The article below from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx /--------- E-mail Sponsored by Fox Searchlight ------------\ I HEART HUCKABEES - OPENING IN SELECT CITIES OCTOBER 1 From David O. Russell, writer and director of THREE KINGS and FLIRTING WITH DISASTER comes an existential comedy starring Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Hupert, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts. Watch the trailer now at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/huckabees/index_nyt.html \----------------------------------------------------------/ Privacy and Amusements Meant to Go a Long Way September 28, 2004 By JANE L. LEVERE What is it like to be stuck in an airplane cabin for 14 hours? Well, when you can enjoy your privacy in an enclosed compartment, flip through 500 channels of movies, music and TV, lean back in your leather chair for an electronic massage, order a meal whenever you feel like it and bask in "mood lighting" - twinkling lights resembling stars that go on when it is time to go to sleep - it is not so bad. Then again, flights lasting 14 hours, 16 hours or 18½ hours (the longest of the three super-long-haul flights from the United States to Asia and the Middle East that have been introduced in recent months) make for a lot of time in the air, and you risk going a little stir-crazy. In general, though, business travelers who take these flights say the frustrations of being cooped up are more than made up for by the time saved. In fact, it is the amount of time gained, not the amenities lavished on them, that lures most travelers into Airbus's new long-range A340's for nonstop flights to Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "You can manage to sleep for most of it," George Vorkas, an executive for a toy company in New York, said of these long-range flights. He takes a Cathay Pacific Airways flight to Hong Kong from Kennedy International Airport once a month. The trip takes 16 hours 20 minutes and covers 8,400 miles. "If you take a connecting flight, you have to get up in the middle of your sleep, get off the plane and get back on," he said. Singapore Airlines was the first to offer super-long-haul flights, introducing its daily flight to Singapore from Los Angeles (which covers 9,130 miles in 18½ hours) in February, saving passengers an estimated two and a half hours. In June it started a daily 18-hour flight (9,800 miles) to Singapore from Newark Liberty International Airport, cutting as much as four hours off the old itinerary. Singapore Airlines says the new services are among its top-selling flights in North America. And Emirates, which previously did not fly between New York and Dubai, began its daily service from J.F.K. in July. It says it has flown 33,400 passengers on the route, which covers 6,900 miles and lasts 12 hours 50 minutes, as of early September, with "extremely satisfactory" load factors. Cathay started its daily nonstop flight to Hong Kong from Kennedy in July, shaving three hours off its old one-stop service. The airline says the route is profitable, with load factors averaging 90 percent and "well over" 30,000 passengers carried so far. All three carriers realized they would have to go all-out to prevent travelers from succumbing to boredom or claustrophobia. Emirates created individual enclosed compartments for first-class seats and offers passengers an airborne equivalent of hotel room service for meals. Taking a different approach, Singapore reduced the number of seats on its aircraft and made them more spacious; designed to hold up to 313 passengers, the plane accommodates only 181. In addition, Singapore and Emirates, both renowned for pampering passengers, increased the ratio of flight attendants to passengers. Here is a rundown of what each carrier offers: Singapore Airlines The 117 economy-class seats on Singapore's A340-500 are three inches wider than economy-class seats in other aircraft, while their pitch, at 37 inches, is five inches greater. The economy-class TV screen, which is on the back of each seat, is 9.3 inches, compared with 6.5 inches on other aircraft. Because the fuselage is smaller than that of Singapore Airlines' other aircraft, the 64 business-class seats on the new plane are actually one inch narrower than others. In another first, both economy and business class have their own lounges, where travelers can help themselves to snacks, drinks and magazines. The plane also offers the newest version of the carrier's on-demand in-flight entertainment system, with 400 channels of movies, music, television programs and video games. Fares are 10 percent higher than they were on the previous one-stop service, but an airline spokesman says business travelers "are not batting an eyelash because the time saved means a lot to them." Emirates Emirates, which says it also has plans to offer nonstop flights to San Francisco and other American cities, has three classes of service on its A340-500 flights serving Kennedy, with 12 passengers in first class, 42 in business class and 204 in economy. There are four flight attendants in both first and business class and six in economy. All three classes offer an entertainment system with 500 channels of film, music, TV programs and video games. The airline also offers Wi-Fi connections and e-mail for a fee, and at bedtime, sparkles the ceiling with its mood lighting. But perhaps its most noteworthy innovation is its first-class suite, a louvered compartment 5 feet 6 inches high and open on top, with an electronically controlled leather seat that massages its occupant. Each suite has a closet, vanity table, desk, bar, 19-inch TV screen and telephone that lets the passenger call colleagues on the plane or on the ground, or the flight attendant, who will serve meals on demand. Cathay Pacific Its A340-600 aircraft accommodates 8 passengers in first class, served by 2 flight attendants; 60 in business class, with 6 flight attendants; and 218 in economy class, with 6 flight attendants. On 747-400 flights, which carry approximately 100 more passengers, the airline employs a cabin crew of 17. Cathay serves first-class passengers meals on demand and all three classes snacks on demand. Amenities available on the A340-600 that are also offered on other Cathay aircraft include a flat first-class bed; a 6-foot-3-inch business-class bed that inclines slightly; an on-demand entertainment system, and e-mail (for a fee). So what do business travelers have to say about all the bells and whistles? Not a whole lot; their focus is on time management. "There was really a lot of value, time saved and the convenience of the flight," said Vincent Nesi, an apparel industry executive in Manhattan who switched to Cathay's new service last month instead of United Airlines and Northwest Airlines for his monthly flight to Hong Kong. Bill Macaulay, the chief executive of a private equity firm in Greenwich, Conn., who usually flies in first class on Singapore Airlines, said he missed first class when he took the carrier's new nonstop flight from Newark recently. And being in the air for 18 hours straight made him restless. Even so, he is happy. "The upside was the trip was quicker, there were no changes or delays or interruptions of the flight," he said. Dr. A. J. Hashmi, a cardiologist in Tampa, Fla., who sees many patients overseas, said he saved at least six hours flying to Dubai via New York over his old route, which had stops in Atlanta and London. Another advantage of a direct flight is a reduced likelihood of lost luggage, Dr. Hashmi said. Not all business travelers have been won over. One fund manager based in New York who tried out Cathay's nonstop flight to Hong Kong in July said he preferred the alternative flight, which stopped in Vancouver, British Columbia. "The one-stop flight lets me work half a day and the 747-400 is for me more spacious than the A340," he said. Dr. Hashmi, who flew in first class with his wife, said he disliked being separated from her in the individual compartments on Emirates. And Marla Wax-Ferguson, a travel agent in New York who flew in business class, said her seat, operated by a remote control, did not recline properly. So is super-long-haul flying the wave of the future? Perhaps. After all, the Airbus A380 that will go on the market in 2006 will have a range of 9,200 miles and will accommodate 555 passengers in three classes. And Boeing's 7E7, which will begin flying in 2008 and hold anywhere from 217 to 289 passengers, will fly up to 9,800 miles. For now, though, industry experts see no rush by the industry into long-distance luxury. Singapore occupies a "special high-end niche" and Emirates serves a "special premium market," said Glenn Engel, an airline analyst at Goldman Sachs. "Others won't copy them because it will end up raising their costs. And in the airline business today, everyone is moving to lower costs, not higher costs." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/business/28longhaul.html?ex=1097381823&ei=1&en=f9ed67b396f6b8ed --------------------------------- Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like! Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy now for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here: http://homedelivery.nytimes.com/HDS/SubscriptionT1.do?mode=SubscriptionT1&ExternalMediaCode=W24AF HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@xxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company