How much shorter is the great circle route then the straight route?

Answer:
The great circle rout is the shortest route.

It is just that if you plot a great circle path on a flat map (unless it is the equator or a line of longitude) it will look bent - this is an artifact of map projection.

The actual difference in route lengths depends on the routes you are comparing.
Contributor: Emdrgreg
First answer by Fwmh. Last edit by Fwmh. Contributor trust: 977 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 2 [recommend question].