Stories by Manu Venkat

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT - NEW YORK, NY. Manu is a doctor, frequent flier, private pilot, and a dedicated AvGeek. He enjoys writing about aviation from a millennial's perspective, and co-manages AirlineReporter's social media presence and video projects.

https://www.airlinereporter.com

The world’s longest flight. A few routes have held that honor over the years. But right now the unquestioned champion is Singapore Airlines’ service between Singapore Changi and New York JFK, weighing in at an impressive 9,537 miles. I’ve been dying to get onboard since it launched. And at long last I got my chance.

The Airbus A350-900 ULR was the clear star of the show. The “ULR” stands for ultra-long range. And the plane absolutely earns that title, handling 18-hour flights with ease. During our time in the sky with the ULR we appreciated the adaptations that allow it to handle routes that no other commercial craft currently can. And Singapore Airlines’ masterful inflight service touches made the time in the sky fly by. Read on for the full story — with plenty of photos and window-seat views — from the world’s longest-distance flight.

Here at AirlineReporter we write a ton about aircraft. We write a lot about airports. We’ve dabbled in train reporting. We don’t usually publish stories about hotels. But for the right type of place, we’ll make an exception (HotelReporter?!).

During a trip to Tokyo we spent a night at one of the world’s best hotels for planespotting, the Excel Hotel at Haneda Airport. You don’t have to take our word for it: the hotel is frequently named in lists of the best places in the world for AvGeeks to stay. And boy did it deliver. Watch our video report below for the deep dive, and/or read on below for more details. There’s plenty more to the story, read on below.