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Route guide

New York Tokyo

John F. Kennedy (JFK) — Narita (NRT)

Eastbound
Distance
10,870 km
Duration
14h
TZ shift
14h east
Best side
right

Overview

JFK to Narita — polar-route long-haul, often flown 13-14 hours. The time zone shift is large enough that crossing the dateline may make the trip feel like a westward delay, depending on direction of travel.

Jet lag

Effective 10-hour eastward shift (14 hours forward, but body treats it as 10 east). One of the harder long-hauls. Allow 5-7 days adaptation. Consider light therapy 2 days pre-flight.

Estimated recovery

Without intervention ~14 days
With timed light + melatonin ~8 days

Estimates only — based on ~1 day per time zone east, compressed roughly 40% with a timed protocol. See how long jet lag actually lasts and why eastward is harder.

Build a JFK→NRT adaptation schedule

Best window side

Polar routing northbound — right side gets mid-flight aurora chances in winter and sunset views eastbound.

Typical economy row (3-3-3)

Left

Middle

Best · Right

The right window is the calmer pick on this route. For sleep, the window itself matters more than the side — see how to sleep on a long-haul. For the exact rows and seat letters on this aircraft, use the seat picker.

Cabin atmosphere

787 has ~16% cabin humidity vs ~4% on 777 — choose 787 if available for a 14-hour leg.

Expected cabin humidity at cruise

This route's typical aircraft ~15-20%
Indoor air at home ~40-60%

Composite-fuselage aircraft (787, A350) run higher humidity than older aluminum-fuselage types. See what the 787 actually fixes.

What to pack for this route

Read before you fly

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