Ghastly? That’s my cabin, sir!

With more airlines introducing long-haul flights, it will do good to think of the interest of the long-suffering economy class passengers.

I WAS on a British Airways flight from Edinburgh to London Heathrow recently. As the cabin crew was pushing the trolley, I asked for a glass of water.

“We serve M&S food on board, sir. And we don’t take cash.”

I overheard someone from across the aisle commenting in a thick Scottish accent: “They can’t even spare you a glass of water now, my man!”

The cabin crew, a little embarrassed perhaps, whispered to me she would be back with a glass of water. Travelling economy certainly has its downside.

I can’t afford business class now. I was told a return ticket to London from Kuala Lumpur on most airlines can get at least six of my rugby buddies on economy seat.

In most cases, most travellers have to endure the 13-hour flight. Malaysians have been doing that for years.

Prior to the shooting down of MH17, the flight route was an hour or so shorter. Many would opt for other airlines stopping at Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

I know very little about the airline industry. But I have travelled extensively over the years flying first class, business and economy.

If you ask me, travelling is burdensome, wherever you are seated, especially when you are in the cabins for the lesser mortals.

Britain’s Prince Charles famously made a remark about travellers like me. He particularly referred to “something called economy class” which he said sounds “ghastly”.

I don’t blame him. In fact, I admire his forthrightness on the matter.

For most airlines, first class in long-haul flights are referred to as “suites”.

In its cubicles, you can experience the comfort unlike any other. We are talking about the widest seats, the longest beds and the fanciest of amenities.

There are airlines offering personalised chefs and even sliding doors for privacy. Literally, it is heaven in the air!

For economy class passengers, they have to be content with a 43-46cm seat width. When the guy in front of you, reclines his seat, the atmosphere becomes suffocating.

Any space for leg room? Almost none.

Most airlines can’t even guarantee you anything as mundane as elbow room.

For hours, you are confined in a space the size of your pillow at home. To put it mildly, that is discomfort at 10,000m!

We don’t mind when it comes to budget airlines of course, those no-frills, everything-you-must-buy-on-board types, but not airlines that promised nothing short of the best services available with smiling air hostesses ever ready to serve you.

Commercial airliners are getting more sophisticated these days.

These fly-by-wire monsters are capable of flying further and higher.

Those were the days we were amazed when a singer performing at eight in the evening at Wembley Stadium, then boarded a Concord flight and landed in New York, with plenty of time to spare to perform at the same time of the day at the stadium there.

But flying almost 20 hours? Well, that is something.

Qantas is currently doing its test flights for the Sydney to New York route.

In one of the test flights, the time registered was 19 hours and 16 minutes (1,156 minutes).

That is longer than the longest available regular long-distance flight offered currently by Singapore Airlines’ Singapore to Newark route of 18 hours and 30 minutes.

The second longest flight now is the Qatar Airways’ Doha to Auckland followed by Qantas’ Perth to London.

These ultra-long non-stop flights are pushing the aviation industry to new limits.

We are not sure what the future generation airliners are capable of. Perhaps even a 24-hour flight in the pipeline?

In business it makes a lot of sense; in fact the test flights so far have been targeting that cabin.

I wonder how it would affect ordinary travellers who, in Prince Charles’ words, are accustomed to travelling in “ghastly” spaces.

But can economy class passengers endure such long flights?

Perhaps with a customised seat, healthier menus, appropriate cabin lightings, adequate entertainment options and a lounge, it would minimise the boredom and tiredness.

In 19 hours you should be able to watch 22 episodes of Game of Thrones, 26 episodes of Desperate Housewives, six Hindi movies the length of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or U-Wei Haji Shaari’s Hanyut nine times.

One of the side effects of long distance travel is jet lag.

It is simply about the body’s clock not being able to sync with the changing natural 24-hour rotation of the Earth.

The “time zone change syndrome” can affect people in many ways. I am one of those who would suffer many days of jet lag when my wake-sleep pattern is disturbed.

The 10,539km distance from Kuala Lumpur to London crosses eight time zones.

Back to the request for the glass of water. The stewardess didn’t come back to me. Ghastly indeed, where I was!

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. And a diehard rugby fan. The views expressed here are entirely his own.