Originally Posted by
number_6
PanAm flew around the northern hemisphere but not around the world -- significantly shorter and easier. Same for BOAC (also I think BOAC was not a scheduled service, but a demonstration flight; there were plenty of those...).
I found this excerpt from an online history of aviation in Hawaii:
"On August 23, 1959, BOAC started making twice-weekly flights with jet-prop Britannias from New York, San Francisco and Honolulu to Tokyo and Hong Kong. Thus was inaugurated trans-Pacific service, linking up BOAC’s eastern flights to form the first round-the-world jet service.
"In 1960, the Britannia flights between San Francisco and London via New York and from San Francisco to Tokyo and Hong Kong were replaced by Boeing 707s. This completed BOAC’s first pure jet round-the-world service. A twice-weekly connecting service between U.S. points and the Philippines was inaugurated on November 2 with a Tokyo-Manila Comet 4 jet service, connecting in Japan with BOAC’s Boeing 707 “Jet Bridge” to the Orient.
"On March 26, 1962, Boeings were placed in service to Asia."