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?
In this post:
What are redeye flights?
Fundamentally, a redeye flight is one where you fly overnight, and miss a night of sleep in a “real” bed. The term comes from the fact that you may have red eyes from the sleep deprivation you’ll experience due to these flights. After all, as humans we’re programmed to sleep for an extended period every day, and for most of us, redeye flights get in the way of that.
Redeyes are most commonly (though not always) west to east, and they often depart in the evening and arrive in the morning. In some cases taking these flights is an option, while in other markets it’s the only flight that exists.
Now, I think it’s important to mention that different people will define redeye flights slightly differently. For example, everyone agrees that an overnight flight from New York to London departing at 7:35PM and arriving at 7:45AM the next day is a redeye.
While it’s an unconventional redeye, similarly I think most people would consider a flight from Chicago to Anchorage departing at 1:30AM and arriving at 5:08AM to be a redeye. Westbound domestic redeyes are rare, but a few do exist.
While those are some obvious examples, there are other, less obvious situations. For example, what about a Los Angeles to Dubai flight departing at 4:40PM and arriving at 7:30PM the next day? Yes, it’s unarguably an overnight flight and will prevent you from spending a night in a bed. However, many would simply consider this to be an ultra long haul flight, as all flights of this length will interfere with most peoples’ natural sleep cycle.
Similarly, what about a Tokyo to New York flight departing at 10:05AM and arriving at 9:00AM the same day? In reality this flight is in darkness most of the way, and when you adjust for the time change, you’ll want to sleep most of the flight in order to arrive well rested. On some level I’d consider that to be a redeye, even if a bit untraditional.
Meanwhile I recognize that I’m a quirky person, as I keep a very early schedule. So a New York to Los Angeles flight departing at 10:15PM and arriving at 1:41AM the following day wouldn’t by most people be considered to be a redeye. However, based on the schedule I keep, I would consider this to be a redeye for my purposes. I wouldn’t be checked into my hotel before 3AM, and at that point it’s only a little earlier than when I usually start my day. So I’d probably try to sleep the entire flight and then stay up.
For that matter, what about a Sao Paulo to Panama City flight departing at 3:22AM and arriving at 8:19AM? For most people that’s probably going to replace a night in a bed.
My point is simply that there isn’t one definition of a redeye. We can all agree that certain types of flights are redeyes, while we can reasonably disagree about some types of flights.
A vast majority of airlines around the globe operate redeye flights, as it allows for efficient aircraft utilization. After all, airlines don’t make money when planes are parked on the ground.
Are redeye flights awesome or awful?
Are redeyes awesome, awful, or a necessary evil? Let me share a few factors to consider if you’re planning on booking one of these flights…
In some cases redeyes are unavoidable
On the most basic level, in many markets booking a redeye flight is unavoidable. Whether you want to fly nonstop from Honolulu to New York, or want to fly nonstop from Miami to Paris, your only options are to fly overnight. So in these situations you can’t easily avoid redeyes, unless you want to make your itinerary significantly more complicated.
For example, you could fly from Miami to Paris without taking a redeye by booking a ticket from Miami to New York, spending a night in New York, and then taking the daytime flight from New York to London, before connecting to Paris. That’s almost certainly not worth it.
The pros of taking redeyes
For routes where you have the option of taking a redeye flight or a daytime flight, what are the benefits of a redeye flight?
- It allows you to maximize time at your destination, especially if you only have limited time to travel; for example, flying from Los Angeles to New York, you could depart at 10PM and arrive at 6AM, or could depart at 10AM and arrive at 6PM, and obviously the former is more efficient time wise
- If you’re on a budget, you can save a night of hotel accommodation by flying overnight, though just remember flight times might not line up with hotel check-in and check-out times
- Redeye flights are often cheaper, since they’re considered by many to be undesirable
The cons of taking redeyes
Why are redeyes worth avoiding?
- They’re absolutely brutal on your body, especially if you’re not traveling in a flat bed; sleep is important, and redeyes get in the way of that
- Redeyes often don’t match hotel check-in and check-out times; if you have a flight departing at 10PM and arriving at 6AM, you’ll be without hotels on both ends of your trip, unless you pay for an extra night
- If you’re trying to adjust to a new timezone, redeyes can make it much tougher, as it’s even harder to regulate your sleep
- If you’re traveling with a family, redeyes can be tough on kids
My philosophy on taking redeye flights
When I was a teenager, I took domestic redeye flights almost every weekend without issue. It saved me money on hotels, and my body could handle it.
As I’ve gotten older, my philosophy has changed a bit. I value sleep a lot more than I used to, both for my mental and physical health. Under what circumstances will I take a redeye flight?
- I don’t mind taking them for international long haul flights, in markets where that’s the standard way of travel (like eastbound transatlantic flights), though even then I’m not a great airplane sleeper
- In some cases I also don’t mind them for short haul international flights, in situations where I might still be jetlagged; for example, this is common on flights to & from the Middle East
- While I still don’t love it, I’ll take domestic redeye flights only if I can get a flat bed, like from San Francisco to New York or from Los Angeles to Miami
But long story short, I just won’t take domestic redeye flights unless I can actually get proper rest. While in the past I would have considered redeyes to be efficient vs. “wasting” a day flying, the great thing is that nowadays so many flights have high speed Wi-Fi, so I can be as productive in the air as on the ground.
Bottom line
A redeye flight is an overnight flight that prevents you from spending a night in your bed, and it typically departs in the evening and arrives in the morning. However, the exact definition does vary.
There are pros and cons to redeyes — they can save you time and money, though they also take a toll on your body. As I get older, I do everything in my power to avoid these, at least for flights where a flat bed isn’t possible.
What’s your take on redeye flights? Do you love or hate them, and under what circumstances do you book them?
El Al's flagship flight is a redeye, departing TLV at 1 am arriving JFK around 6 am. It's marked LY001, and it is way more popular (and expensive) than LY's daytime flights (like LY007) to New York. With 11 hours in the dark and early arrival, this redeye is probably what the public wants to start a business/vacation day in the US.
Redeyes are horrid and I hate them but with work schedules it is the best use of time...
Up until this past weekend, it was possible to do MIA-JFK, overnight, JFK-CDG daytime nonstop. ;) Really hope DL brings that daytime flight back in summer. Doubt AF would do it but mayyyyybe.....
Here are hundreds of west bound red eyes everyday - for example, from Asia to Europe. Hard to avoid. Just got off CGK to IST. These are much better than the day flights.
I am flying DL 2911 Atlanta to Kansas City. Departing 10:48 pm landing at 11:53 pm and marked with a red eye symbol on my online reservation. A two hour flight landing before midnight is not a red eye.
Although there is a reasonable case to be made that any flight that is 'overnight' by any definition is a red-eye, I would use the term more narrowly. To me, red-eye refers to the overnight option when there is an alternative day-time flight. I would call a midnight departure from Perth to the east coast a red-eye but I'd call any flight between the Australian east coast and the US west coast in either direction...
Although there is a reasonable case to be made that any flight that is 'overnight' by any definition is a red-eye, I would use the term more narrowly. To me, red-eye refers to the overnight option when there is an alternative day-time flight. I would call a midnight departure from Perth to the east coast a red-eye but I'd call any flight between the Australian east coast and the US west coast in either direction a 'flight' rather than a 'red-eye flight'. Short of taking a daylight flight from LAX to HNL and then a morning flight to Sydney, there's no daylight option. And even though the sun doesn't set, you still arrive in Sydney the day after you left Honolulu.
I love the TRANSCON red eyes, especially if you have Club access at both ends. That is, beverages and hot/cold food before departure, and a fairly nice breakfast on arrival.
It's a redeye if I have to be awake at any point I wouldn't normally to take it. So a 3:30AM international flight is definitely a redeye- if I have to wake up at 1AM, 2AM to leave to get to the airport it's a redeye. A long-haul international flight that leaves and arrives at times that I would normally be awake is not a redeye.
I helped a friend book a triple red-eye, BOS-FRA-BKK-SYD, way back when USAir was part of Star Alliance. All economy, but with about 12 hour connections in both FRA and BKK, so he could do some sightseeing and get properly tired to sleep on the plane. We also did a double red eye in 2020, SIN-NRT-BOS, with 11 hours in Tokyo. Again, a day of sightseeing made for a decent sleep even in economy, and...
I helped a friend book a triple red-eye, BOS-FRA-BKK-SYD, way back when USAir was part of Star Alliance. All economy, but with about 12 hour connections in both FRA and BKK, so he could do some sightseeing and get properly tired to sleep on the plane. We also did a double red eye in 2020, SIN-NRT-BOS, with 11 hours in Tokyo. Again, a day of sightseeing made for a decent sleep even in economy, and with a 6 pm local time arrival in BOS it's actually better not to be fully rested. Of course, JAL 789 economy is only 8 abreast and has about 2" more legroom than any other airline - a cramped United 787 or 777 would probably feel very different.
I will be on another triple red eye next spring, BOS-IST-CGK-SOQ. Those domestic red eyes in Indonesia are tough - about 4 hours in the air, and only 2 hour clock change. And all connections to short to leave the airport. Will see how it goes...
A red-eye is a flight that does not give you a proper opportunity to sleep while travelling "overnight". I'd gauge that as about 4 h quiet time, assuming you fall asleep instantly. 6h is safer if not medicated. That quiet time excludes taxi, takeoff, landing and meal services. So about 2h more block times.
Aer Lingus flights from east coast to Dublin are typically in the air 5h30 which give you about 4h or less...
A red-eye is a flight that does not give you a proper opportunity to sleep while travelling "overnight". I'd gauge that as about 4 h quiet time, assuming you fall asleep instantly. 6h is safer if not medicated. That quiet time excludes taxi, takeoff, landing and meal services. So about 2h more block times.
Aer Lingus flights from east coast to Dublin are typically in the air 5h30 which give you about 4h or less of quite time on an overnight block. Even though longer than Transcons (4h30) for me that's still counts.
For me overnight flights blocked at 8 h or more are not red-eyes, the ones blocked at less than 6h are definitely all red-eyes and between 6 and 8h block is a matter of preference I guess.
I don't mind redeye flights as I can sleep in economy or premium economy no problem. What I have found though is regardless of flying first/business/economy, I always have sleep issues if there is a significant timezone change. Thus, my ideal redeye flights are those that are within the same time zone (LHR-CPT or JFK-EZE for example.)
“everyone agrees that an overnight flight from New York to London departing at 7:35PM and arriving at 7:45AM the next day is a redeye.”
Literally no one.
“My point is simply that there isn’t one definition of a redeye”
Yes there is. The red eye strictly refers to LAX JFK. Ben is confused with overnight flights or what people perceive the term has evolved into over the years.
“My point is simply that there isn’t one definition of a redeye”
False
We have red-eye flights in Australia. None of them is LAX-JFK.
Not surprising that you essentially disagreed with every opinion, and even went to far as to fundamentally state that everyone’s opinion is wrong. You must be fun at parties.
The Oxford Dictionary actually defines a red eye as “an overnight or late-night flight on a commercial airline.” Which is… about as vague as it gets.
Historically speaking looking at a random sampling of flight schedules, US carriers appeared to start operating *overnight* flights from the...
Not surprising that you essentially disagreed with every opinion, and even went to far as to fundamentally state that everyone’s opinion is wrong. You must be fun at parties.
The Oxford Dictionary actually defines a red eye as “an overnight or late-night flight on a commercial airline.” Which is… about as vague as it gets.
Historically speaking looking at a random sampling of flight schedules, US carriers appeared to start operating *overnight* flights from the Western US to Eastern hubs in the late 1960s. It’s unclear as far I can tell exactly where the etymology of the term came from, but quite likely it was largely with the “Hollywood Crowd” traveling between LAX and JFK, trying to save time but in fact looking a little haggard for their performances in New York the following day.
I am unable to find any specific references to this “only” applying to LAX-JFK; care to cite your source and illuminate us all? Just don’t illuminate us too quickly - use the mood lighting please. I flew the “pink eye” flight from CLT-LAX last night arriving around midnight and my eyes are a tad pink from lack of sleep. ;)
It's a well known fact in linguistics that once the meaning of a word is established, it never changes or evolves. Incredible, isn't it. (And incredible means unbelievable, not amazing.)
@Mike C, incredible indeed. All those linguists studying the evolution of language surely are wasting their time. Everything is as it only once was. ;)
One red-eye sux, but two in a row really hurts!! HON-LAX-LHR is a bastard and I'm wiped out for days afterwards. Almost makes the holiday to Hawaii unpalatable. Almost.
Sorry that's HNL-LAX-LHR. Leave Hawaii on Monday evening, get to London Wednesday morning.....ouch.
To me that would almost be worth snagging a day rate at a hotel near LAX and grabbing a couple hour nap in a proper bed, rather than spending ~8 to 12 hours in the terminal waiting for your LHR flight. Downside to that is you may not be tired enough to sleep on the longer flight.
I’ve done 5 hours trying to nap in an LAX hotel in the morning before staggering to TB for a 3pm back to London; it doesn’t really help. Much better to get the 11am HA or SW flight to LAX and get a hotel at 11pm. Sleep all night and wake refreshed for the longer TATL.
I only really consider red eyes to be flights less than 6-7 hours that are in the air between 1-5a. So really only domestic flights. That said, I avoid them at nearly all costs. Especially being based in SLC- flights to the east coast are 3.5 hours long, meaning if I even do manage to doze off (which is unlikely), it is max for 2-2.5 hours. Absolutely brutal. When I have to take one due...
I only really consider red eyes to be flights less than 6-7 hours that are in the air between 1-5a. So really only domestic flights. That said, I avoid them at nearly all costs. Especially being based in SLC- flights to the east coast are 3.5 hours long, meaning if I even do manage to doze off (which is unlikely), it is max for 2-2.5 hours. Absolutely brutal. When I have to take one due to schedule, I usually route through lax or sfo so I can get a flat bed and also add 2 hours to the flight time so I may get at least some rest.
Sometimes, redeyes are a necessary evil and cannot be avoided on some longer routes. Given the choice, I would avoid a redeye like the plague. Someone like my sister (who also travels a lot) prefers transcon redeyes because it saves her a day. Makes sense, but i can't sleep on the plane, nor would you have time to on a domestic redeye. Even the Midwest-Europe routes tend to be too short to get decent sleep,...
Sometimes, redeyes are a necessary evil and cannot be avoided on some longer routes. Given the choice, I would avoid a redeye like the plague. Someone like my sister (who also travels a lot) prefers transcon redeyes because it saves her a day. Makes sense, but i can't sleep on the plane, nor would you have time to on a domestic redeye. Even the Midwest-Europe routes tend to be too short to get decent sleep, even up front.
In summary, they're miserable but sometimes it is the only way. The flights that blow me away for being truly horrible are flights of 2-5 hours that leave at midnight, 1:00, 2:00 am (etc). You see this a lot in Africa and the Middle East. And, a disproportionate percentage of major accidents in the past 20 years have involved flights at these hours., which is right when most human diurnal clocks are at their circadian low point. But, again, can you avoid these if that's when the only flights are?
Depends on the redeye IMO. I personally love the late night-early morning flights from the US to Asia, though to be fair I've only done those flights in business class. I have done noon to afternoon flights on the same route, and came out of those worse off than the redeyes. Regarding the luggage issue, at least in Japan I've never had problems with hotels holding my luggage for me while waiting for the room,...
Depends on the redeye IMO. I personally love the late night-early morning flights from the US to Asia, though to be fair I've only done those flights in business class. I have done noon to afternoon flights on the same route, and came out of those worse off than the redeyes. Regarding the luggage issue, at least in Japan I've never had problems with hotels holding my luggage for me while waiting for the room, so I can go out and do things. Andaz Tokyo even let me use their Japanese bath/showers on the gym floor to freshen up before I went out.
I've also done a redeye LAX-ATL and SEA-ATL in econ, both were fine though I did only end up working a half day after the LAX-ATL one, since that was leg 2 of flying home from Tokyo. Felt like I got decent rest on it, which I don't usually get on planes. That GRU-PTY flight does look like absolute hell though.
Don't forget the extra brutal short redeyes that are technically overnight but are truly inhumane in terms of hard product and stage length. LAS-DFW have 12:59 am departures on both AA and F9 that arrive around 5:45 am but are 2.5 hours in the air, if that. F9 and NK might have a few others that are even shorter. Middle East hubs likely have similar, perhaps PTY too. Someone should nominate the worst redeye in existence! Bonus points if it's on a turboprop.
Oh and I’m with you Matt. I used to ski all day, shower in the hotel gym, then take the SLC-JFK redeye and go straight to work the next day. (I called it my bonus ski day). The last time I did it, I texted my step bro who did the exact same thing, but to TPA, and we knew it was our last. Haha
Wrong blog, sorry Lucky! LOL that’s embarrassing.
You write: I also don’t mind them for short haul international flights, in situations where I might still be jetlagged; for example, this is common on flights to & from the Middle East
How is a flight from the US to the Middle East a "short haul international flight"? That's pretty long haul to me, having flown them countless times.
Or did you mean something like Europe to the Middle East?
My random dividing line on what is a red-eye vs. not is to me a red-eye is any flight where impact on sleep will have a greater effect on time zone change. I don't consider ULH flights red-eyes. I'm generally a good plane sleeper but even average ones almost undoubtedly will get some sleep on a 12+ hour flight. The resulting 8-14 hr time difference is what is going to wreak havoc on your body.
...My random dividing line on what is a red-eye vs. not is to me a red-eye is any flight where impact on sleep will have a greater effect on time zone change. I don't consider ULH flights red-eyes. I'm generally a good plane sleeper but even average ones almost undoubtedly will get some sleep on a 12+ hour flight. The resulting 8-14 hr time difference is what is going to wreak havoc on your body.
All those East Coast - Europe, or those truly scary GRU-PTY type flights - those are to me the classic red-eyes.
Why I don't do much international travel. I can afford domestic coach (usually cash upgrades) but can't afford international business. And sitting in a coach seat all night there's no sleep (I have no idea how someone can get anything resembling quality sleep) which wrecks my body and takes me a least 2-3 days to recover. Defeats the purpose of the trip.
That GRU-PTY isn’t a redeye. It’s a black eye. Hell no.