> I really don't see the point in these excessively long flights either, you usually have to layover somewhere anyway, these ultra-long flights are most often to a hub like DOH or DXB, where you then need to connect to your final destination.
Not necessarily. I live in NYC, and the ~20 million people that live here in the metropolitan area with access to these three international airports definitely benefit from long non-stop flights directly to destinations of interest, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Dubai. There are no non-stops to Australia quite yet (too far), but they're coming in a few years!
If you live in a big international city and want to go to another big international city, which is a common travel pattern, then these nonstops really are nonstop, no connecting flights necessary.
Not necessarily. I live in NYC, and the ~20 million people that live here in the metropolitan area with access to these three international airports definitely benefit from long non-stop flights directly to destinations of interest, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Dubai. There are no non-stops to Australia quite yet (too far), but they're coming in a few years!
If you live in a big international city and want to go to another big international city, which is a common travel pattern, then these nonstops really are nonstop, no connecting flights necessary.