Thursday 16 June tracking Lufthansa flight DLH466, LH466, DLH5Y from Munich to San Diego.
Normally these flights just fly over South of Iceland and Greenland, this one is well North of filed flight path. Appreciate distances on World maps and in relation to aircraft are misleading but what might cause such a deviation? Could weather affect them much at 39,000 feet?
Geoff
Jet stream path. East to West long distance flights will deviate to reduce headwinds.
Not seen such a deviation before. I’ve flown this a number of times from Heathrow and never gone this far North but am aware the winds cause issues.
If I recall couple of years back a BA 747 had high tail winds and did a record breaking West to East trip which was faster than speed of sound but of course air speed wasn’t.
Geoff
Filed route is incomplete: Flight Plan Route Decoded ✈ DLH466 16-Jun-2022 (MUC / EDDM-KSAN) - FlightAware
Thanks for comment, it was only noticable as I have flown similar route 9 times in last 7 years albeit Heathrow to SD and none of the flights have ever gone so far North. Followed similar from Germany to California and again, tend to go over Southern Greenland and Hudson Bay.
I did see number of storms shown on East Coast of Hudson Bay, normally Europe to California pass over Hudson Bay. Not sure though how much a storm would affect an aircraft over 10 kilometers high.
As @ua549 mentioned probably the jet stream winds.
Geoff
One time I flew from Munich to Washington DC and the fly path took us all the way to East side of UK (over North Sea), Iceland and southern tip of Greenland.
At beginning I thought we might been hijacked, because the usual path is over Wales and Ireland.
I got a few clear pictures of Greenland glacier bays, it was Summer.
Stunning pics.
Guess there are numerous reasons for deviating from filed route, most would go completely unnoticed and only picked up by someone following flight. Mind you, when you see how many aircraft are in the sky it is a wonder they can keep them on route. Watching them across the Atlantic it is almost like watching a Sky Train, tow rope between them all. 
Geoff
A few years ago, took a flight from San Diego to Narita Japan (Tokyo). I was amazed how far North we went – basically followed US coastline then up almost to Alaska. Course some of this is due to ETOPS rules for being near alternate landing sites.
Guess the Pacific is a big Ocean, the one downside of twin engine jets.
I understand a few years back a British Airways 747 en route to UK from US had a single engine malfunction whilst still over US territory. They carried on to UK, think that was a financial decision to avoid dumping fuel and delaying flight.
Geoff
Well, a 747 has three other engines !
But still wonder about the wisdom of doing that.
I would not be surprised to be a financial decision.
I used to be able to fly trough London. Now the flights trough there are super expensive.
I found that story here:
Can a 747 fly with 3 engines? - Quora
British Airways flight 268 had an engine fire shortly after takeoff on February 20, 2005. They decided to keep flying from LAX to Heathrow on only three engines. After encountering unfavorable winds, the plane landed in Manchester because of fuel shortage. The FAA determined that the plane was not airworthy but the British CAA protested, saying that by their rules, the plane was considered airworthy. The matter was dropped.
…it’s cleared to take off with three and fly with two engines.
On the other hand, when I could choose, I paid extra to be in a B747-8 (Lufthansa had that option, flight with 747 it was like $50 more). They were approved for 330 min ETOPS:
Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Approved for ETOPS - Aviation Today
Fascinating post @SoNic67
Everything is driven by profit margins and I guess passengers are effectively complicit in this by our willingness to pay, or not as the case may be.
I’ve flown Heathrow to SD on a number of occasions, usually on a 777 and sometimes a 747. happy to put up with cattle class aisle seat but had free upgrade to business once, fabulous, paid for same upgrade when offered at sensible cost but usually business expensive.
Strangely, couple of years back my daughter flew to Bali via Emirates, I bought her a business seat which at the time cost less than cattle class on some BA flights to SD.
Geoff
I can’t remember the airline, possibly United, but the best domestic coach flight I ever had was from San Antonio Texas to Seattle on the San Antonio-Denver leg, where I had a layover just long enough to let me get something to eat at the Denver airport. They put me in the seat just behind the left wing’s emergency exit door so I had lots of room for my long legs, plus the VHF airband was available on the entertainment system for those like me who preferred that to music.
The best international coach flight I had (on the only international flight I was ever on, so I guess I’m not really qualified to judge) was Cathay Pacific LAX to Hong Kong. Way more leg room than on US airlines, wonderful food, free snacks for the asking, recent TV episodes and first run movies on the entertainment system. I think it was a Boeing 777 Dreamliner and coach was at maybe 50% occupancy at the most so there was plenty of room to lie down on the empty seats and sleep as did the aged mother of the Filipino guy sitting next to me, Lots of elbow room in those seats too.
Seems more room on the smaller aircraft, most of my journeys have been long haul and leg room very restrictive in the economy seats, especially if person in front reclines. That is why I always try and get an aisle seat.
The two recent smaller aircraft journeys were also economy and a pleasure to travel. A 4 hour journey in a Boeing 737 with American and short 1 hour journey in an Embraer with British Airways, both had amble legroom compared to economy on the big aircraft.
Geoff
I always enjoyed smaller aircraft even on long international flights such as on a Delta 757 from the US to EU. I’m a Delta multi-million mile Medallion member with lifetime benefits. Before retiring I flew as a passenger with free first class upgrades 3 or 4 days per week. Alas, I hardly fly anymore.
That sounds exciting, so still have a love of aircraft though…
Sadly with the current situation the joy of flying and travel may reduce but we can still look up and do our ADS-B tracking.
Geoff
Now I hate you 
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