A Chinese airline is launching a 12,000-mile, 29-hour-long flight across the Pacific

A Chinese airline is launching a 12,000-mile, 29-hour-long flight across the Pacific

Briefly

"From December, China Eastern Airlines plans to operate a 29-hour-long flight from Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, to Shanghai. The flight will be operated on a Boeing 777-300, one of the world's longest-range commercial aircraft, but its 12,000-mile distance means it will need to stop mid-journey. The flight has a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, but it doesn't look like passengers will have the chance to deplane and stretch their legs."

"It won't be cheap to get a ticket on board, either. One-way economy tickets for flights in December are being advertised on China Eastern's website for between $1,538 and $2,270. And if you wanted to upgrade to business class to enjoy a lie-flat bed during the immense flight, it would cost at least $5,000. Meanwhile, the outbound flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires is a bit faster, thanks to prevailing high-altitude winds, and is scheduled to take around 25 and a half hours."

"Both flights are scheduled to operate twice weekly. The outbound flight, China Eastern 745, will operate on Mondays and Thursdays starting December 4. The world's longest direct flight, designated China Eastern 746, is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays. It is set to be three hours longer than the current record holder, Air China Flight 897, which travels from Beijing to São Paulo via Madrid."