There are few things in life that I enjoy more than flying. That being said, some long haul flight schedules at least temporarily make me dread getting on a flight. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to share my least favorite kinds of long haul flight schedules. I’m curious how my preferences compare to those of others.
In this post:
We all have different flight time preferences
Long haul travel can be exhausting, including under the best of circumstances, when traveling in comfort. Even experienced travelers struggle with jetlag, and some of us are also bad at sleeping on planes. We all have our preferred times and schedules with which we like to fly. That probably reflects our patterns at home.
For example, I’m a morning person, and it’s kind of problematic. I’m not talking about getting up at 6AM or 7AM, but rather I typically get up at 4AM without an alarm, or often even earlier. Like, when someone tells me “I had to get up at the crack of dawn,” my real question is “well why did you sleep in so late?” 😉
Now, let’s not even talk about when I go to sleep, because it’s not compatible with living in Miami. So anyway, I love morning flights. If I have a 6AM flight, that means I can sleep in like I usually would, with time to spare. Meanwhile if you put me on a flight departing at night? Ugh. Nothing good happens after 8PM!
When it comes to transatlantic flights from the US East Coast to Europe, I know a lot of people hate flights that leave at 5PM, because they depart too early for many people to get any real sleep. I totally get that. However, it’s not a problem I have, because those flights allow me to go to sleep at my usual time, and I probably arrive more well rested than most others (despite being a bad airplane sleeper).
Along those lines, I’d like to share the two types of long haul flight schedules I really don’t enjoy…
The long haul flight schedules I often take but dread
I always look forward to flying, because I’m a huge aviation geek. Furthermore, I’m lucky that I get to travel in comfort on long haul flights, thanks to miles & points. I don’t mind most long haul flight schedules, with two notable exceptions, which I’d like to share, as I’m curious if any others feel the same…
Late night North America to Asia flights
Probably somewhere around half of flights from North America to Asia leave very late at night and arrive very early in the morning. For example, take an EVA Air flight from Houston to Taipei, which is blocked at 16hr50min, departing at 11:30PM and arriving at 6:20AM two days later:
- Taking these flights requires staying up way past my bedtime, and it’s not like you actually go to sleep at 11:30PM, as it’ll realistically be at least 1:30AM (accounting for taxi time, the meal service, etc.)
- I almost never get more than six hours of sleep on a flight, no matter how long it is, so then I wake up roughly halfway to Asia; given that I’m waking up around nine hours before the 6:20AM arrival, that’s really late at night in Taipei, so then it’s another very long day
- Never mind that these flight schedules are not at all ideal in terms of hotels, because it doesn’t conform to standard check-in and check-out times
- These flights aren’t so bad if you’re a night owl and you can force yourself to stay up for the first half of the flight and sleep for the second half of the flight, but the odds of that happening for me are roughly zero
Ultimately these flights are pretty efficient, since you do have two full days on each end. They’re also great for connectivity on both ends, for those connecting.
Personally I prefer the alternative, which is usually a midday departure that arrives in Asia the following evening. I find that I always arrive feeling much better rested that way, though admittedly it’s not ideal for those with limited days off.
Early morning flights from the Middle East
At the hubs of the Middle Eastern carriers, 3AM is basically rush hour, as it’s when many long haul flights depart. That’s perfectly logical, since route networks are largely based around serving connecting passengers, and about timing flights so that they arrive and depart foreign destinations at a reasonable hour.
So as logical as it is, it’s not fun for those actually originating in the Middle East. For example, take Etihad’s 14hr20min flight form Abu Dhabi to New York, departing at 3:10AM and arriving at 9:30AM.
As much as I’m a very early morning person, that’s too early even for me. Realistically, you’re probably going to be at the airport by 1AM, and probably have to wake up well before midnight. I suspect a vast majority of people simply don’t sleep before taking these flights, and that’s not fun. I don’t know how crews at the Gulf carriers do it.
Now, I don’t mind these flights quite as much as the North America to Asia late night flights, simply because they arrive in the United States at a more reasonable hour. If I took the above Etihad flight, I’d realistically probably have a meal after takeoff, sleep for six hours, and then wake a little before 4AM New York time… that’s basically my normal schedule!
Bottom line
Airlines operate flights with all kinds of schedules, catering to different kinds of travelers. I think we all have our preferences, and as a morning person, I’m not a fan of flights that depart really late in the day.
In terms of schedule, my least favorite kinds of long haul flights are late night flights from North America to Asia, which typically leave really late, arrive really early, and are very hard to beat in terms of jetlag. I’m also not a fan of the 3AM bank of flights when departing the Middle East, assuming I’m actually originating there. They’re just too early to get any real sleep the night before.
I totally understand why these flights exist, and they’re super efficient… but I just don’t love them.
I’m curious to hear from OMAAT readers — what are your favorite/least favorite kind of long haul flight schedules?
I've always thought that all of those flight departure times in the Middle East that leave at 01:00-04:00 are absolutely insane. And it's not just connections for the ME3 either. Look at departures from airports in the region that aren't big hubs. I started to take notice, thanks to accidents in that part of the world over the past 20 years, Like that Eithopian Airlines flight from Beirut that crashed into the Med in the...
I've always thought that all of those flight departure times in the Middle East that leave at 01:00-04:00 are absolutely insane. And it's not just connections for the ME3 either. Look at departures from airports in the region that aren't big hubs. I started to take notice, thanks to accidents in that part of the world over the past 20 years, Like that Eithopian Airlines flight from Beirut that crashed into the Med in the middle of the night. And several such cases in Africa. Flights leaving in the middle of the damn night. That's when I learned that this was a thing over there. And it's the last kind of itinerary I'd want to have.
Like Ben, if I'm flying to Asia, I much prefer to book a noon-3p departure and arrive in the evening at my destination. I stay up on the flight and then crash when I get to the hotel. I can then sleep a full 8 hours and get up in the morning Asia time, thereby resetting my clock.
I prefer not to leave the Middle East or Central Asia at 3a (I'm speaking to you,...
Like Ben, if I'm flying to Asia, I much prefer to book a noon-3p departure and arrive in the evening at my destination. I stay up on the flight and then crash when I get to the hotel. I can then sleep a full 8 hours and get up in the morning Asia time, thereby resetting my clock.
I prefer not to leave the Middle East or Central Asia at 3a (I'm speaking to you, TK). A morning departure then an afternoon connection home over Europe is best. Of course, that is often more expensive, but it works better in terms of not being jet-lagged because I then arrive home not too long before bedtime. The three hours that I would have saved leaving at 3a are generally wasted if I get in too early, because I will have been up for over 24 hours.
Frankly, I love flights that arrive between 1pm and 5pm. My belief that to function on local time, is to get on local. No naps after landing. Get plenty of sun and daylight, and go to bed like a local. And get up aas a local
My best flight is FRA-Sin. Depart at 11pm, arrive at 5pm. For me jet lag is always west to east, and not in recerse
For me, it's anything leaving in the morning. I'm not a morning person, and flights leaving before about 0900-1100 leave me a mental mess (I have anxiety about missing early flights/trains) and kill that night's sleep. I'd rather leave at a properly-planned 10 PM and arrive at an absurd hour in the morning (and then crash until noon).
As you correctly said the reason for the odd times is because of connectivity which is a big plus for the examples you provided. The one problem is that the hotels do not have a way to handle it which even if you have status can be quite a challenge. Consider also the type of customer the airline is trying to attract. If a business customer the times offered may not just be about connectivity.
I honestly don't mind almost any schedule if I could sleep instantly after takeoff. But I just wish there wasn't a full meal service after takeoff for takeoffs broadly considered night time. Being able to sleep would be so helpful.
I mean out of KWI I feel you. The last biz class flight I took I actually intentionally took a 5 PM flight and a long layover in Doha to maximize time to just chill and relax for the 1 AM flight to DFW which got to the states at like 9 AM in the morning.
My best flight, in terms of sleep, was an 8
pm departure from LAX to IST. By the time the dinner service was over, I was ready to sleep. I slept like a baby for 8 hours and woke up just on time for breakfast service. It was so pleasant.
For the same reason I like the Swiss 7.30 pm departure for SFO-ZRH.
As far as US-Asia flights, the only thing that matters to me is arrival time at destination. I'm going to be tired when I arrive no matter what, so best to arrive in the evening or late night, so I can go straight to sleep on arrival. So bottom line is if connecting, then the late night departures are perfect, since you can choose a connecting flight that arrives in the evening. In fact, the...
As far as US-Asia flights, the only thing that matters to me is arrival time at destination. I'm going to be tired when I arrive no matter what, so best to arrive in the evening or late night, so I can go straight to sleep on arrival. So bottom line is if connecting, then the late night departures are perfect, since you can choose a connecting flight that arrives in the evening. In fact, the later the better. If flying direct of course then choose the afternoon departure.
West Coast guy here. For me, the absolute worst flights are the redeyes from Cali to either DFW or IAH. Just miserable as they leave really late - so late that often the lounge and most concessions are already closed. Happens often from LAX/SFO/SJC/SMF etc. and these flights can be as short as 2 1/2 hours at times.
No thank you!
I really dislike the afternoon flights from
HNL to the east coast. I flew HA’s direct HNL-JFK a few times and leaving around 5pm and arriving at like 4am Hawai’i time sucks. Probably won’t sleep until my normal time at njght and arrive at a time when you can’t even check in. I’m ok with leaving luggage at the hotel, but I’d rather have a redeye flight and arrive in the afternoon.
Flying...
I really dislike the afternoon flights from
HNL to the east coast. I flew HA’s direct HNL-JFK a few times and leaving around 5pm and arriving at like 4am Hawai’i time sucks. Probably won’t sleep until my normal time at njght and arrive at a time when you can’t even check in. I’m ok with leaving luggage at the hotel, but I’d rather have a redeye flight and arrive in the afternoon.
Flying out of CAI was the first time I ever had a flight in the very very early hour of 4am. Left the hotel at midnight. Glad my young son was a champ and didn’t complain at all.
Wow, Ben’s most hated schedule is my most desirable schedule — late night flights from East Coast to Asia. If you get on at 11pm-2am, you most certainly will go to sleep. You trick your body into thinking you had a full night of sleep, and when you land at 5am, you start your day. I just did it last week (JFK-ICN) and it worked like a charm. The 12-hour jet lag was minimal.
That...
Wow, Ben’s most hated schedule is my most desirable schedule — late night flights from East Coast to Asia. If you get on at 11pm-2am, you most certainly will go to sleep. You trick your body into thinking you had a full night of sleep, and when you land at 5am, you start your day. I just did it last week (JFK-ICN) and it worked like a charm. The 12-hour jet lag was minimal.
That being said, I hate all the US carrier’s schedules to Asia. It’s mostly 10am flights when you are awake the full 14 hours. When your body gets tired and you want to sleep, it’s time to land. And the jet lag is miserable.
I imagine most of us do not wake up at 4am.
Same! I love the late night flight to Asia. The way I look at it, the first night I’m gonna get crummy sleep no matter what. If it’s in a hotel bed (jet lag) I get all depressed I’m not sleeping. If on an airplane so be it, it’s crummy sleep no matter what.
Power through the first day in Asia, I’m exhausted by 8p and go straight to bed, and boom jet lag is gone next morning I’m up at 5a and back on my regular schedule.
Also team late night – as someone who struggles to sleep on planes, I usually sleep the best on these because I am so tired by the time the meal service finishes that I can actually fall asleep rather than tossing and turning trying to get to to "bed" in the afternoon (the West Coast to Europe flights leaving at 1:30pm are particularly bad on that front...)
Lots of east coast US - Europe experience, but now we’re close to booking our first BOS-HKG trip. (Retired - vacation travel.) PE at a minimum; hopefully Business. All that said, still struggling whether to book JA midday departure with a connection or CX nonstop with a dead-of-night 1am departure. Nice problem to have.
Same here, my first Asia trips were late night departures arriving at 6-7AM local time in Asia. Loved it. I slept decently well for being on a plane, the local time wakeup is kind of early for me but doable, then I have most of the day to run around before going to bed earlier than my typical bedtime on the first night. Never had an issue with the hotel holding my bags even if...
Same here, my first Asia trips were late night departures arriving at 6-7AM local time in Asia. Loved it. I slept decently well for being on a plane, the local time wakeup is kind of early for me but doable, then I have most of the day to run around before going to bed earlier than my typical bedtime on the first night. Never had an issue with the hotel holding my bags even if no room was available (I never expect one to be when I show up at 10AM), so I don't have to worry about that either.
In contrast, my "worst" flight was a JAL F early-afternoon flight from LAX that landed around 5PM in Narita. I couldn't sleep on the flight so I shambled like a zombie through immigration and customs, my bag took over an hour to come out, and worst of all my first hotel was actually in Kanazawa that night so I still had two train rides. I ended up on one of the last trains of the day, getting to the inn around midnight local time that night. It's a good thing the Hokuriku line ended at Kanazawa at that point, otherwise I might have slept until Tsuruga and been truly screwed.
I prefer the opposite, the late night flights from the west cost to Asia are great. Departing anywhere at 6 am is brutal. And while I've never been to the Middle east departing at 3am and arriving at 9am doesn't sound too bad, I'm sure I would get some sleep
Not a big fan of the West Coast afternoon flights to Europe.
But I love the late night lights from West Coast to Asia Pacific region. Give me enough time to settle down maybe have a meal maybe watch a show go to sleep wake up 8 hours later in this 4 to 5 hours left to go. Freshen up, have a cup of coffee , do some work, than get some breakfast and...
Not a big fan of the West Coast afternoon flights to Europe.
But I love the late night lights from West Coast to Asia Pacific region. Give me enough time to settle down maybe have a meal maybe watch a show go to sleep wake up 8 hours later in this 4 to 5 hours left to go. Freshen up, have a cup of coffee , do some work, than get some breakfast and before you know you are landing at
Your destination.
But any flight that’s past 1 AM at origin is something I would avoid. Please include all the late night flights in the Middle East and Asian region.
I have a very different sleep schedule but I also think that your approach is suboptimal.
I always try to adjust to the destination time zone even before departure. For example, taking a noon departure from MAD to EZE in business class meant sleeping well the previous night then having a 3 hour siesta in the middle of the flight, which in turn resulted in arriving in a good enough condition to go out...
I have a very different sleep schedule but I also think that your approach is suboptimal.
I always try to adjust to the destination time zone even before departure. For example, taking a noon departure from MAD to EZE in business class meant sleeping well the previous night then having a 3 hour siesta in the middle of the flight, which in turn resulted in arriving in a good enough condition to go out for drinks (if not dinner) in Palermo after landing at 20:XX, go to bed at my usual bedtime of 01:30 and wake up at 8 in the morning with the entire day ahead. The Iberia FA told me that Y passengers prefer the 08:00 departure because they'll have missed out on sleep and find it easier to fall asleep in their seats!
On the other hand, if I need to connect to a 13:00 departure from Europe to the Far East arriving the following late morning/early afternoon, I will go for a 06:00 departure from my origin instead of doing the sensible thing and taking the inbound flight the previous night. I'll have virtually no sleep all night, then I won't have any trouble falling asleep after takeoff and I'll end up landing with my body clock already adjusted to local time.
"I have a very different sleep schedule.."
Congrats. You've worked out that people are all...different(!!) There's still hope for you, young lady.
Based in the Gulf (ME3), I find red-eyes to and from Europe the absolute worst. The flights are already short, and as I get older, sleeping on them has become even harder. To be honest, I also enjoy staying awake to make the most of the flight experience.
Flights to the US are more hit-or-miss for me these days when it comes to sleep. I usually just write off the arrival day, which is why...
Based in the Gulf (ME3), I find red-eyes to and from Europe the absolute worst. The flights are already short, and as I get older, sleeping on them has become even harder. To be honest, I also enjoy staying awake to make the most of the flight experience.
Flights to the US are more hit-or-miss for me these days when it comes to sleep. I usually just write off the arrival day, which is why I prefer flights that land mid-afternoon. By then, hotel check-in is open, and I can either head out for a light meal or turn in early to wake up fresh the next morning.
A decade ago, though, it was a completely different story. Back when I was younger—and inspired by OMAAT—I’d happily fly EK F to Los Angeles, drive 4–5 hours straight to Vegas for a long weekend, and then fly right back. Those were the days
Spending a four figure sum on business class for these flights is such a poor use of money. Assuming time and schedules permit, I'd rather take an afternoon flight in Y on TK, spend the night in Istanbul, and continue the following morning. It's almost certainly going to be cheaper, less stressful, and more relaxing than trying to grab 3.5 hours worth of sleep in a crowded business cabin.
Spending 4-5 hours Y on TK and spending a night in Istanbul is less stressful and more relaxing than flying J on EK or QR for a 6 or 7 hour direct flight? Not sure I follow the logic here. If I’m too worried about the cost, I’d just fly Y direct.
Lot of airlines leave Indian airports around 4AM. It means no sleep for the whole night followed by near 24 flight journey.
I also hate the afternoon / early evening flights from US to Europe. Impossible to sleep, hotel check-in not possible for hours upon arrival, and you have to fight to stay awake for another 8-12 hours.
I wish there were more daytime flights from the US to Europe. To me these are perfect - you can stay awake on the flight and either work or relax as needed. Then it's 10 pm when you land...
I also hate the afternoon / early evening flights from US to Europe. Impossible to sleep, hotel check-in not possible for hours upon arrival, and you have to fight to stay awake for another 8-12 hours.
I wish there were more daytime flights from the US to Europe. To me these are perfect - you can stay awake on the flight and either work or relax as needed. Then it's 10 pm when you land and you can check in to your hotel, go right to bed, and be acclimated to the timezone immediately the next day.
I agree with you about the afternoon and early evening flights, but I can't stand the morning/day flights. Yes, you can check right in and in theory go straight to bed. I can never fall asleep that first night though, since my body thinks it's only the mid-late afternoon. Takes me much longer to get on the time if I do those morning flights where as I'm on the time next day if I take...
I agree with you about the afternoon and early evening flights, but I can't stand the morning/day flights. Yes, you can check right in and in theory go straight to bed. I can never fall asleep that first night though, since my body thinks it's only the mid-late afternoon. Takes me much longer to get on the time if I do those morning flights where as I'm on the time next day if I take an evening flight (struggle a bit the first day but stay awake - walks help - stay up until at least 9pm, crash, and have an alarm for no later than 9am the next day- good to go).
Germany-based speaking
going into the US, I do not really care whether it's a morning or afternoon flight, I tend to be on the afternoon batch because of a 2.5h drive to Berlin or Hamburg and they do not do longhauls (except for the Delta-JFK / United-EWR one in BER), so I have to grab a connecting flight.
Coming from the US-Eastcoast to EU, I prefer the morning over the afternoon arrival. That helps me...
Germany-based speaking
going into the US, I do not really care whether it's a morning or afternoon flight, I tend to be on the afternoon batch because of a 2.5h drive to Berlin or Hamburg and they do not do longhauls (except for the Delta-JFK / United-EWR one in BER), so I have to grab a connecting flight.
Coming from the US-Eastcoast to EU, I prefer the morning over the afternoon arrival. That helps me to adapt to the local timezone way better, plus I have the full day to spend.
From the US-Westcoast it depends on the plans for the arrival day. I love to take the late afternoon/evening flight that lands me in the afternoon as well to have a full longhaul-experience (also makes the upgrade more worth). If I have a schedule on arrival day, I leave the west coast in the morning for the east coast to catch a late-afternoon flight that arrives in the morning in Germany.
I had the pleasure of flying to Asia only once so far, to Japan and I had the lunchtime-departure in Germany and a late evening departure in Japan, I think I would prefer that again since it gives me a whole day at my destination in Asia, and I also prefer the red eye on the way back.
Towards South America, I only had redeyes so far and I am happy with it, hence continuing to book those. :)
Being a night owl, I love these 1/2 am West Coast departures to Asian destinations. As for TATL, I try to book flights from 4 pm onwards, so that I can still get a fair amount of work on the same day.
I dread and avoid short connecting flights to the European hubs on the way back that force me to be at the airport at 4:30/5am.
Also, trans-Canada overnight flights are not comfortable at all...
The worst IMO are the flights that leave Asia early morning and arrive back in the US early morning the same day. For example, the KE nonstop from ICN to DFW that leaves at like 9 am Seoul time and also arrives in Dallas at 9 am. You've getting up at 5 am to head to the airport, timing is awful for trying to sleep on the flight, and then you're having to power through the entire day after arriving home at 11 pm Asia time. Just brutal all the way around.
Perfect comparison would be CX 830 to JFK; flight leaves HKG around 9 and you get in around 1300. For those connecting from somewhere close like MNL or TPE, you'll have to be at the airport around 2-3. And if you're coming in further from say SIN, you'll have to get on one of their redeye flights that leave around 1-2.
And what makes it worse is if the meal service is right smack in the middle of the flight.
The Flights I would never take, are the day flights from Asia to Europe, I mean, why waste a day on a plan if I can sleep on one.
I'm also not a fan of of late morning flights / lunch flights to to Asia from Europe. I can't sleep well at 4pm or so.
The best flights are for me late evening from Europe to Asia. Even in economy, if you have a bad sleep, you arrive in the evening, get to your place and then have a good night sleep. No Jetlag.
I actually love these, you get up at about the same time as usual, depart ~10 AM, arrive in Europe early afternoon, still lots of day left. With WiFi now, an entire day on a plane can be quite a productive one.
You have it completely wrong. I fly between the US West Coast and Asia 5-6x year, and there's nothing worse than the 12-13:00 departures from the West Coast to Asia. You're up most of the flight, then you fall asleep only to be woken up at 2 am body clock time for food that your body doesn't want and landing, where you are a zombie. Takes forever to adjust to jet lag.
The 22:30-01:00 departures...
You have it completely wrong. I fly between the US West Coast and Asia 5-6x year, and there's nothing worse than the 12-13:00 departures from the West Coast to Asia. You're up most of the flight, then you fall asleep only to be woken up at 2 am body clock time for food that your body doesn't want and landing, where you are a zombie. Takes forever to adjust to jet lag.
The 22:30-01:00 departures are perfect. Go immediately to sleep (skip food service, it's gratuitous), wake up well rested at 3 or 4 am Asia time, grab a snack, do work, have the pre arrival meal (timed for your body's lunchtime), check-in, take a shower, be in the office all day and other than going to sleep a bit earlier the first night, I'm pretty much on local time zone.
Now that I have seniority I will simply reschedule an assignment if the only viable time to depart is in the middle of the day, or ask for a budget override to be on the evening flight instead of the middle of the day one (which is often cheaper, for obvious reasons given how terrible it is).
Exactly. I’m dreading a 10am LAX-HKG flight with a 2.5 hour layover continuing to Kathmandu. But it was the best bang for the buck ticket wise by a mile. Still debating if I will upgrade to premium economy or J because unless I stay up half the night, no way I’m going to sleep. Plenty of open space in both cabins. Don’t arrive until 9:45 pm and hope to be able to sleep and get on the time zone then. Much prefer late night departures for intercontinental long hauls.
My least favorite is the late night departures from Hawaii to the West Coast. It’s not long enough to get much sleep between take off and landing and you pull into your destination just in time to have a very long day ahead of you.
Unless you live in Asia or have a morning connection, those 12AM-2AM departures that land in places like Tokyo at 4AM or 5A or 6AM are hell. I abhor them and refuse to take any of them.
Like Ben, I do not sleep well on planes, no matter the class. Then to get to places like Japan at such early hours but cannot check into the hotel room until 3PM while my body is...
Unless you live in Asia or have a morning connection, those 12AM-2AM departures that land in places like Tokyo at 4AM or 5A or 6AM are hell. I abhor them and refuse to take any of them.
Like Ben, I do not sleep well on planes, no matter the class. Then to get to places like Japan at such early hours but cannot check into the hotel room until 3PM while my body is crashing, is a big fat no. But of course someone will always say, spend more money to book the room the night before. Yeah right... how about the darn airlines create more reasonable schedules.
CXs midnight departures from North America cater mostly for connections on the Hong Kong side, so it works for them. You get in around 430-6 and your connections leave between 7-10, so not bad.
JL is in a weird spot for both O&D and connections; say you depart from JFK around 200 and get in HND at 430, you have to wait another 24 hours for the next connection. The afternoon flight is slightly better with an 8 hour wait, but still!
I'm East Coast based and also a morning person (not to the extent that Ben is, though -- 5:30/6 is my wake up time, 9/9:30 is my getting into bed time). My last few annual trips to Europe have been early evening departures from EWR/IAD (in the 5pm hour, arriving to Western Continental Europe) and happily by the time I get to the hotel it's noon-ish and due to hotel status, I've been able to...
I'm East Coast based and also a morning person (not to the extent that Ben is, though -- 5:30/6 is my wake up time, 9/9:30 is my getting into bed time). My last few annual trips to Europe have been early evening departures from EWR/IAD (in the 5pm hour, arriving to Western Continental Europe) and happily by the time I get to the hotel it's noon-ish and due to hotel status, I've been able to get into a room right away...but actually next week I'm doing a later evening departure (9pm Eastern Time), and curious if it's easier for me to fall asleep (will also have my dinner in the lounge and decline the meal onboard -- will still need to wait through the noise of dinner service, but at least I won't still be digesting while trying to fall asleep).
Haven't been to Asia yet...need to think carefully about what timings I'd prefer when the day comes (hopefully next year!)
Rubio, my tip for sleeping through the cabin activities …. Noise cancelling Apple AirPods playing very quietly, tracks from Ludovico Einaudi’s Islands album. If I manage to listen to the first three tracks I’m having a bad time sleeping.
Back in the day it was Kenny G’s ‘elevator music’, but I’ve moved on since then …. :-)
P.S. I only travel lie flat seats and change into PJ’s at the first opportunity. Hope this helps.
The midnight flights to Asia are the worse, even for a night owl like myself.
Am I wrong?
Am I wrong for informing the FA’s what my needs are during the flight?
Am I wrong for informing the FA’s that I do not wish to be disturbed during the flight, except in an emergency?
Am I wrong for believing that as the customer I should be in charge of my own routine?
I make no apologies for not allowing the tail to wag this old dog!
As for jet lag …. what is jet lag? One is very lucky I suppose that I do not suffer from it.
Loser.
John, thank you for your one word response to my post. Clearly you are sufficiently obsessed with my words that they warrant your trolling response. Should one be flattered by your attention, possibly, however, as your assessment of my situation begs to differ with reality, perhaps one would be best advised to ignore your gross ignorance. Toodle-pip old bean …. :-)
The 1am TPE flights are my favorite for jet lag. I find myself fine to stay awake late when traveling. And by the time you take off and eat, my body wants to fall asleep easy, and I’m just about already on Asia time, making the time zone adjustment easier. I struggle much more with midday departures ie, Japan
Big fan of 3.5 hour West Coast-Chicago redeyes im Economy myself
It's all about the route, obviously. I'm on the US East Coast and hate any flights to Europe that leave before 7pm as that's just too early to get any sleep before landing. And no matter the route, I hate any itinerary that has me landing at my final destination before noon, as I prefer to fully check-in upon arriving.
A couple of things:
do you ever think about yourself as effectively living in Reykjavik? (ie, you get up most days at 8am Iceland time)
Tangentially related, what drives me nuts on those overnight NA->Asia flights is how every single person except me absolutely MUST have that mid-flight 3rd meal and it's always instant ramen and because Business Class they have to put it into proper porcelain so there's an unending amount of clanking...
A couple of things:
do you ever think about yourself as effectively living in Reykjavik? (ie, you get up most days at 8am Iceland time)
Tangentially related, what drives me nuts on those overnight NA->Asia flights is how every single person except me absolutely MUST have that mid-flight 3rd meal and it's always instant ramen and because Business Class they have to put it into proper porcelain so there's an unending amount of clanking dishes and the smell of Buldak or Ichiran for most of the time that you're trying to sleep. First world problems, I know... But I got custom-molded earplugs from a local shop specifically for sleeping and I've found that helps quite a bit.
My own personal pet peeve is when the flight lands right AFTER the local mass transit shuts down (hello Cathay NYC->Vancouver) or when you arrive more than an hour before it starts up (most NA->Taipei flights).
You must fly the wrong airline. Never a sound on SQ, BR, NH, CX or JL. I fly 5-6x trips per year.
Early afternoon US east coast to London / Western Europe. Try to sleep at 2-4 pm local time, land in London at 5 am. You just really get nailed on the jetlag. Much prefer late night departures and landing late morning / early afternoon.
Being west coast based, I hate the flight la to Europe leaving early afternoon (12-2p) and then arriving early morning (7-9a). Too early in the day to sleep, and then you arrive in Europe with a whole day ahead of you, unable to check in anywhere, and just when you’re getting tired since it’s about midnight at home. I always look for later flights where possible.
Generally, any flight that departs at a time that forces me to sleep (late evening / night) and arrives also in the evening. Those are the ones that cause me the worst jetlag. Typically that's some Asia to US departures and, worse, some Europe to Asia departures.
West to East is generally tougher in terms of jetlag and these make it worse.
I am with you Ben. I despise late night departures across the Pacific. I am not a late night person so departing on such a schedule significantly disrupts my sleeping pattern. Qantas used to have an afternoon departure out of LAX with arrival in Sydney at 8PM. That was nearly perfect for me. A few carriers still have those options from the west coast.
As to European departures, I prefer mid evening, say 7-8...
I am with you Ben. I despise late night departures across the Pacific. I am not a late night person so departing on such a schedule significantly disrupts my sleeping pattern. Qantas used to have an afternoon departure out of LAX with arrival in Sydney at 8PM. That was nearly perfect for me. A few carriers still have those options from the west coast.
As to European departures, I prefer mid evening, say 7-8 PM. That is just late enough that I just might get some sleep on the flight. And, I really do not like early morning arrivals because, as you point out, checking into hotels is problematic. And, that is not even mentioning the challenge of staying awake all day.
Additionally, even if connecting on mid evening departures, I can usually arrive at my destination by 2PM local time. I find mid afternoon arrival threads the sweet spot for me. Checking in at hotels is usually not an issue and after showering, I have to time to get my bearings in a new destination and have a nice dinner in order to stay awake until my normal 9-10 bedtime. I then allow myself to sleep in the next morning a bit longer. Usually within 48 hours I have no trace of jet lag.
Man - couldn't disagree more - those late night US-Asia flight are literally the best flights. Full night of sleep. Arrive in the morning. Zero jet lag on those flights.
The ones I hate are the early/mid afternoon flights from the US to Europe. Depart at like 3pm/4pm Eastern...fly 8 hours...land in Europe at 5/6am. Too early to sleep. Body clock thinks its 11pm/12am when I land...except for it's just the start of the day. Horrible.
Interesting! I love late night departures to Asia, I'm always able to fall asleep no problem right after dinner. Plus arriving late afternoon I get checked in, have dinner, walk around a bit and head to bed. Wake up fresh the next day with minimal jet lag.
Agree. With late night to Asia, everyone is so tired that it’s totally possible to sleep well in economy.
I avoid connecting in the Middle East purely in terms of night transfers. All flights from my country departs around 4 PM, arriving about midnight. Then multiple hours till next flight early morning. No thank you
I agree. Take a morning flight from Europe, get to ME airport around 6pm, couple of hours on the ground and then dinner on the next leg around 9pm. Fly out of the airport before the midnight-to-3am crazy hours. You can go to sleep at around the same time as you do at home.
Love the late night flights to Asia. I can work all day, take my connecting flight to NY or CHI and get on the plane around midnight. Doze on and off throughout the night and land in time to take an early connection to elsewhere in Asia. Doze on and off on that flight too.
Hate the early redeyes to Europe. If you land around 6am-8am local, that means you arriving around 1am-3am Eastern time....
Love the late night flights to Asia. I can work all day, take my connecting flight to NY or CHI and get on the plane around midnight. Doze on and off throughout the night and land in time to take an early connection to elsewhere in Asia. Doze on and off on that flight too.
Hate the early redeyes to Europe. If you land around 6am-8am local, that means you arriving around 1am-3am Eastern time. You will be woken up 1.5-2 hours before landing. That means "getting up" as early as 11pm. Zero chance for sleep.
What I find even worse is the efforts some airlines make to acclimate you to the time zone of the arrival destination. For example, Singapore Airlines insists on waking you 6 hours into a 16 hours U.S. West Coast to Singapore flight in order to serve the 2nd significant meal. After that, falling asleep for the remainder of the journey is literally impossible.
You can always tell the FA not to wake you in first or biz.
The worst schedule I've flown so far was SAL-YYZ just a couple of weeks ago. Flight departs practically at midnight and lands around 6.00AM or so. However, the crew started their onboard service approximately 2 hours after takeoff (there was no turbulence or anything; they simply took things very slowly). So, of course, I didn't sleep at all because of all the light and noise. They completed service in ~1 hr. For the remainder of...
The worst schedule I've flown so far was SAL-YYZ just a couple of weeks ago. Flight departs practically at midnight and lands around 6.00AM or so. However, the crew started their onboard service approximately 2 hours after takeoff (there was no turbulence or anything; they simply took things very slowly). So, of course, I didn't sleep at all because of all the light and noise. They completed service in ~1 hr. For the remainder of the flight, I was simply in that strange phase when you're extremely tired and sleep deprived but your brain can't shut down no matter what.
Those westbound red-eyes are absolutely fine as long as you follow the destination schedule and not the origin schedule. That usually means having some caffeine and/or alcohol to keep yourself awake for a few hours, enjoying dinner after takeoff, and sleeping for the second half of the flight. If you do it right it really beats jet lag. I'll take a westbound red-eye over an eastbound red-eye any day of the week.
Just did the JAL 1:40am departure from JFK - one nice thing is that they serve the meal 8 hours after take-off so that you can get right to bed. Appreciated that cadence.
My two cents is that evening departure and evening arrival Asia - NA flights and late NA - Asia flights are the best since you can finish your day’s work in NA, have a proper dinner, go to the airport and sleep the whole flight without guilt skipping all inflight meals except when flying in first class - honestly, they are not even comparable with food trucks in Asia - and start a working day...
My two cents is that evening departure and evening arrival Asia - NA flights and late NA - Asia flights are the best since you can finish your day’s work in NA, have a proper dinner, go to the airport and sleep the whole flight without guilt skipping all inflight meals except when flying in first class - honestly, they are not even comparable with food trucks in Asia - and start a working day in Asia right after arrival. Evening - evening Asia - US flights are somehow the same way while you can sleep for a whole day on this direction.
US-Europe flights that arrive at 6AM (realistically more like 5AM due to padding) are also terrible.
Departure from US is too early for sleep, and arrival is 9 or more hours before hotel check-in.
I would also put flights like AA's DFW-FCO in this category. I would much rather take a connection to an east coast gateway than be wheels up on a redeye flight at 2:30PM...
Late night US-EU flights are way superior. Take LH425 BOS-MUC for example, departure at 20:05 PM (often delayed though) and arriving at 9:30 AM, which is way more preferable.
Same here! I travel about the same as you (some times even more) and I prefer daytime flights but I don't realy care. But my window always still open. I can't sleep on a plane, find that waste of time, even during night. And I don't know what's Jetlag. Even when I fly about 10h people who pick me up always tell, "but you look like a guy who has flown like for 2h". I'm...
Same here! I travel about the same as you (some times even more) and I prefer daytime flights but I don't realy care. But my window always still open. I can't sleep on a plane, find that waste of time, even during night. And I don't know what's Jetlag. Even when I fly about 10h people who pick me up always tell, "but you look like a guy who has flown like for 2h". I'm quite sure it has something to do with consumption of alcohol. At start I use to consume a glass of wine/Champagne or so but that's it. Sure it makes all the difference. Alcohol has a big impact in the air, about 3 times of it on the ground. I use a lot of tomato juice, seems the only product who tastes the same as on the ground. Ther you recognise the frequent flyers.
As someone who frequents Asia, I enjoy late night departures from North America. If you're going to be up and about when you get to your destination, you get some sleep after the first meal service, wake up after 8-9 hours or so. The only negative would be feeling sleepy around 1700ish local time which is really early to be going to bed!
Any flight going eastbound from Asia to North America is something I...
As someone who frequents Asia, I enjoy late night departures from North America. If you're going to be up and about when you get to your destination, you get some sleep after the first meal service, wake up after 8-9 hours or so. The only negative would be feeling sleepy around 1700ish local time which is really early to be going to bed!
Any flight going eastbound from Asia to North America is something I dread; no flight schedule seems to work with my bodyclock as I'm always tired upon landing.
I was wondering, have you tried CXs former JFK-YVR-HKG service? I know you have flown the JFK-YVR sector, but not sure if you have flown the entire sector. The flight left JFK around 1930-2100ish and got into HKG around 600-730ish which was great. Have a drink, some nuts and a meal, get a few hours of sleep, wake up again for landing and takeoff again, have another meal, wake up over Japan, have another snack while watching TV, have breakfast right before landing. I know it might not be ideal for you, but works for me.
China Airlines and EVA had a similar service with their 744s with a stop in Anchorage.
One of my regular routes is the 5-6hr westbound redeyes from Addis to Ghana/Nigeria on Ethiopian using their delightfully comfortable 737 Max.
Nothing beats a 2am departure and 515am arrival on a 737 (not even a Jet2 holiday!).
Ethiopean has a similar 2:20 departure from Harare to Addis. It's actually not that terrible if you consider that it saves the need to spend the night in Harare when travelling from elsewhere in the country...