SQ11 is like a bad drug. It’s addicting thanks to the legendary Singapore Airlines service, but it absolutely destroys me when it comes to jetlag. I really don’t want to take it, but I can’t resist. Usually I’m pretty immune to jetlag, because I’ve become quite good at just being able to sleep when I’m tired, even if it’s not at night, thanks to the number of redeyes I take a year. And for the most part I have no trouble adjusting to local time, even if I land at 6AM after a 14 hour flight.
It just occurred to me that every time I’ve been to Singapore, I’ve been on the worst time schedule possible. And then I realized that I’ve taken Singapore 11 every time I’ve been here, which is probably why. In theory it actually sounds like a great flight. It lands in Singapore at 1:15AM, and in yesterday’s case, I was in my hotel room at the Crowne Plaza Changi 18 minutes after the door of the aircraft opened.
I was dead tired on the Narita to Singapore flight yet managed to stay awake for most of it, so logic would suggest I’d be dead tired by the time I get to the hotel. But no such luck. When I arrived at the Crowne Plaza Changi I was wide, wide awake. Since I wasn’t about to pay their outrageous internet prices, I spent most of the night on the floor at Changi surfing the web and catching up on emails, before finally making it to bed at around 5AM.
And as I write this it’s 3:45AM, and I’ve been up for about an hour now. It’s probably time for me to start selecting a new flight to Singapore, though there’s just nothing that comes close to SQ11 (at least that comes close and is possible to redeem miles for).
Hoping the short Bangkok to Narita redeye tonight screws me up enough to the point that I’m my usual zombie-esque, tired self.
LUCKY,
one day is not enough to see a beautiful city I though you were planning to stay couple of days there.
JOSH
My last two trips to SIN I've done the double red-eye, BOS-IAD-LHR (UA) / LHR-SIN (SQ), arriving around 0700 local time. I've been able to stay up most of the day and get to sleep in the evening. I find this much easier than the westbound BOS-(XXX)-NRT_or_HKG-SIN.
Next time fly UA. Doesn't their flight arrive just before midnight?
I've had basically no problems arriving in Singapore in the past. I've done flights via NRT and HKG and they both simply work out well. Generally on the ORD-NRT or ORD-HKG leg I make an effort to stay awake the whole flight and plow though the lounges and take a shower and within an hour of takeoff onward to SIN, I sleep the 3 to 4 hours. Upon landing, I go for a walk over...
I've had basically no problems arriving in Singapore in the past. I've done flights via NRT and HKG and they both simply work out well. Generally on the ORD-NRT or ORD-HKG leg I make an effort to stay awake the whole flight and plow though the lounges and take a shower and within an hour of takeoff onward to SIN, I sleep the 3 to 4 hours. Upon landing, I go for a walk over to Newton Hawker center and go to bed around 2 with a few beers in me and am up the next day around 8.
My only problem I run into with Asia is I get adjusted to a 11pm bedtime and 5:30am wake up, but never have problems with not going to bed at a reasonable time. I've done SIN in coach a few times and C and think it all comes to staying awake on the US-NRT or HKG leg.
Maybe you should try flying east to SIN via Europe. I did UA to SIN and the flights were not so bad, but the35 Celsius degree heat and humdity really wore me out.
I have the opposite effect. No jetlag in SIN or anywhere else in Asia, but a massive one lasting a week or more on the return to California.
I have the same effect arriving in SIN - don't know why!!!
Because traveling westbound means longer flight time, and more time to enjoy the F service on SQ and NH.
Let's see how well you guys really know me -- why wouldn't I do that? Why do I only travel westbound on RTWs? :D
Maybe you should switch to SQ12 only and instead arrive at SIN from the west on these crazy RTW's? :)