I’m primarily based in London, however TPG’s foremost workplace is in New York Metropolis. I often fly throughout the Atlantic, and I’ve a jet lag tip for anybody flying from the Northeast (particularly New York) to the UK.
Most flights from the U.S. to London depart within the night and arrive the next morning or round lunchtime, given the five-hour time distinction. New York and Boston, nonetheless, are considerably distinctive as these cities often additionally provide a handful of daytime flights to London. These flights are so quick which you could depart within the morning and arrive within the night on the identical day.
I’ve flown from New York to London extra instances than I can keep in mind on numerous carriers, in several lessons and at totally different flight instances. With apply, I’ve perfected my route technique, and now I all the time go for daytime flights as a substitute of reserving an in a single day flight.
Here is why daytime flights from New York to London are a lot better than in a single day flights.
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In a single day flights are too quick to sleep correctly on
An in a single day flight would imply a full night time’s relaxation, proper? Not fairly. Flights from New York to London are often scheduled for a most of seven hours in size.
This doesn’t suggest seven hours of “lights off, eyes shut” relaxation. If you wish to eat the 2 meals served on board, or wrestle to sleep by the noise and light-weight of the meal providers, you will in all probability get a most of 4 hours of slumber, if not much less. I’ve by no means understood why anybody needs to eat breakfast 4 hours after consuming dinner, however some passengers do, and it’s important to put up with that if it is occurring round you.
Flights heading east over the Atlantic often take pleasure in sturdy tail winds, so these flights are sometimes even shorter. I am unable to keep in mind a New York-to-London flight I’ve taken that didn’t land early.
How briskly can these flights be? In 2020, a British Airways airplane made the journey in 4 hours and 56 minutes, which is way lower than the seven-hour scheduled time. I might be shocked if the lights had been off for even three hours on this flight, and I would like much more sleep than that to perform correctly the subsequent day.
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If you wish to maximize relaxation durations, you can skip the meals fully — maybe by consuming within the lounge beforehand — however even if you’re in top notch with an eye fixed masks, earplugs and a lie-flat seat, you will solely be allowed to recline your seat for lower than 5 or so hours between reaching cruising altitude and beginning descent.
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You may sleep in an actual mattress
I am unable to sleep sitting up for greater than about 20 minutes at a time, so an in a single day flight in economic system just isn’t an expertise I ever take pleasure in.
Lie-flat seats in premium cabins do present a greater sleeping expertise, however I’m often drained after I land since my onboard sleep is stressed, maybe from the nice and cozy cabin temperature or the noise I can nonetheless hear by my earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
I stay in London, so if I take a day flight residence from New York, I can go straight to sleep in my very own mattress pretty simply, even when it means I do not get residence till midnight. That is all the time preferable for an evening of uninterrupted relaxation on the proper temperature, with no different passengers or plane noise.
In the event you’re staying at a lodge, as a substitute of arriving in London at breakfast time after an in a single day flight and probably needing to attend just a few hours to examine in, with a daytime flight, your room will probably be prepared, and you’ll go straight to mattress.
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There is no jet lag
New York’s time zone is often 5 hours behind London, relying on the time of yr. In a single day flights depart as early as 6 p.m., which might be 11 p.m. U.Okay. time. In concept, that will be the proper time to fall asleep to reset your physique clock to the time zone at your vacation spot. Nonetheless, on high of the varied sleep disruptions talked about above, if I have been working on Japanese time for per week, I simply do not feel drained at 6 p.m.
The daytime flights let you go to mattress in London at an affordable time (often between 10 p.m. and midnight). Assuming you’ll be able to sleep by the night time, which I often can after a flight, you will get up at a standard time the subsequent day feeling rested, refreshed and with out jet lag.
Examine that to taking a 6 p.m. departure, forcing your self to sleep and managing barely just a few hours earlier than touchdown on the break of day, disorientated and jet-lagged.
No, thanks. These flights are completely brutal, and I might advocate doing every part you’ll be able to to keep away from them.
In the event you take one of many many in a single day flights to London, I like to recommend selecting a departure time that is as late as potential (ideally 10 p.m. or later). Positive, you’ll nonetheless be jet-lagged if you land, however it might be simpler to go to sleep on board.
It can save you your factors and miles for one more day
In the event you wrestle to sleep sitting up, as I do, I like to recommend utilizing your factors and miles to both e book or improve to a seat with a completely flat mattress to make sure higher sleep.
It’s much less necessary to journey in a premium cabin on a daytime flight to Europe. These flights go by so shortly (particularly if you’re working or watching a few movies), and infrequently the advantages of a better class could also be wasted on a flight like this.
I’ve no downside flying in economic system throughout the day, as I would a lot relatively use my factors and miles for longer, in a single day flights the place I can actually benefit from the facilities the service gives.
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It may be a standard workday
Once I inform family and friends about these lesser-known daytime flights from New York to London, they often say, “Sure, however you lose a whole day on the airplane.” It is true that flying in a single day maximizes your trip time and, should you can handle to sleep correctly, it can save you an evening in your lodging.
Nonetheless, most daytime flights I’ve taken on this route have been on regular work days. These flights will often have Wi-Fi, so shortly after takeoff, I open my laptop computer, join and work solidly for many of the flight. It is easy to make amends for emails and Slack colleagues, and write just a few tales for TPG on every flight.
In the event you do need to work on a flight and you’ve got lounge entry, I like to recommend consuming breakfast within the lounge and skipping the primary meal on board these flights. The standard of the lounge meals is considerably higher, permitting you to work immediately relatively than ready in your meal to be cleared.
Clearly, not everybody can work remotely, particularly at 30,000 ft, however should you would in any other case be working from residence that day, take into account should you can work from the skies as a substitute.
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Which flight is finest?
There are 5 daytime flights from New York to Heathrow Airport (LHR) this summer time — 4 from John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) on British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and American Airways, and one from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) on United Airways.
There’s additionally a daytime flight from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to LHR on British Airways.
The query of which is the most effective flight to take raised a spirited debate among the many TPG group, who often fly this route. Principal spokesperson Nicky Kelvin prefers earlier departures because the early wake-up name jolts him again to London time shortly, and he can nonetheless get to sleep in his personal mattress at an affordable hour.
For me, the American Airways flight is the most suitable choice just because it doesn’t require an abnormally early wake-up time, and I will not really feel drained all day. This implies I will not have to take a brief nap on the flight, can work productively all through and go to mattress the second I stroll within the entrance door, earlier than midnight. This can be a fairly excellent flight schedule for me.
Backside line
I’ve flown from New York to London extra instances than I can keep in mind; I’ve tried out all types of various flight choices starting from sensible to terrible. The very quick nature of flights on this route means it is unlikely you’ll land rested and refreshed from an in a single day flight, even if you’re flying the world’s finest airline.
I am unable to advocate strongly sufficient the handful of daytime flights working on this route. They’re my tried-and-true approach to fly to London feeling as recent and wholesome as potential.
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