In this post, I thought it would be fun to talk a bit about redeye flights, given their popularity, and how polarizing they can be. What are redeye flights, what are the pros and cons of taking them, and are they worth booking?
Continue reading: What Are Redeye Flights, And Are They Worth Taking?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
For someone who frequents Asia a lot, I prefer to depart at night and arrive in the morning. I get to arrive at my destination feeling refreshed and able to have the whole day to myself. And it's much easier to sleep at your destination's time. The only issue would probably be the service onboard, it might be reduced to a minimum and you don't get a full meal service.
Eastbound, it's a bit more difficult especially if you'll be connecting on your way home. Like you have to get on a flight that leaves around 5-6 to make your connection that leaves 8-9 and arrives home around 11-1300.
For those taken Cathay's famous New York-Vancouver-Hong Kong fifth freedom service in the past and you terminated in Vancouver, that was brutal!
For long haul in a flatbed you can get a good night's sleep. A narrow body even in first it's a torture chamber. I do West/East coast redeyes from time to time. I'm pretty wrecked the next day.
Flying anywhere domestic redeye without a lie flat is a disaster. Even with a lie flat seat a transcon is barely enough time to be functioning the next day. Just did a SFO-ORD because I had no choice. Slept the whole thing in the normal seat, still just an awful 3.5 hours of sleep
Joe gets it. And there’s zero reason airlines can’t offer lie-flat for 5+ hour flights, especially redeyes, including on narrow-body aircraft. It’s good to see more airlines implementing these better hard products on their 737 (SQ, flyDubai), a321 (jetBlue Mint, La Compagnie, TAP, SAS, AA, etc.), and even the 2-2 older 757 at DL, UA. Sure, a recliner is better than 3-3 economy, but, if you want good rest, lie-flat.
That’s because you’re a Key, loyal to AA, and they backtracked on lie-flat for transcon, other than from JFK-SFO/LAX. Like, MIA used to have domestic 787, 772/773, to LAX, but, that was only during the pandemic. If you’re mostly doing CLT/MIA/PHX, you’re pretty screwed. Choose Mint, man, especially for MIA/FLL-LAX/SFO. You’ll love it. Better food, too.
Boycott the USA. What Trump had done now is a declaration of war on Europe. Europe should sell all US bonds and impose sanctions on all republicans. Everyone here can start by boycotting all US companies and products.
Nice humble brag, Mike O. And, I’m all for it. No joke. From experience as well, US to Asia or Oceania is great; returning from there is brutal for a week, no good way to overcome jetlag, regardless of what rest you get on the redeye or not. Easier to stay awake than force yourself asleep. Exercise. Vitamin D. Less alcohol. Good coffee. Best I’ve got for now.
A bit off topic, but, I feel you. We’re trying our best from within. We do not want a tyrant either. The decent, reasonable folks still outnumber these crazies. Many of us are just afraid, and feel powerless. But, don’t give up on us. This ain’t over.
Every long-haul flight is treated like a red-eye. All window-shades must be down, Everybody must sleep or watch the IFE. Breakfast will be served before landing, even though the destination's time, is in the evening.
Thank you Ben, for this opportunity to add my thoughts on this subject.
Some might class monthly overnight flights between UK and the USA as red eye flights. I did not, as I slept both way most restfully. Likewise, our last trip to RSA was overnight in both directions. Then there are our annual trips to the Far East and OZ, these are always fly overnight too. Personally, I would not have it any other way.
I can adequately amuse myself when engaging in daytime flying, however, ‘She who must be obeyed’ cannot. She does not like flying at the best of times anymore and simply hates long daytime flights. Therefore, possibly for selfish reasons, when flying together we prefer night flights. I can sleep and arrive at our destination fully refreshed, bright eyed and busy tailed.
I like many millions, are furious. I’ll do my bit and won’t touch and boycott any US business. FIFA and the Olympic committee should have the decency to pull out. The US is run by a bunch of lunatics.
It’s often about duration; like, sleeping on the NYC-LON, winter, faster, eastbound, 5-6 hour redeye, requires skipping meals, immediately getting out that eye mask and ear plugs, resting after takeoff, if you hope for 4 hours shut-eye. Now, with excellent lounges like Chelsea and Soho at JFK, you probably could have dinner there, then just do breakfast at home in the UK. To fight the jetlag, you gotta try to stay away until at least dinner that day.
Compare to UK-South Africa, where you’ll get 10+ hours on-board; yes, you can enjoy both meals, get 6-8 hours rest, and arrive nearly in the same time-zone.
1990, by engaging with the likes of Icarus, you are definitely engaging with one of your “Crazies”, yes?
Good luck on that score, it is often offensive and eminently forgettable …. 🙂
Depends on the airline. In J, JAL doesn’t play those games; JFK-HND, midnight departure, didn’t even serve a meal after takeoff, unless you request a-la-carte; they wait until 6 hours into the 13ish hour flight. Just saying, it’s not all one shoe fits all. Premium cabins going more on-demand dining is an improvement, IMO.
I hate this reality, but if I were anything but the whitest of white, I would skip these games… feels very 1936.
Nah, Aero, I still prefer to engage than to ignore, but you can choose for yourself, so long as our gracious hosts allow it. I still think the answer to speech we do not agree with is more speech. Some disagree with that approach and prefer censorship or self-censorship. I reject that premise.
Yes 1990, I do get your point about shorter east coast pond hopping flights. My regular flights were 9-10 hrs, LHR-DEN-LHR.
I did not eat on board and only needed coffee for breakfast just before landing. If the crew did not know me, then I would make my preferences known. That way they would leave the grumpy old git alone.
The older I get the less sleep I seem to need, furthermore, one becomes very apt at indulging in the odd power nap don’t you know.
1990, it is difficult not to respect your opinion, in my case however, I have never been able to accept gross ignorance.
My Station Commander once wrote in my annual report:- “The Sqn Ldr does not suffer fools gladly, even if that ‘fool’ is his Reporting Officer”.
I simply luv the fools of this world!
1990, I find that I must ask you. Why do you think that there is any difference in the jet lag effect when flying say from LHR-HKG and HKG-SFO? The flight time is roughly the same and both are travelling west to east.
I would pay a premium for a 'silent' red-eye flight: lights turned off after take-off, no announcements other than the bare minimum safety ones, no flight attendants asking you for food/drinks unless specifically requested. Wonder why no airline has ever tried this.
I have a solution: High-quality eye-mask and either ear-plugs or noise-cancelling earphones. Also, most flight attendants in First know that folks try to rest on red-eyes, so they turn down/off lights, keep things to a minimum, unless they are poorly-trained, or it’s an airline that doesn’t care.
Jeez, how old is this article JL 8006 from NRT to JFK? JAL's been flying HND to JFK for many years now.
Don't do FLL. It's a two hour drive on using the totally undependable, never on time Tri Rail.
I agree. Seems like a nothing (click bait) burger to me. You cross time zones you have the potential to lose sleep. Enough said…so no need to say anything.
Iam/PJOC, not wishing to put words into Ben’s mouth, so to speak, please consider the following, as I see it ….
This website is Ben’s business, his livelihood (as defined elsewhere on the site). To generate income Ben needs to do several things, one of which is to promote certain products. He does this by providing editorial content which followers read and benefit from. Everyone who reads an article and comments upon it, earns points for Ben. These points he converts into flights upon which he writes reviews. Reviews attract readers, readers place comments, comments generate clicks, clicks generate income and flights, etc, etc.
Conclusion: One man’s click-bait is another man’s income, please support Ben and his followers by clicking and commenting away, yes?
9 hour redeye flight:
Take 10mg Ambien...sleep 4 hours...take another 10mg Ambien...sleep another 4 hours...eat light version of pre landing meal.
No jet lag!!!
While I have come to accept red eye flights USA- Europe, I despise domestic red eye flights West Coast to DC and refuse to take em. It is impossible for me to sleep sitting up, and the constant nodding off and head jerking awake for 4 hours or more is something I have no interest in and plan to continue to avoid.
Must some of you (Icarus-1990) always bring up politics because of your TDS...problem,.. this is a travel blog.... maybe you should travel and stay in another country if the US is so bad in your mind!!!
Isn't TDS the term used to describe the relatively few people who believe Donald Trump to be a normal, law-abiding human being?
I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole, it doesn't matter. Trump doesn't want to touch her.