Acknowledged - No East / West for LAX-DXB routes. I was calculating relative position via latitude only - obviously not applicable here.
Curiously, LAX and EWR are approx 600 miles apart (when considering SIN-EWR at 8285 miles, and SIN-LAX at 7621 miles). All via the magic of great circle routes.
Many thanks to all for the info exchange.
(My personal shortest jet flight . . LSV (Nellis AFB) - LAS (Las Vegas) in a B727 . . . (eight minutes total block time, chalk to chalk).