Long-haul flights are about to get a futuristic makeover

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is the future of air travel.

Last year Qantas publicly challenged Boeing and Airbus "to design a plane capable of making a viable direct flight from Sydney to London or New York," said Angus Whitley at Bloomberg. It appears they have succeeded. Australia's flagship airline confirmed last week that its long-held goal of nonstop 20-hour routes is becoming a reality. The airplane makers met Qantas' challenge, with long-haul versions of the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 that can fly "farther than any regular service to date."

Looking forward to flights by 2022, "manufacturers are dreaming up cabin interiors geared toward surviving such marathon flights." Think bunk beds, child-care facilities, "and even somewhere to work out." The 20-hour flights are in stark contrast to the early days of the Sydney-to-London route. In 1935, it took 12½ days to make the journey, requiring as many as 30 stops.

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