Why does it take longer to fly to New York than back?

Jet streams are, at their most basic, high-altitude air currents caused by atmospheric heating and the inertia of the earth's rotation—and they're the reason why flights from west to east are faster than the same route traversed in the opposite direction.



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As previously mentioned, the primary reason for the difference in travel times with flight direction is due to the jet stream. This is a high-altitude wind that blows from the west to the east across the planet.

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Why does it take long to fly from Europe to the US than from the US to Europe? The reason airplane flights take longer when traveling west is because of the different speeds of rotation on Earth. The rotational velocity of Earth decreases as one goes from the Equator to the poles.

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Airlines quickly realized the value of jet streams and began implementing them while planning routes. Since the jet streams flow from west to east, they make one leg of the journey much faster (when flying with the stream) and one slower (against the stream).

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It's been established that the Pacific Ocean is big ... really big. And with greater distances come greater costs since the plane needs more fuel. Executive Flyers writes that while you could just charge passengers more to fly that distance, this may lead to lots of unhappy customers and airlines losing out on sales.

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Currently, the bragging rights for the longest flight in the world belong to Singapore Airlines' New York City to Singapore route. Its longest flight path, which connects Singapore's Changi Airport with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, 9,585 miles away, takes 18 hours and 40 minutes.

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The longest non-stop commercial flight travels from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) and takes over 18 hours. Singapore Airlines operates the two longest flights globally, with Qantas coming in next, operating the third and fourth longest flights.

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Since the jet streams flow from west to east, they make one leg of the journey much faster (when flying with the stream) and one slower (against the stream). Imagine going downstream or upstream a river, or how it feels when you are cycling against the wind, as opposed to when you have it at your back.

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Singapore Airlines operates two non-stop flights between Singapore and New York City. These are the world's longest non-stop flights, spanning over 9,500 miles (15,288 km). The airline uses the Airbus A350-900ULR for these ultra-long-haul routes in a two-class layout.

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8 hours and 12 minutes is the average flight time from London to New York.

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Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west. View Source . Jet lag differs based on the direction of travel because it's generally easier to delay your internal clock than advance it. Jet lag does not occur on north-south flights that do not cross multiple time zones.

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Flying east or west makes a difference to jet lag This is because travelling west 'prolongs' the body clock's experience of its normal day-night cycle (the normal tendency of the body clock in most of us is slightly longer than 24 hours). Travelling eastwards, however, runs in direct opposition to the body clock.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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The Loganair Westray to Papa Westray route is the shortest scheduled passenger flight in the world. Flights on the route are scheduled for one and a half minutes, and actual flying time is closer to one minute. The record for the fastest flight is 53 seconds.

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October 2, 1957: Trans World Airlines' L-1649A, set the record for the longest-duration, non-stop passenger flight aboard a piston-powered airliner on the inaugural London–Heathrow to San Francisco Flight 801 where the aircraft, having encountered strong headwinds, stayed aloft for 23 hours and 19 minutes covering ...

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Top 13+ Longest Flights In The World: From One End Of The Earth To The Other
  • New York to Singapore | 18 hours 50 minutes | Singapore Airlines.
  • Newark to Singapore | 18 hours 30 minutes | Singapore Airlines.
  • Perth to London | 17 hours 20 minutes | Qantas.
  • Dallas to Melbourne | 17 hours 35 minutes | Qantas.


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Currently, the bragging rights for the longest flight in the world belong to Singapore Airlines' New York City to Singapore route. Its longest flight path, which connects Singapore's Changi Airport with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, 9,585 miles away, takes 18 hours and 40 minutes.

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13 Tips for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight
  1. Choose your seat. ...
  2. Power up. ...
  3. Get comfy. ...
  4. Bring some snacks. ...
  5. Always bring a scarf or shawl. ...
  6. Pack a pillow and blanket. ...
  7. See no evil, hear no evil. ...
  8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.


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The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.

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