*By Christian Smith*
Singapore Airlines still has some issues to resolve on its newly-revived nonstop flight from Singapore to Newark, N.J., at least according to The Points Guy senior points and miles writer, JT Genter, who was a passenger on the maiden voyage last week.
"Because it's such a very large business class cabin ー there's almost 70 seats in business class and only 13 flight attendants ー they end up having to spend most of their time up front," Genter said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar.
"So while it's a premium economy seat in the back, it wasn't quite the premium economy service I've seen on other airlines."
Genter did note that while the service needs to improve, the flight is still worth taking ー largely because it's direct.
"You really can define your schedule through this, rather than have it defined for you with layovers," Genter said.
In reinstating its over 18-hour trip from Singapore to Newark, Singapore Airlines ($SINGF) has re-claimed the title of having the world's longest flight, which the company ceded when it canceled the route in 2013 for financial reasons.
The airline is hoping to make the route profitable this time around, thanks to a new plane ー the Airbus A350-900ULR.
The twin-engine model requires far less fuel to complete the 10,000 mile journey than the A340-500 that Singapore Airlines used from 2005 to 2013.
If you're looking to take a trip to Singapore, Genter said now is the perfect time to book.
"Right now, this flight is fairly cheap," Genter said. "They're trying to fill up seats, especially in premium economy."
A round-trip premium economy ticket on the world's longest flight currently costs roughly $1,500, even when you book a couple of months in advance on Singapore Airlines' website.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/what-its-like-on-the-worlds-longest-flight).
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