The World’s Longest Flight Is About to Get Even More Comfortable Thanks to Its New First Class Cabin

The new cabins will be ready starting in 2026.

By Alison Fox Alison Fox

Alison Fox is a Travel + Leisure contributor. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. When she’s not in New York City, she can be found at the beach or on the slopes. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on November 4, 2024

Close The new first class seats on board Singapore Airlines . Photo:

Courtesy of Singapore Airlines 

Singapore Airlines is upgrading the world’s longest flight with a brand-new first class cabin.

The more than $800 million revamp will introduce the first class cabin on its seven Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure. That plane is used on the world’s longest flight from New York to Singapore, which clocks in at just under 19 hours.

The airline will also install its new long-haul cabin products with new in-flight entertainment screens across its fleet of Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft and refresh both its premium economy and economy seats on board.

“Over the past six years, we have extensively engaged customers and stakeholders in the design of our next-generation long-haul cabin products, anticipating their evolving preferences and expectations down to the finest detail,” Goh Choon Phong, the chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, said in a statement shared with T+L.

“The new First Class and Business Class seat designs will incorporate thoughtful elements that push the boundaries of comfort, luxury, and modernity, allowing our customers to relax or work effortlessly on board. Premium Economy Class and Economy Class customers can also look forward to refreshed cabin interiors that enhance their travel experience.” 

Passengers can expect to start seeing the new cabins in the second quarter of 2026 with the entire retrofit expected to be complete by the end of 2030.

When the retrofit is finished, Singapore will offer 42 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 192 economy seats on its A350-900 long-haul aircraft, and offer four first class seats, 70 business class seats, and 58 premium economy seats on its A350-900ULR aircraft, which are used from the U.S. to Singapore.

Further details of the new seats were not immediately available and would be revealed in the future, according to the airline.

Singapore Airlines, which is consistently named the best international airline by T+L readers, is known for its top-notch food and impressive Champagne collection. The airline flies to several cities in the United States, including New York, Newark, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.