What I accidently omitted from my first email was: Effective February 15, 2007, the FAA ruled that US-registered twin-engined airplane operators can fly over most of the world other than the South Polar Region, a small section in the South Pacific, and the North Polar area under certain weather cond...

Interesting. I did not know that. Maybe they take more of a northerly route and come down the atlantic routes offshore of the US but that would require alot more fuel burn. If they don't, that is a lot of water between the Azores and the Carribean! I'll have to do some research.

The 777 cannot be used from Europe due to ETOPS (Extended Twin-Engine Operations). It is due to its maximum diversion time of 120/180 minutes (time depending on governing rule). Since most of the flight is over open ocean, 4-engined aircraft are being utilizied. Rules may be changing soon due to a r...