Why is flying New York to London faster than London to New York?

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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Riding (or fighting) jetstreams This is a high-altitude wind that blows from the west to the east across the planet. Airplanes will come into the jet stream at around 30,000 feet and then travel with (or against) these winds, hence the shorter or longer flight times.

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The jet stream is the real reason your flight time varies depending on the direction of your destination. Jet streams are air currents that happen at very high altitudes, including those which planes frequently fly in.

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It's caused by the disruption of your circadian rhythms (how daylight influences the body's natural cycle),which means jet lag tends to become a problem if flying across four or more time zones - like a trip from London to New York.

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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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Of course not! Aircraft move through the atmosphere with the Earth's rotation, so its speed is not affected . What would affect aircraft speed is the wind at that altitude, which can cause a flight from London to New Jersey to be two hours longer than the other way.

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Symptoms may be more pronounced as more time zones are crossed. Most people find that jet lag is worse when traveling east than it is when traveling west.

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

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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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What is the longest flight in the world by distance? The longest flight in the world by distance is New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) on Singapore Airlines clocking in at 9,537 miles. What plane can fly the farthest in the world?

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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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A: The tracks across the Atlantic are determined daily to take into account the meteorological conditions of the moment. If there are strong winds, the eastbound tracks will be farther north to take advantage of them, while the westbound flights will be routed south to avoid the headwinds.

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The fastest time for an airliner on the route is 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds, this was achieved on an eastbound JFK-LHR Concorde service on 7 February 1996. The current fastest subsonic passenger service on the route was achieved by British Airways on 9 February 2020 with a time of 4 hours 56 minutes.

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It is the rotation of the Earth that is causing the longer flight times, but not because it's moving towards or away from the flying aircraft. It is instead due to its influence on wind patterns – the so-called high-altitude jet streams.

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According to experts, not eating while you fly can actually help to reduce jet lag. (And that's not the only thing your flight attendant won't tell you.) Turns out, traveling on a plane can do a lot of bad things to your body—including shutting your digestive system down once you reach a high altitude.

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17 easy ways to avoid jet lag on your next long haul flight
  1. Don't scrimp when booking your seat. ...
  2. Start adjusting your regular bedtime. ...
  3. Have a quiet night in. ...
  4. Don't spend too long in the airport bar or cafe. ...
  5. Eat light. ...
  6. Keep on your feet. ...
  7. Wear comfortable clothes. ...
  8. Stay hydrated.


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Your effort to soften the jet-lag blow can start before you get on a plane (or ship, or whatever). You can try adjusting your schedule by “moving your target fall-asleep and wake-up times in the direction of your new time zone by about 15 minute increments each day,” Robbins says.

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The completely correct guide to getting over jet lag
  1. Prepare for jet-lag misery in advance.
  2. Take your flight there seriously.
  3. Don't schedule anything important your first day.
  4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
  5. Seek out the right kind of light at the right time.
  6. Make your sleep space extra sleepy.
  7. When all else fails, give in.


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Due to Earth's rotation, these air currents often move from West to East. If an airplane is flying in the same direction as a jet stream, it may save time and fuel, but if it is flying against a jet stream, it will encounter extreme turbulence and might be damaged.

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Because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere and not merely a two-dimensional flat, East-West surface. Because of this spherical shape, often times the shortest distance is flying more north and south, up over the Northern latitudes and the North Pole, rather than flying east/west over the Pacific.

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