An in-flight service revolution aboard first 20-hour, non-stop flight – spicy food, bright lights for first six hours to combat jet lag

Those on board will eat, drink, sleep, and move about the cabin according to a preset schedule. Pilots will wear brain-monitoring equipment to assess alertness

Passengers boarding in New York will immediately switch to Sydney time, and be discouraged from sleeping until they are six hours into the journey

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Qantas flies the world’s first 20-hour, non-stop flight from New York to Sydney on Friday. Data gathered from the journey will help to tackle jet lag on ultra-long-haul flights. Photo: Qantas

Published: 11:30am, 19 Oct 2019Updated: 1:06pm, 19 Oct 2019

Qantas Airways will ditch the traditional in-flight service routine for this weekend’s marathon non-stop trip from New York to Sydney.

At almost 20 hours, the unprecedented journey is set to be the world’s longest flight. It’s a key test run as Qantas prepares to start direct commercial services connecting Sydney with New York and London as soon as 2022.

As part of research aimed at reducing jet lag, passengers on board will effectively switch to Sydney time as soon as they leave New York late on Friday. Rather than following the standard practice of serving food and dimming the lights after take-off, Qantas plans to keep everyone awake for six hours. They’ll be helped by food containing hot peppers and spices.

“The passenger research will test alternatives to how airlines have managed in-flight service for decades,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. The industry’s traditional schedule may not be the best way to switch the body clock to the destination’s time zone, he said.

Pilots will wear brain monitors during the nearly 20-hour flight. Photo: Qantas

Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner will carry only about 50 passengers and crew to give the plane the range to reach Sydney on Sunday without stopping. Here are some key features of research that will be carried out on board.

Six Qantas frequent fliers will follow a pre-planned schedule for eating, drinking, sleeping and moving. They’ll keep a daily log before and during the flight, as well as for two weeks afterwards to gauge how they feel. Pilots will wear brain-monitoring equipment to assess their alertness and will provide urine samples to track melatonin levels (a natural sleep-inducing chemical).