How high do planes fly?
Seeing “36,000 ft” on the screen can feel big at first. Yet that height is the most comfortable place for the aircraft.
Cruising altitude
Jet airliners usually cruise between 10,000 and 12,500 metres (33,000–41,000 feet). Short flights may stay lower, long flights may go higher.
Why so high?
- Efficiency: the air is thin up high, drag drops, and the engines go faster on less fuel.
- Weather: most rain clouds and weather sit lower down.
- Order: aircraft heading in different directions use different altitudes, organised by air traffic control.
Why does altitude change?
As the aircraft burns fuel during the flight it gets lighter and can climb higher. Pilots may also ask to change altitude for calmer air or better winds. A gentle climb or descent you feel in cruise usually comes from this.
The feeling of height
In the cabin you don't really feel the height; cabin pressure is held steady and, even though the aircraft is doing hundreds of kilometres an hour, inside it's like a quiet room. That's also why everything looks slow from the window.
