United Airlines and Cathay Pacific are the only airlines that fly nonstop from New York to Hong Kong.

The 16-hour route, which takes passengers over the ice caps of the arctic, is one of the longest flights in the world.

I decided to fly United Airlines Economy-class cabin to Hong Kong, to see what the experience was like after years of bad press about the airline.

United Airlines has had a rough couple of years.

For most Americans, United's recent history has made it an airline to avoid: the violent removal of passenger David Dao last year, the high-profile death of a dog last month in an overhead compartment, and abysmal consumer-satisfaction ratings over the past several years.

That's before you get into passengers' increasing discontent with the airline's baggage fees, the "Basic Economy" ticket class, and shrinking seats, which led Wired to call United the "industry leader in the abandonment of basic decency."

It all made me a bit nervous when I was looking for a flight from New York to Hong Kong days before I needed to leave. While Cathay Pacific and United both fly nonstop to Hong Kong, United was the only one available at such short notice.

Perhaps I'm a masochist, but it was a very reasonable $761 for a one-way ticket. And I was curious what United might be like on one of the world's longest routes.

I last flew United a few months back over Christmas on a visit to Seattle. The flight there went without incident, but the flight back was a nightmare of delays, overbooked seats, and forced checked bags.

Read on to see what I thought of my flight on United Airlines, departing from Newark Liberty International Airport at 4:00 p.m. for Hong Kong International Airport, operated on a 777-200.