By Shawn Gallagher
I frequently fly between the U.S. East Coast and Japan. Because of the vast distance between the two destinations, the flight route typically takes us over Northern Canada and Alaska, meaning I often get good chances to view the Northern Lights.
I’ve previously seen the Aurora twice, once in August 2022 and another in January 2024. They were both fantastic viewings and became flights I will never forget.
From Japan Airlines flight 8, from Tokyo Narita to Boston.
My flight this time was Japan Airlines flight 3, from New York JFK to Tokyo Haneda. This was an overnight flight: a 2am departure and a 5am arrival.
The flight took us far north over Northern Canada and Northern Alaska. Knowing that this would be the route, I knew that I had a decent chance at getting to see the Northern Lights, especially on this overnight flight where it was dark for the entire duration of the flight. What I didn’t know was how clear the Aurora would appear.
Related: How to see the Northern Lights during a flight
We left the gate and took off a little after 2am.
I unfortunately had an aisle seat on this flight. I always try to grab a window seat, but I had booked this flight pretty last minute. Although I did everything I could, an aisle seat was the best I could do. This meant that I would only look out the window when I was taking a bathroom break at the back of the plane.
About 2 hours after departure somewhere over the Hudson Bay in Canada, I could already begin to see some faint Aurora.
I went to sleep after this and woke up after about 3 hours, somewhere over Northern Alaska. What I saw next blew my mind.
I mean, come on. That’s unreal!
Although this was my 3rd time seeing the Northern Lights, this was the first time I had ever seen them this clearly. They were easily visible to the naked eye.
The Japan Airlines winglet on the Airbus A350-1000 under the shining Aurora.
It was an incredible feeling as I watched the lights rain down on the night sky.
It’s weird. At that moment, it’s just me and these Aurora from 36,000 feet on an Airbus A350 in the middle of nowhere in Northern Alaska. Work back home and all other tasks and stresses of life are gone when I’m on this 13 hour flight. It’s like I’m disconnected from the busy hustle and bustle of life back in New York City, while I’m also disconnected from Tokyo, which is still a vast distance away.
I’ve been flying these transpacific long-haul flights since I was 5 months old. These flights may be exhausting and stressful at times, but I’ll never take these experiences for granted. Views like these Northern Lights prove the beauty of these flights.
All photos taken by the author.