Wouldn't it have been just as effective to fly towards their destination? But looking at their route map, there aren't any airports they have scheduled flights to between Denver and Buffalo near the great circle between LAX and JFK.
Is there any good way for a pilot to increase fuel consumption? I would expect that if the plane would allow it the pilot could theoretically enter a steep climb at wide open throttle; if the thrust/weight ratio is less than 1:1 (as it is on any commercial jetliner) it should be possible to maintain stable airspeed in such fashion. On the other hand, that might not be very comfortable for the passengers, and might have safety problems besides. Any other alternatives?
Wouldn't it have been just as effective to fly towards their destination? But looking at their route map, there aren't any airports they have scheduled flights to between Denver and Buffalo near the great circle between LAX and JFK.
There are several ways to increase fuel burn during a flight. Cruise at a lower than optimal altitude, fly faster than optimal cruise speed, fly at slow speeds with flaps extended and gear down to tremendously increase drag, etc.