Originally Posted by
gt_croz
I was surprised to find that the shortest path between Atlanta and Tokyo goes over Alaska.
There are a number of polar routes. Take a look at EWR-SIN sometime.
Also note that depending on weather conditions and prevailing winds, a flight may not take the shortest "great circle" path. While ATL-NRT will typically fly well over Alaska, the reverse is not true. The eastbound flights route much farther south to take advantage of strong jetstream tailwinds.
Compare:
16 November -
DL56 NRT-ATL
16 November -
DL55 ATL-NRT