Originally Posted by RealHJ

Anyhow, this is a bit OT here, but as you are clearly in the know, you likely know the answer to this: I've always wondered what's the reason why travelling eastward is noticeably quicker than travelling westward. (For example, based on DL schedules: HNL-ATL is 8:38 while ATL-HNL is 10:15, and KIX-HNL is 6:57 while HNL-KIX is 9:51, just to use two examples.) Obviously travelling east one is going against the rotation of the earth. But, the atmosphere does not stay suspended while the earth rotates and instead moves along with it, does it not? So is it then that there are always prevailing winds going towards the east / from the west (due to rotation of a solid object (earth) vs. air of atmosphere?)? The difference in scheduled, and actual, flying times going east vs. west is stark, and I've always wondered why is it so exactly and haven't been able to find clear answers online...so what a better place to ask than FT? (Again, sorry I know it's a bit OT here, but I would think that I'm not alone in satisfying this intellectual curiosity.)