BR15 distance and great-circle path
BR15 covers 10,922 km, or 6,787 miles. That makes it an ultra-long-haul flight, near the limit of what most twinjets can fly non-stop. Of the 439 routes we track, it ranks 53 by distance.
The plane leaves Taipei heading north-east. On the map above, the line looks curved. That is normal. The shortest path over a round planet never looks straight on a flat screen. Our guide explains how the TPE-LAX route appears on a tracker map.
Why BR15 block time differs from cruise time
The schedule allows 11.8 hours from gate to gate. That works out to about 923 km/h. A Boeing 777-300ER cruises faster than that. The gap is taxi time, climbing, descending and holding.
Flying east, this route usually picks up tailwinds high up. The flight back west normally takes longer, even though the distance is identical. See how timing changes the trip in our red-eye flight guide.
Can the Boeing 777-300ER comfortably fly BR15?
Not really. It uses about 80% of the Boeing 777-300ER's range. That leaves room for a full load of passengers and bags. The full numbers are on our aircraft page for the Boeing 777-300ER.
What to know about BR15
- Time change: you land 15 hours behind the time you left. That is enough to cause jet lag. Here is how pilots handle it.
- Crosses the date line: the calendar date changes while you are in the air.