Skip to content

Route guide

Hong Kong New York

Hong Kong International (HKG) — John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Westbound 12h shift Best side: right
Distance
12,990 km
Duration
16h
Time-zone shift
12h west
Best window side
right

Overview

Hong Kong to JFK — Cathay Pacific's flagship Atlantic-meets-Pacific polar route. One of the longest US-Asia flights still scheduled; the westbound direction is the only thing making it manageable.

Jet lag

Crosses the dateline — calendar shows 12 hours, body reads it as ~12 hours westward. Stay up into the New York evening; anchor afternoon light; expect 4-5 days for full adjustment.

Build a HKG→JFK adaptation schedule

Best window side

Westbound polar routing — the right (north) side is the shadier pick through the long daylit cruise.

Cabin humidity

Cathay's A350-1000 is the comfort pick on this 16-hour westbound. 777-300ER is workable but drier — the difference compounds over a flight this long.

Other routes