World's longest flight was the worst 18 hours of my life – here's the only reason I'm tempted back onboard

The Irish Sun

14 hours ago

BACK in 2018, I spent 18 hours trapped in what felt like a flying sardine can on Qantas' inaugural Perth to London route.
Seven years later, the airline is finally fixing everything that made me want to never fly direct again - and launching an even longer Sydney to London route that could actually be worth doing.
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Jacob spent 18 hours on Qantas' inaugural Perth to London route in 2018
Credit: The Sun
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The writer says the trip made him want to never fly direct again
Credit: Jacob Lewis - The Sun
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The food on the flight was largely tasteless
Credit: The Sun
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It was designed by nutrition experts to keep you hydrated
Credit: The Sun
When Qantas launched the world's longest flight from the UK back then, I was the
It was supposed to be a game-changer for British holidaymakers heading Down Under, cutting out those tedious stopovers in Dubai or Singapore. Instead, it felt more like an endurance test.
The problems started before we'd even left the ground.
Unable to check in online, I was saved from a dreaded middle seat only by the kindness of a fellow passenger who wanted to sit
next
to her boyfriend.
What followed was 18 hours of pure misery. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner might sound fancy, but in economy it was anything but dreamy.
Squeezed into seats just 17.2 inches wide - narrower than most other long-haul aircraft - I spent the flight feeling like I was wedged into a child's chair.
The 32-inch seat pitch meant my knees were practically kissing the seat in front, and that was before we hit turbulence from Tropical Cyclone Marcus that had us bouncing around for the first hour.
Flying away from the sunrise into total darkness for the entire journey, the route also holds the depressing honour of being the world's longest flight without daylight - adding an extra layer of misery to an already brutal experience.
While the food - designed by nutrition experts to be intentionally bland and keep you hydrated - was largely tasteless.
But the real killer? The complete lack of WiFi on what was supposed to be Qantas' flagship route.
Qantas reveal Project Sunrise A350
For someone used to being constantly connected, going offline for nearly 17 hours felt like stepping back into the Stone Age.
Why The Route Exists
The
Australia
.
Even modern connections through Dubai or Singapore add hours to your journey and the hassle of changing planes.
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Qantas is replacing those Dreamliners with brand-new Airbus A350-1000s
Credit: Qantas
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The Perth-London route is about cold, hard economics
Credit: Jacob Lewis - The Sun
For Aussies living on the west coast, Perth is their natural gateway to Europe.
The city is closer to London than Sydney is, making it the obvious choice for the first direct connection between the two nations.
Plus, it opens up Western
Australia
's pristine beaches, vineyards and wildlife to British tourists who might otherwise head straight to Sydney.
The fuel-efficient but cramped Dreamliner made these ultra-long routes commercially viable for the first time, though my inaugural flight had 23 empty economy seats - suggesting passengers weren't immediately convinced by the direct option.
Game-Changing Upgrades?
Fast-forward to 2025, and Qantas has finally listened to feedback from passengers like me who endured that maiden voyage.
The numbers tell the story: where the old planes had economy seats squeezed to just 17.2 inches wide, the new A350s will feature 18-inch seats - actually wider than the airline's double-decker A380s used on their stopover routes.
That might sound like a small difference, but when you're trapped for 17 hours, every millimetre counts.
Even better, seat pitch increases from a knee-crunching 32 inches to a much more civilised 34 inches. It's still not business class, but it's the difference between agony and merely uncomfortable.
The Wellness Revolution
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The new planes will feature a dedicated 'Wellbeing Zone'
Credit: Quantas
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Passengers on the new Qantas route will be able to actually get up, stretch, and move around
Credit: Quantas
Perhaps most importantly, the new planes will feature something completely unheard of in economy: a dedicated "Wellbeing Zone" where passengers can actually get up, stretch, and move around during the flight.
Anyone who's done a long-haul flight knows that desperate dance in the aisles trying to get blood flowing back to your legs.
Having a proper space to stretch could be the difference between arriving in London feeling human versus feeling like you've been folded into a suitcase for a day.
The entertainment system gets a major upgrade too, with 13.3-inch touchscreens (bigger than many laptops), Bluetooth connectivity for your own headphones, and modern high-speed USB-C charging ports.
Most crucially, there will finally be WiFi - because who wants to go offline for nearly a day in 2025?
'Project Sunrise'
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Qantas is fixing the Perth route and launching the ultimate endurance test: direct flights from Sydney to London with 'Project Sunrise'
Qantas isn't just fixing the Perth route - they're launching the ultimate endurance test: direct flights from Sydney to London that will take over 19 hours, plus a Sydney to New York route.
"Project Sunrise," as they're calling it, will offer the same spacious cabins and wellness zones, but for an even longer journey.
The Sydney routes will benefit from flying in the opposite direction around the world over the South Pole, potentially offering truly direct flights both ways regardless of the geopolitical complications that have plagued the Perth route.
When it launches in early 2027, the Sydney-London service will claim the
The Sydney-London route will stretch over 10,500 miles and could take up to 20 hours.
It's either the
future
of air travel or absolute madness - I'm genuinely not sure which.
Worth The Premium?
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A look at what the First class suites might look like
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The business suites onboard the airline's new planes
Qantas says Sydney-London passengers will pay an estimated 20% premium over connecting flights, but the airline has said that early feedback suggests people are willing to cough up the extra cash to avoid stopovers.
That 20% price hike is the big question. On a £800 return ticket to Australia, you're looking at an extra £160 to fly direct.
For many, that's a small price to pay to avoid the hassle of connections, especially if you're traveling with kids or lots of luggage.
The maths gets even more compelling when you factor in potential hotel costs during long layovers, airport food, and the sheer exhaustion of navigating multiple airports.
Plus, with the new cabin
features
like free Wi-Fi, you're getting some of the premium economy experience at economy prices.
Business
travellers
will likely
snap
up the direct option without thinking twice. For leisure travellers, it depends whether you value the time and convenience over saving a few quid.
My Verdict
Seven years ago, I would have told anyone considering the Perth-London route to book a connection instead.
The cramped conditions, lack of amenities, and general misery made it feel like paying extra to be tortured.
But these new A350s sound like a completely different proposition.
Wider seats than even the A380 which operates on stopover routes, WiFi, and space to move around could actually make 17+ hours in economy bearable - maybe even preferable to the hassle of connections.
I'm genuinely tempted to give it another go when the new planes start flying. That's something I never thought I'd say after my inaugural flight experience.
The real test will be whether Qantas can deliver on these promises. Airlines are great at talking up new cabins, but the proof will be in the flying.
If they get it right, they might just have revolutionised ultra-long-haul travel.
If they don't, well, at least Singapore and Dubai have the