Originally Posted by Nicc HK

There are 4 primary Polar routes that go close to the North Pole.

Polar 1 & 2 aimed at traffic North America - China/India
Polar 3 & 4 for North America - Japan/Korea

The Russians charge hefty fees for their usage, which currently goes into Aeroflot's pocket.

So going east from HKG flying along the East coast of Japan to the Aleutians, across Alaska then Northern Canada often makes good economic sense and why this route is preferred for HKG-East Coast traffic. It also follows the Jetstream which operates 50-60 degrees latitude and not over Polar Regions.

Return from NYC....