We are at Los Angeles International airport, headed for France.

Flying on New Year’s Eve may seem a little anti-social, but December 31 also has a reputation as one of the least expensive days to fly.

And here we are.

December 31 also is known for being a calm day at the airport, and our experience — at least through passport control and the mag-and-bag area. — has been pretty much wide open and prompt.

Now, the flight.

If I recollect this accurately, we may get an announcement from the flight deck, when we have entered the new year.

Trying to do the math here … it’s a big algebra problem, I think. “Plane flying 500 miles an hour crosses a time zone every hour or so …”

We are scheduled for a 3:50 p.m. departure from the gate, though this flight is known for leaving late.

But let’s assume we are on time.

We ought to be in the air by 4:30, and if we angle northwest across North America, as is the flight plan for Air France flight 65, in four hours or so we will we should be near Chicago, in the Central time zone, two hours ahead of California.

That would make it about 10:30 p.m., in the part of the world below us. Still 2015!

However, once we cross into Eastern Standard Time, around Ohio or Pennsylvania, that moves us ahead another hour … and if we haven’t dawdled too much, about then it should be 2016. Over Lake Erie, thereabouts.

I have heard stories about people in the plane singing, or applauding, when the announcement is made. Maybe everyone will be offered champagne, once we are in 2016?

Be interested in finding out.