In Jules Verne's classic story, Phileas Fogg sets out from Victorian London to travel around the world in 80 days. Travel has certainly modernized since a hot air balloon was the vehicle of choice, but 24 hours is still too tight for a trip around the world, unless you're an astronaut or on the passenger list for Virgin Galactic's suborbital spaceflight, set to launch in 2014. With an equator measuring approximately 25,000 miles around, a nonstop traveler would need to top 1,000 miles per hour to circle the globe in one day.
Starting in Sydney
- When Singapore airlines withdrew Singapore-to-New York service in November 2013, the world's longest distance flight came to an end. At 19 hours in the sky, it was nearly a full day in flight to cover 9,529 miles. Sydney to Los Angeles is another long-distance option, undertaken in 15 hours and 20 minutes. And things might get faster: Boeing is on track to begin delivery of the long-range 787-9, which has a top speed of 593 miles per hour, in mid-2014. Although the supersonic Concorde flew more than twice that fast, at Mach II, the newest planes prioritize environmental and economical benefits over speed.
Challenged by Time Zones
- Australia and New Zealand are on the other side of the international date line, and the 12:20 p.m. Monday departure from Sydney must cross that virtual line placed at 180 degrees longitude in the Pacific Ocean. Technically, you'll arrive in Los Angeles at 7 a.m. the same day you departed. Although that flight is a good start for a round-the-world journey, you're already running short on time, and the date line will catch up with you at the end of the journey.
Eastbound Leg
- Continue on from Los Angeles to London, Paris or Frankfurt on the very next flight leaving LAX for a major European airport. This next leg takes approximately 11 hours, but the local time is 8 hours ahead in London and 9 hours ahead on much of the continent -- which means the local time on arrival will be about 4 a.m. on Tuesday. To keep the trip within 24 hours, you have another 8 hours to get back to Sydney. The fastest possible flight time for that 10,000-mile-plus journey, however, is more than 23 hours.
Back to the Starting Gate
- Europe is 10 hours behind Australia, so when that European flight arrives in Sydney, it will be Wednesday afternoon. With good weather, a bit of planning, no checked bags, no delays and a fat wallet, the quickest commercial trip around the world can be done in about two days.
