Quantas, non stop Perth-Heathrow
 

Quantas has completed the first non stop flight from Perth to Heathrow, over 17 hours in the air. I don't know if I could handle 17 hours with my ass welded to the seat in an airliner. I've done a 14 hour journey to the Philippines but that involved three touchdowns including one in Dubai where you could get off and stretch your legs. Imagine 17 hours with an annoying brat next to you . . . . definite air rage!

I love aeroplanes, but I hate being stuck "in the back of the bus" with nothing to do but try to focus on a small screen in the back of a chair. I always assess the possibility of more than one meal, i.e. look at the number of passengers, consider the untaken meals, and the option meals that are available, then ask. Most times I then get a decent portion of meal.

Seventeen hours is a long time as you suggest, with an undesirable passenger nearby, horrible.

I love flying as well - we do the trip to Brisbane and usually fly back from Sydney. We use Singapore Airlines as they really are superp - plus we always stop over in Singapore - usually a good deal - free breakfast in the hotel and 3 nights for the price of 2.
Singapore is amazing. So dynamic.
The return flight is 14 hours - not much fun however excellent the airline - on the one occasion we flew straight on through with only a 3 hour break in Singapore I was totally shot away by the time we landed at Heathrow.

9 hours Sydney to Singapore then a 3 hour airport stopover (very nice - 20singapore$ for a shower and lounge access - well worth it) then back onboard for a 14 hour flight to Heathrow. Took us 7 days to recover - now we always have a stopover both ways and on the way back stay up as long as possible and sleep on the plane.

I once spent 13hrs hours on a flight from Japan to London,when i got into my pick up taxi,i had to explain i could not sit at front,had to lie down on back seat,my **** was too sore. Not a lover of Foreign food,spent 7 days on Burgers and Ice Cream. Got on plane expecting some good food at last. SUSHI:mad:

I must remember that expletive.

The one thing to remember on long haul flights is regular exercise, I always get up and walk around the plane, well if it’s got twin aisles, you know what I mean.

First time I went to the Philippines was in the mid '90s with Philippine Airlines. The modern variant of the 747 is the 747-400, I think this thing was a 747-0! It rattled, it clattered. I was sitting next to one of the galleys, taking off from one of the intermediate stops a wave of water came out of the cold drinks drawer and ran along the aisle disappearing into the gaps :eek:

One of the stops was Hong Kong, the old airport where final approach was down the main street looking into apartments as you passed!

Very wise - helps prevent DVT’s

I boarded the plane once in shorts and those long black support socks they recommend for long haul flights. I was fully prepared for a few funny comments as I knew how comical I must have looked - but nobody said a word - not a dicky-bird - seen it all before no doubt.;)

Never been to HK - my brother has tho and says that approach is something else!!

I’ve had some really funny and enjoyable moments when on aircraft - one of the best was taxying to take off at Changi Airport - we were taxying for ages and not seeming to be getting anywhere.

An elderly Australian couple in the row in front started to talk about this. The wife reasured her husband that she was sure the Pilot knew what he was doing.

And in a wonderful Australian accent the old boy replied “Well I hope he does - but I did think he was going to fly the bl00dy thing to Brisbane”

It was, you were literally looking across into apartments in skyscrapers on the final approach. All changed now since the new airport was built.