Continental Airline Tickets

Why are trans continental flights only operated from east to west and or west to east?

Wouldnt it be faster to fly over the Artic Ocean ?

Public Comments

1. Why would they? Nobody wants to go to Russia.
2. Condor flies over the north from Frankfurt to Anchorage.
3. Well Goon, first of all, your terminology is wrong. Trans-continental flight takes place within the confines of a single continent such as North America for instance. Inter-continental flight occurs between continents, which is probably what you meant. In fact, the airlines try to fly great circle routes which describe the shortest distance between two points on a globe, and in inter-continental travel a large number of these routes actually do traverse the Arctic (which has two C's in it, by the way).
4. I think it has to do with the geographical things. When airplanes fly, it looked like it is going round instead of going straight to the point. I'm not sure about this but someone told me that when you fly, it isn't about just going from one destination to another. The earth keep on tilting while the airplane is cruising. Therefore, logically thinking, the earth is moving at 1000km/h. The airplane, on the other hand, is cruising at probably 500 something mph. So you combine the speed because the destination is also moving at the same time. Hope that helps. =)