Northern Lights visible on UA routes?
 

Does anyone know if any of the longhaul routes UA flies can have views of the Northern Lights in the winter? I am curious most specifically about NRT-EWR in the winter, but I am curious if anyone has thoughts/suggestions about it being possible. I have the middle honeymoon seats for my wife and I, but I could be convinced to take the odd-numbered window seat... :)

NRT-EWR generally flies pretty far south of Alaska to take advantage of the jet stream. You would need a flight that: (a) flies farther north; and (b) flies at night. Flights from EWR to Asia meet the first criterion, but most of the trip is in daylight. EWR to India could be a better bet. But you also need to sit on the north side of the plane, and the northern lights have to active on the day you fly. After multiple trips, I have yet to have seen them from a plane.

I think the best flights tend to be TATL flights - but even then the odds are not high.....

I did see them, albeit faintly, on DEL-EWR a few months back.

Saw them once on a west coast to LHR flight but that was only because my daughter woke me up to see them.

The best I ever saw was BOM-EWR when we flew due north passing within 100 miles of the pole. I woke up somewhere over the arctic and it was like the entire sky was filled with green and orange fire. Very disorienting at first, then so incredibly cool that it cost me a few hours of sleep...Remember the aurora varies with the sunspot cycle (11 year) and won't be seen unless it's pitch dark outside (i.e. winter). Also, they center not around the north pole but the magnetic pole over northern Canada (80N, 73W). Any flight path going within 20-30 degrees of this location in the dark would have a reasonable possibility of seeing them if they're occurring, just be sure to book a window seat on that side of the plane.

Another very cool night flight sighting came in 1997 on an FRA-KIX flight. This was during the time of the Hale-Bopp comet (the one associated with the Heaven's Gate mass suicide). As we were flying over Mongolia, I saw the comet due north of the flight on the horizon pointing vertically like a knife into the heart of Ulaanbaatar. Very mystical!

Sometimes my PVG-ORD route runs high polar and we are some lights, but not very often. I’ve seen the lights once or twice.

:p Well, then I guess you'll have to change your screen name!

When SQ ran SIN-EWR I caught the lights a couple of times.

EWR-HKG
 

I saw them last month on EWR-HKG, just over Greenland. Spectacular.

Pilot mentioned they were the brightest he's ever seen. I believe this year mid-Feb the solar activity was particularly pronounced.

Last year I was on a ORD-FRA flight when the captain made the following announcement: "UA and mother nature are proud to present a special inflight entertainment program on the left side of the aircraft."

Check this site before you flight or on the flight ideally.
Northern Lights Forecast

Or perhaps ask the pilot. I wish the pilot would make an announcement if he thought there was a high likelihood otherwise most likely you will be asleep.

Also, hope that the FA doesnt yell at you for having your window shade up or you arent on a 787 where they locked you out.

seen them on SFO-LHR

I've seen them on PEK-ORD before

I'd say SFO-FRA, but one has to check the filed routing against the auroral prediction before boarding (or with the inflight wifi) to be sure.