LAX - LHR route question

The final hour of our return flight from los angeles on the 22nd aug 2006 took us over southern Ireland, the Bristol channel, over Bristol itself and then into a holding pattern before finals to Heathrow.
I have flown this route many times over the years but always routing much further North around Liverpool and sometimes over Scotland.
My question is, why so far south on this occasion?
John

[preiffer]

a) Jetstream
b) Weather Conditions - could be avoiding storms
c) ATC routing

The reasons preiffer states above are all valid - as the Captain can only fly where s/he is told to by ATC.

The aircraft type will also affect the route flown. I am guessing a 777 can do LAX-LHR, if so, it will have to take a more northerly route over the Atlantic so as to always be within the required flying time of an airfield in case of engine problems. On a 4 engine aircraft this is irrelevant. (Hence VS's "4 engines for long haul" tagline?)

When I last flew MCO-LGW (on VS), we pushed back & followed a BA 777 - also bound for LGW - to the runway. BA took off first, but we arrived ahead of them at LGW (I can be sure as the BA plane had a very distinctive tail design that was notably absent from the North Terminal at LGW as we taxied in). I am guessing that we did the route faster as we could take the most direct route ATC could offer.

[preiffer]

Bear in mind the 777 cruises slower than a 744 as well, Kraken.

Hadn't thought of the cruising speeds, as I assumed they would be broadly similar. I was just thinking in terms of the ETOPS rules for flying time to an airfield. You live and learn.

Originally posted by Kraken
Hadn't thought of the cruising speeds, as I assumed they would be broadly similar. I was just thinking in terms of the ETOPS rules for flying time to an airfield. You live and learn.

I can't remember the figures but surprisingly the 747 is fastest by about 50km/h compared to a 777 or an A340.

One time on a KLM 747 flight back from Shanghai, we overtook a virgin A340 flight somewhere over Russia. Great view, but sadly this was the one time my Camera was in my checked baggage [:(]