Friday, January 19, 2018

6 longest air routes from San Francisco

At one time, a non-stop flight from San Francisco to London or Tokyo used to be considered a big deal. In the 1940s it took 60 hours and five stops for a transpacific crossing. Those days are long gone.

Today, thanks to the latest generations of wide-body aircraft made with lighter composite materials, more efficient engines and bigger fuel tanks from Boeing and Airbus, travelers can fly farther than ever before without touching down.

The upside: No connections or lengthy stopovers, so a shorter total trip time. The downside: No chance to get off the aircraft and walk around to stretch your legs, so you’re stuck in your seat for the better part of a day.

Airline schedules are constantly changing, and new, longer flights are often added, so let’s take a look at the current roster of the five longest non-stops from San Francisco International Airport.

 United uses a Boeing 787 Dreamliner like this for some of its longest-hauls such as SFO-Singapore Photo: Chris McGinnis
Photo: Chris McGinnis United uses a Boeing 787 Dreamliner like this for some of its longest-hauls such as SFO-Singapore
Singapore. Previously available from San Francisco only via a stop in someplace like Tokyo or Seoul, Singapore is now accessible via non-stop flights offered by Singapore Airlines and United. Singapore now flies the route using an Airbus A350.  United uses a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9. Google Flights lists United’s flight time on the route at 17 hours 20 minutes, and Singapore Airlines’ flight time at 17 hours 35 minutes. (Keep in mind that those are westbound flight times, made longer by headwinds; eastbound flight times are shorter thanks to tailwinds.) Read my review of Singapore's Inaugural A350 flight in Oct 2016  here.
New Delhi. Air India last month marked the second anniversary of its San Francisco-New Delhi non-stops, which operate with a 777-200LR. This is an unusual route. Google Flights shows the San Francisco to New Delhi flight time at 16 hours 15 minutes, and the New Delhi-SFO flight time at 15 hours 30 minutes. Here’s what’s unusual: Air India’s flight out of San Francisco flies over the Atlantic to India, but its flight departing New Delhi flies over the Pacific to the U.S. West Coast.
19/01/18 Chris McGinnis/SFGate
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