In October, the world’s longest flight made its maiden voyage, from Newark Liberty International Airport, landing at Changi Airport in Singapore nearly 19 hours later.
The Airbus A350-900ULR — the long-range plane that Singapore Airlines is using for the flight — offers no economy class, only premium economy and business class that seats fewer than 200. But the pricier ticket is worth it, since the flight offers more leg room and other top of the line perks.
In an effort to make sure that customers de-plane feeling as great as they did when they first stepped into the Airbus A350, Singapore Airlines partnered with Canyon Ranch, which is known for its wellness resort and luxury spas.
Canyon Ranch worked closely with Singapore Airlines to take the in-flight experience to new heights, tackling common gripes from passengers like food, sleep and blood circulation.
“From my perspective, I took a lot of personal experience into account,” David Varley, Canyon Ranch’s vice president of food and beverage, said. He’s flown to Singapore several times himself, although he hasn’t flown on world’s longest flight yet.
Spending nearly a full day on a plane can leave passengers feeling out of sorts. With that in mind, CNBC compiled a short list of 5 things travelers can look forward to, in order to make the journey more pleasant.
Airplane food has earned a bad reputation, but Varley and his team worked with Singapore Airlines to come up with a menu that passengers would actually enjoy.
“We wanted to make food that they love and that will love them back,” Varley said. He picked the braised pork with citrus as his favorite dish of the flight. The entree comes with a white bean cassoulet, spinach and parsley Marcona gremolata.
Canyon Ranch created a series of videos that help fliers cut down on stiffness. For example, one video leads passengers through calf, hamstring and isometric stretches, specifically designed by Canyon Ranch physiologists.
In addition to stretching, Canyon Ranch also made videos that cover relaxation and sleeping techniques. With a flight that takes 19-hours, passengers won’t want to miss out on any beauty sleep.
We all know that our electronics’ blue light can keep us awake longer at night. But it turns out that there are also colors of light that can help us fall asleep faster.
Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who now serves as vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, worked with Singapore Airlines to create amber lighting for the plane’s cabins that will encourage passengers to relax, and make falling asleep easier.
For passengers who have been in the air for nearly 19 hours, larger windows will make seeing the Singapore sunrise an even more spectacular view. In addition to the bigger windows, the plane also comes equipped with seats that offer more legroom in its premium economy class, and higher ceilings.
