be brought back from the dead. Sure it wouldn't be fast, but it would basically be like riding a sky train, in terms of the overall...

        This is why I'd absolutely love to see Zeppelin travel be brought back from the dead. Sure it wouldn't be fast, but it would basically be like riding a sky train, in terms of the overall experience and accommodations.

        If only it were actually practical in some sense.

        2 votes
      3. mrbig
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I understand that there is a difference, I just don't think 20 hours is enough time to warrant such scrutiny. I'm the first to admit that I have no positive knowledge of this subject. It's just my...

        I understand that there is a difference, I just don't think 20 hours is enough time to warrant such scrutiny.

        I'm the first to admit that I have no positive knowledge of this subject. It's just my gut reaction.

        1 vote
    2. cptcobalt
      Link Parent
      It's not so much the point that you can travel—we can all agree it's physically possible. The question is if you can effectively travel so you're functional and can readily operate at 100% when...

      It's not so much the point that you can travel—we can all agree it's physically possible. The question is if you can effectively travel so you're functional and can readily operate at 100% when you land. This is significant for business travellers—I did a lot of international travel last year, and I basically needed to be functional for business ops day I landed, so you can bet I started pre-adjusting my schedule before I departed. The quality of life and schedule (food, sleep, etc.) of the plane ride is certainly part of that equation.

      4 votes