If you're the type of traveler to grip the armrest from takeoff until touchdown, then you should probably look away right about now because we're about to count down the world's longest non-stop flights.
Every year, we push the boundaries when it comes to how far and how long we can stay in the air. This year is no different. Singapore Airlines is set to break the record for longest non-stop commercial flight later this year, in October. Here's a hint: it's longer than eighteen hours in the air!
If you start to feel claustrophobic at the mere mention of an eighteen-hour flight, you're in luck. Just to spice things up, we'll also be looking at some of the world's fastest flights, where you spend more time on the runway than you do in the air. Find out where in the world you can fly for fifteen minute or less (yes, these flights really do exist).
The seatbelt sign is now on ladies and gentlemen, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
25 Toronto To Manila (Longest) - 15.5 Long Hours With Philippines Airlines
From our home and native land (Canada) to the gorgeous bayside city of Manila, this massive non-stop flight will bring you from Canada's most populated city to the gorgeous capital of the Philippines. And it'll only take 15 and a half hours (or 16 and a half hours, depending on the wind). Let's hope the wind is on your side!
You'll fly with Philippines Airlines, an airline that just recently received its four-star rating and seems to be working hard to prove that they earned that distinction. But don't expect to be wowed on this flight. You have all the basics—in-flight entertainment, decent food, a boutique if you're interested in duty-free items, and friendly staff. But compared to some of the luxury liners on this list, Philippines Airlines inevitably pales in comparison.
That means it's going to be a long ride; 13,230 kilometers, to be exact.
24 St. Maarten To St. Barts (Shortest) - Island Hopping In 15 Minutes
It's not a long way from St. Maarten to St. Barts; only 20 miles. But because you're traveling from one Caribbean island to the next, you have two choices: boat or plane.
If you opt for the plane ride, you'll be on one of the shortest flights in the world, clocking in at 15 minutes.
It will cost you about $90 and you'll be flying with a company called St. Barth Commuter.
If you opt for the ferry instead, you might save a bit of money, but it doubles your time, taking a whole 30 minutes instead of a measly 15 (big deal, right?). The plane will get you there fifteen minutes faster, which is enough time to order your first exotic fruity drink. But if you'd rather take the scenic ferry and end up at the port instead of an airport, then at least your drink will be by the beach. Your call!
23 Dubai To Los Angeles (Longest) - 16 Hours Of Entertainment With Emirates
Believe it or not, one of the shortest trips among our massive intercontinental non-stop flights comes in at around 16 hours from start to finish. That's enough time to binge a whole season of Orange is the New Black or watch Titanic five times and still have time for pee breaks!
This behemoth of a flight is flown and operated by Emirates, which is one of only ten airlines with a five-star ranking. If the stars didn't have their own private jets, they'd likely be on this flight!
In 16 hours, you'll cover 8,339 miles (or 13,420 kilometers) from Dubai to Los Angeles in a massive Airbus A380.
But don't worry, along with being named the best airline in the world in 2013 and 2016 by Skytrax, Emirates has been number 1 for in-flight entertainment for the last 5 years, which means that no matter what you decide to watch, those 16 hours will fly by.
22 Saipan To Tinian (Shortest) - Cross The Philippine Sea In Only 15 Minutes
If you're wondering where or what Saipan is, it's essentially a small island in the middle of the Philippine Sea. On Google maps, the island is a small pinpoint in a massive sea of blue. It's a four-hour flight away from Manila (the capital of the Philippines) and is part of the Northern Mariana Islands. Tinian is more or less the same, and both tropical islands are part of a chain of fifteen owned by the United States.
So now that you're all caught up on where and what the islands of Saipan and Tinian are, it's time to talk about the fifteen-minute flight that connects them.
Star Marianas Air has flights back and forth between the islands all day every day. Flights leave from Saipan every hour on the hour from 7am until 6pm and return from Tinian every hour from 7:30am until 6:30pm.
This quick flight will cost you $55 (which comes out to 6 cents a second, if you're curious), and there are no alternatives.
If you want to travel between the islands, there are no ferries or boat rides available for tourists, which means you're either okay with the fifteen-minute flight or you're staying where you are.
21 Doha To Los Angeles (Longest) - 16 Hours And Five Minutes Of Pampering With Qatar Airways
13,376 kilometers and 16 hours with Qatar Airways won't be long enough! This five-star airline, often rated the best in the world by Skytrax, is what flying should be.
Each passenger receives an eye mask and a pair of socks for the flight. The staff are always smiling and ready to help, and the seats are comfortable (or as comfy as possible after 16 hours of sitting) and spacious.
I might be biased because I was upgraded for free to first class on my last flight with Qatar Airways. I was treated to filet mignon, champagne, a "sleeping suit" (a.k.a. pyjamas), a bed that reclines flat, and an adjustable TV screen that is bigger than my computer screen. I was so excited every minute of my nine-hour flight that I wished it was longer and was sad to be the first one off the plane.
When you fly with one of the best airlines in the world, it feels like your vacation starts in the air.
20 Cayman Brac To Little Cayman (Shortest) - Visit The Cayman Islands In 10 Minutes (Tops)
The Cayman Islands are located between Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Panama, and Costa Rica, so they are literally surrounded by beauty. The Cayman Islands are comprised of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brec, and Little Cayman. And if you want to explore all three (or at least two) of the British Territories, you'll have to fly there.
There are no ferries running between the islands, so your transport options are limited to Cayman Airways or Cayman Airways. Unlike other small airlines, Cayman Airways also operates a 1.5-hour flight from Miami, Florida to Cayman Brec (making it both a domestic and international airline). They even offer baggage check-in and have a frequent flyer program (called Sir Turtle Rewards). Pretty legit!
The airline's express service operates the daily flights from Cayman Brec to Little Cayman, and from tarmac to tarmac, it takes maximum 10 minutes to travel across the 25-kilometer stretch of ocean.
19 Jeddah To Los Angeles (Longest) - 16 Long Hours With Saudi
If you want to fly non-stop from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Los Angeles, you'll have to fly with Saudi Arabian Airlines (simply called Saudi) for at least 16 hours and ten minutes.
I don't know about you, but if I'm going to be up in the air for almost a day, I'm going to need a drink. Unfortunately, that is not permitted on board. There's also no pork to respect the Islamic dietary laws, although that's much easier to deal with.
In fact, it's illegal to make, buy, or drink alcohol at all in Saudi Arabia. The country has a strict interpretation of the Koran, and anyone caught could be banned from the country, deported, and in extreme cases=, you can even be sentenced!
I can't imagine two cities more opposite. On this long haul flight, you'll leave the strict and sacred city of Jeddah, home to Mecca, and fly to the open and free city of Los Angeles, where alcohol is everywhere and morals are loose.
18 St. Maarten To Anguilla (Shortest) - 10 Minutes To The World's Coolest Airport Approach
If you're planning your trip between two of the Caribbean's most beautiful islands–St. Maarten, part of the Dutch Caribbean, and Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory–you can opt for a speedy ten-minute flight rather than the traditional ferry.
Anguilla Air Services makes the 12-mile trip (around 19 kilometers) three times a day, while the ferries run from morning 'til night.
So why dish out the extra cash for a ten-minute flight when the ferry is only fifteen minutes longer and much more frequent? Well, the St. Marteen airport is one of the coolest ever. Princess Juliana Airport is known for their extremely low-landing planes.
People love to watch the planes land because they're ridiculously close to the ground, passing directly over a popular beach. You can always spot tourists with their cellphones out, unable to believe what they're seeing.
The quick ten-minute flight is worth it just to see the look on people's faces below. And trust me, you'll be able to see the look. You're that close!
17 Abu Dhabi To Los Angeles (Longest) - 16.5 Hours With Etihad In The World's Best First Class
Etihad is yet another five-star airline making the non-stop flight from a major city in United Arab Emirates to Los Angeles. All the flights are similarly priced with similar service and entertainment, but what sets Etihad apart is its first class.
This 8,390-mile flight clocks in at 16.5 hours long, but that time will go by in a snap, thanks to Etihad's sweet first-class cabins.
Etihad, for example, is the only airline in the world to offer a three-room suite with their Residence program on board their A380 aircraft. You even get your very own butler for the duration of the flight! Etihad was voted best first-class airline, with the best first-class seats and the best first-class catering. No surprise there.
Unfortunately, the flight to Los Angeles is on a Boeing 777-200lr and not the A380 with the three-room suite and butler, but they still have amazing first-class seats complete with limo service after your flight, free access to priority lounges, and of course, an impressive list of food and drinks.
16 Aruba To Venezuela (Shortest) - 8 Short Minutes After Months Of Drama
Aruba is a small but beautiful desert island known for its stunning beaches. Venezuela is a tropical paradise with some of the most breathtaking waterfalls and parks. All that separates these two islands are 51 miles of ocean.
If you wanted to visit both islands in the same trip, it's actually harder than you think to cross that narrow stretch of water between them. That's because political tensions between the islands have made travel difficult. There are no ferry services available (except a rumored ferry for locals, which is kept somewhat hidden from travelers), and in early 2018, there was actually no way to travel between the two islands. The Venezuelan President issued a blockade against Aruba because he believed they were selling Venezuelan goods on the black market. Scandalous!
To make the trip nowadays, you can fly with Aruba Airlines from Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba to Venezuela's Las Piedras Josefa Camejo International Airport. Barely. There are two flights running a week–Monday morning and Friday afternoon–and it won't be easy or cheap to buy yourself a ticket.
If you manage to, enjoy it while it lasts, because it's one of the shortest flights in the world, lasting as long as fifteen minutes or as little as eight!
15 San Francisco To Singapore (Longest) - Two Airlines, Up To 17 hours, And The Coolest Airport In The World
Singapore Airlines is one of the first airlines to obtain five-star status, and they've maintained that claim to fame for more than a decade, thanks to their award-winning in flight entertainment and their excellent service. Flying from San Francisco, California to to bustling city state of Singapore will be a pleasure, all 16 hours and 40 minutes of the 13,572 kilometer non-stop flight.
On the other hand, United, an American Airline with a less-than-perfect reputation, also makes the trip from San Francisco to Singapore; only, they add an additional 25 minutes to the trip, bringing it up to 17 hours and 5 minutes. The flight is longer, the seats are more cramped, the entertainment leaves something to be desired, and the service is underwhelming. The choice is clear.
No matter what airline you choose, the best part will be landing in Singapore. Normally, you try to move as fast as humanly possible to get out of the airport and into the city to start your trip. But in Singapore, you won't want to rush through the airport.
Singapore's Changi International Airport has been rated the top airport in the world, according to Skytrax, for the last six years! There's a free movie theater, a butterfly garden, a rooftop swimming pool, spas, and lots of art (including their kinetic rain sculpture which mesmerizes visitors as it changes shape). So, enjoy your flight and don't forget to explore the airport before you explore Singapore itself.
14 Connemara To Inishmaan (Shortest) - The Irish Isles In Less Than 7 Minutes
"She played the fiddle in an Irish band, but she fell in love with an English man . . . My pretty little Galway Girl!" Ever wonder about the Irish city Ed Sheeran sings about in his chart-topping song? You're in luck. Connemara Regional Airport is 27 kilometers away from Galway city, and it's where you need to be if you're planning on visiting Inishmaan or the other Aran Islands.
Funny enough, it will take you longer to get to the mainland airport, Connemara, from Galway, than it will to strap in, take off and land on the beautiful scenic island off the coast of Ireland. The whole flight, operated by Aer Arann Islands, is less than ten minutes and normally clocks in around 6-7 minutes per trip. Which makes sense, because the tiny fixed-wing prop plane only travels across 16 kilometres of water.
If the ten minute flight time is too short for you, opt for a scenic flight instead and get a bird's eye view of the Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay and the Aran Islands.
13 Doha to Sao Paulo (Longest) - Pay a pretty penny to fly straight to Brazil in 16.5 hours
16 and a half hours separate Doha from Sao Paulo, Brazil, or in others words, one heck of a long flight. Luckily, Qatar Airways is the best airline in the world, according to me and to a much more reliable source, Skytrax.
Traversing 13,676 kilometers of land and sea, Qatar Airways takes you from the richest country in the world to one of the most populated, bursting at the seams with vibrancy and culture.
However, if you want to fly with Qatar Airways to South America, it's going to cost you...a lot. This is the most expensive flight on our list, even though it's neither the longest nor the farthest.
It's always pricey to travel to South America, even more so if you want to fly direct with a luxury airline. On the bright side, the airline leads the pack in entertainment and service, a.k.a. where it counts; so, the time to pass quickly with Qatar. Nothing is perfect, though. There's not much that the airline can do about space and food. I mean, how big can your seat be when it's crammed between hundreds of other people and how good can prepackaged food get when it's cooked and sealed ahead of time?
Nevertheless, if you're eager to get to Brazil and able to shell out nearly $3,000 for the tickets, then the sky's the limit!
12 Karpathos To Kasos (Shortest) - 5 Minutes From One Greek Island To The Next
Whoever heard of a 5-minute flight? The Greeks, of course. The most common way to get from one island to the next is by water, but there are a few quick sky options, thanks to Olympic Air.
Normally, to explore the Greek Islands, visitors take a cruise around the Aegean Sea where they visit the biggest and more populous islands. Karpathos and Kasos won't be on that list.
To get to the smaller, lesser-known islands, there are countless ferries that allow you to hop from one island to the next. But they take a while. The distance from Karpathos to Kasos is just under 20 kilometers, but it will take you around two hours to get to the ferry, board, ride, get off, etc. Compare that to a five-minute flight and I'd opt for the plane any day!
As far as Karpathos and Kasos, both islands are off the main tourist trail, which means you won't be stuck waiting in line to take photos or crammed on a hot beach with too many other tourists. Instead, these islands provide a more traditional and authentic view of Greek island life. So, they're well worth a visit.
11 Manilla To New York (Longest) - Blue Skies To Skyscrapers In 15 Hours Via Philippine Airlines
New York, New York. I was wondering when we were going to get here! Many of the longest flights in the world travel to Los Angeles because it's on the west coast of the United States and significantly farther from most Arab countries (where all the major five star airlines depart from). But New York is the busiest American airport for international travelers, so they were bound to have one of the longest international flights come in, just not from United Arab Emirates.
The gorgeous Southeast Asian city of Manila is 8,519 miles away from New York, making it one of the farthest non-stop flights, distance-wise. But time-wise, the 15-hour flight is on the shorter end (if you can call 15 hours short).
Because Philippine Airlines only recently earned four stars, their flights run cheaper than some of the others on this list. You can expect to pay around $1,000 for a round-trip flight from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to New York.
You'll have to wait to fly, though. This route is not yet in service and will only start up in October of 2018.
10 Kegata To Apowo (Shortest) - A One-minute Flight In Indonesia, Anyone?!
I regularly walk two kilometers with my dog, and I can't imagine getting into a plane and covering the same distance, but that's exactly what happens in Indonesia within the Papuan hilltop settlements. Kegata and Apowo are only separated by two kilometers but traveling by foot, or by any land vehicle, would prove to be extremely difficult due to the steep hills and forestation between the villages.
The plane that passes over the ravine separating the two cities is often called the world's shortest commercial flight since it takes one minute to make the journey. However, the single-engine aircraft, which can carry up to ten people, has no scheduled flights, which doesn't really qualify it as a commercial flight even if travelers pay to use it.
Either way, it's an exhilarating ride. With only 2 kilometers for the entire length of the flight, the air strips are far below average length (an average mainstream runway can be 2 kilometers). Kegata is 350 meters of grass and Apowo is 400 meters long. Essentially, after you take off, you get ready to come back down. Don't blink or you'll miss it.
9 Sydney To Dallas (Longest) - Kangaroos To Cowboy Boots In 15.5 Hours
Australia is far from everything. The lovable island if filled with travel addicts, all eager to get out and explore the world, because being from a giant island in the middle of the ocean, it's hard to get around. Traveling is in their blood.
The way North Americans dream of backpacking through Europe, Australians dream of backpacking across North America, visiting as many states as possible. That's why a direct flight from from Sydney to Dallas makes so much sense. Normally, a flight from the United States to Australia will take around a day with layovers. Squeezing the whole trip into a 15-and-a-half-hour flight with Qantas is a godsend.
The two major cities are 13,805 kilometers (8,578 miles) apart, making it one of the longest flights, distance-wise, but not necessarily time-wise.
8 Caye Chapel To Caye Caulker (Shortest) - 2 Minutes To Belize, Please!
Caye Chapel is a small private island in Belize, which has two things: an air strip and a golf course. Caye Chaulker is another Belize island, yet Chaulker is much more tourist-friendly, home to the Belize barrier reef, perfect for snorkeling or diving.
Only two and a half miles separates the two islands, and a water taxi is available which can take tourists from one island to the next. If you're going to Caye Chapel to play golf or to enjoy the privacy, you can hop on a water taxi. However, there are no scheduled stops to Caye Chapel from the other islands. Because it's ten minutes away by boat from Caye Chaulker (where most tourists are headed), if you ask, they'll easily drop you off.
But if you're already on the private, you might not be able to catch a ride with the water taxi back. Instead, you can fly with Maya Island Air for a grand total of 2 minutes.
You'll barely have time to sit back and enjoy the view from your cessna 208 caravan before you're back on solid ground.
7 Houston To Sydney (Longest) - Brace Yourself For 17 Hours And 30 Minutes With United Airlines
United Airlines is not my favorite, but I have to give it to them; they make flying long distances cheap and accessible to people with all budgets.
Normally, if you travel on a dime, you're limited to flights with countless stopovers, long wait times at airports, and the horrible luggage pickup and check-in between planes, among other hellish airport rituals. At least with this United flight, you get to skip all that drama and just fly straight to Singapore from Houston, Texas.
But flying 8,596 miles for more than 17 hours and 30 minutes with United won't be fun. With bad ratings in comfort, entertainment, food, service, and punctuality, brace yourself.
Just focus on how much time and money you saved by flying United because it's going to be a long flight.
6 Westray To Papa Westray (Shortest) - See Scotland In 50 Seconds
The shortest flight in the whole world is inside the gorgeous country of Scotland. Traveling from the island of Westray, with a population of only 600 people, to the equally beautiful Papa Westray (a.k.a. Papay), with a population of only 90 people. I guess they don't have big parties.
You'll be up in the air for less than 3 kilometers (basically the standard length of a runway for larger aircrafts), which is pretty mind-boggling if you think about it. I mean, at only 3 kilometers, you'll be able to see exactly where you'll land, and there's not much room to take off or touch down.
The whole trip takes under a minute with Loganair and is over in as little as 50 seconds (reports vary between 53 and 47 seconds as the shortest time).
The Scots call it an air bridge and have been running the flights back and forth from island to island for 50 years.