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15 hour flight USA East Coast to Japan/HongKong and return


GeezerCouple
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Everyone has been amazingly helpful in response to our various questions about our forthcoming trip, which is finally seeming to be "soon" :)

 

Now... these flight times... and jet lag... Ouch.

This is a first for each of us, in terms of length of flight and also "which direction first".

 

Even when I was younger, the eastbound flight from USA (either coast) to Europe gave me real trouble adjusting to jet lag, no matter what I tried.

We always allow an extra day at the start, although Day 2 still wasn't/hasn't been "normal".

 

Returning from Europe, the adjustment to the westbound flight was so much easier. Yes, got up *early* the next day, but felt pretty good even that first day and also the next.

 

We aren't even sure what to expect in terms of both the length of flight and also the much more significant time change.

And we are a bit more concerned about the outbound, in hopes of minimizing any jet lag interference with our trip. (We've added an extra day at the start again, to nap, wander around, or whatever.)

Even though our previous flights westbound have been much less difficult, we suspect that the degree of difference this time might make a big difference.

Returning, we'll be home, and if we need to catch up on sleep or sleep odd hours, that's not as much of a problem.

 

We are going First Class JAL (thank you award points!!), and returning First Class on Cathay Pacific (wanted to try each).

So at least we'll have reasonably comfy flatbed seats, and we *have* been able to sleep pretty well on the shorter flight flat beds we've tried. That's good, because we've never slept well in economy, and as we've aged, longer trips in economy have started to become physially uncomfortable-to-painful.

 

What might we expect in terms of jet lag, given that long flight *and* that time shift?

Any suggestions to help with it?

 

Many thanks.

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I don't have any magic bullets for this, and anyway, what works for one person may not work at all for the next. Sleep when you can, stay hydrated, don't drive cars or use sharp stuff for a couple of days after the flight, things like that.

 

If traveling in first class on the likes of JAL and Cathay Pacific, just savor the experience. Go light on the booze; it can dehydrate you and it's been shown that the low air pressure in the cabins actually inhibits many people's sense of taste, so the bouquet from that vintage vino isn't all that.

 

The JAL flight from JFK to Narita takes off in the late morning and arrives in the early afternoon, local time. Flight time is usually around 14 hours depending on winds aloft; the return flight from Hong Kong is roughly two hours longer, assisted by tailwinds. You're looking at 12 ro 14 hours' time change depending on the month. (Hong Kong is an hour earlier than Japan.) Either way it will send your body clock into a tizzy; just tough it out.

 

 

Don't know your itinerary, but one thing I found in traveling over the Pacific to Narita is that staying IN Narita, as opposed to going into central Tokyo, can save money and make for a much more relaxing time of it. There are a number of excellent and inexpensive hotels with shuttle service from the airport, and a day in Narita town can be very rewarding. The big Naritasan temple complex right in the downtown area is one of Japan's real jewels; you'd be amazed how many thousands/millions of passengers travel through the airport annually unaware of the world treasure that's 15 minutes away. Spend a day visiting the temple grounds and the picturesque city streets leading to it - lined with food vendors and cafes - and you'll feel like you've really arrived in Japan.

Edited by Gardyloo
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My experience only

 

Wife and I flew to London from Houston on British Airways. Like you, we cashed in miles and flew 1st Class. (what an experience). We were in a new 787 Dreamliner which does pressurize the cabin differently for jet lag purposes. With the service, the meal, and the lie flat beds,,,,, I slept like a baby and felt great when we arrived.

 

I've made the trip to NRT in coach and took me 3 days to recover.

 

A heavy meal, a zanax with champagne, and a lie flat bed in 1st class makes a world of difference.

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No perfect solution, but these help me:

 

  • Do whatever you need to do so be able to sleep on the plane.... comfy clothes, glass of wine, ear plugs, eye mask, sleeping pill*, etc.
  • Upon arrival, get on local time as quickly as possible. If you find yourself dragging because you didn't sleep well, or it's already bedtime where you're coming from, try to power through without a nap and just go to bed a little early. When I do this and finally go to bed, I usually sleep like a rock and wake up feeling very rested.
  • Take melatonin when you go to bed. Natural supplement that helps your body adjust.
  • Get as much natural daylight/sunshine as possible for the first day or two during the day at your destination. It helps your body's circadian rhythms adjust.

*before anyone argues about sleeping pills (be it Ambien, Unisom, Benadryl, Dramamine, whatever) the obvious caveats are implied regarding the combo of meds/alcohol, taking in advance to know how your body reacts to the particular medication, speaking to your doctor, etc.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We just did SFO to HKG with a return from PVG to SFO. 14 hours going out, 10 hours coming back thanks to a super tailwind. The key to adjusting, as others have said is get some sleep. Sounds easy in FC but they are always offering food and stuff for you. We were in UA's new Polaris Biz class with lie flats and I just stuck on my headphones, put some background noise on the entertainment system and crashed after the first meal service. DW said I even slept through the ice cream sundae. Once you land you need to push to get yourself on local time. We hit HKG in the evening so by the time we got to the hotel is was almost 10pm. We spend some time just looking around and were in bed and sleeping by midnight. We morning came we were ready to go. If you come in during the day you really need to push on and stay up until closer to your normal bed time. I have to say, that 14 hour flight was long..especially since we had to be up at 5am to get to the airport for our connection from LAS to SFO....Enjoy the ammenities they offer to make sure you get some good sleep.

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