Singapore Airlines Reclaims the World’s Longest Flight

On Monday 14 August, when the tide is right, an antique sailing ship will manoeuvre through the lock of Plymouth’s historic Sutton harbour and point herself south-west towards the Canary Islands. It will be the start of a two-year voyage around the world taking in 32 ports and involving thousands of people in a groundbreaking geographical project, Darwin200, which aims, among other things, to inspire the environmental leaders and scientists of the future.

It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s a flying restaurant? Acclaimed Dutch Chef Angélique Schmeinck has created quite a stir with her popular CuliAir Skydining, the world’s first hot air balloon restaurant, where lucky diners enjoy a three-course meal while floating in the skies above Holland.

Airlines are pushing boundaries to connect far-flung global cities every year. The longest flight in the world, currently flown by Singapore Airlines, is proof. For travelers who want to visit loved ones—not to mention frequent fliers looking for new ways to earn and burn miles and points—this 19-hour journey from John F. Kennedy is a gem in the crown of ultra-long-haul travel. But even in first and business class, the prospect of such a long journey can be daunting. 

Royal Caribbean already operates the world’s largest cruise ship—Wonder of the Seas—but next January it will break that record with Icon of the Seas, which boasts 2,805 staterooms (including more than 1,800 with balconies) and 179 suites. Nearly 1,200 feet long, Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and features a 55-foot-waterfall, multiple pools and waterparks and a “chill island” and a “thrill island”—depending on a passenger’s vibe.

I’ve never been to London, but I’ve experienced it many times. From sitting in on royal meetings in Buckingham Palace to passing through the walls of King’s Cross Station at Platform 9 ¾, London has come alive in my imagination through some of my favorite books and movies.

Ever dreamed of packing up everything and moving to another country? Here are the most livable cities in the world, according to a study by The Economist.

The world’s best this, the world’s best that. Everyone has an opinion. But those opinions only accrue real value when they’re aggregated with those of other people, and preferably other people with first-hand experience of the matter being judged.

Conde Nast Traveler gets a lot of mileage out of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, slicing and dicing feedback from 300,000 travelers into a dizzying array of categories, sub-categories, and sub-sub-categories. Not only is there a ranking of the best cities in the world, there’s also the best small cities in the U.S. The world’s best hotels, sure. But also the top 10 hotels in Europe, and in Northern Asia, and in Eastern Mexico, and in Florence.

Editor’s Note: For the latest version of this story, see The World’s Most and Least Expensive Cities, Ranked.

Unless you’re traveling in first or business class, and maybe even then, longer flights simply mean more discomfort. So while airlines take it as a point of pride that they operate long, longer, and longest flights, most flyers rightly treat long-flight boasts as more threat than promise.

Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.

Airlines take operating the world’s longest flight as a point of pride, apparently figuring the title carries with it the luster of technical prowess and sophistication. If they’ve got it, they’re sure to flaunt it. They’ll even flaunt it before they have it.