How do you best deal with "JET LAG"?

[fbgd]

1) Book the last flight of the day from wherever you're flying to wherever you're going. Book the highest cabin you are comfortable with paying. Business Class on any half decent carrier now means a fully flat bed.

2) Go to bed late the night before your flight and wake up much earlier than you normally would, aim for about 50% of the amount of sleep you normally would.

3) Spend the day of your flight doing things that will tire you out. Go for a run, hit the gym, help someone move house ( ;) )

4) Some airlines have spas at their airports (if you're flying business/first) and a nice massage just before you board can really help get you into a sleeping frame of mind.

5) Sleep as soon as you board/takeoff. Ignore all meal service onboard, eat before you go to the airport or at your connecting point. Then eat when you land in Europe.

6) Take a shower and get breakfast as soon as you. Some airlines have Arrivals lounges where you can shower, get a massage and a full breakfast.

 

I travel between the US East Coast and the UK every few months and have done for the last 12yrs or so. I have a set routine pretty down pat and have almost zero affects of jetlag when sticking to it.

 

British Airways have a really great set up for business and first class travellers that really helps with the jetlag thanks to the facilities they offer.

[hmorrow]

Delta is determined to "help" me with my flight to Barcelona. It started at 7 something, then went to 9:05, and is now at 9:38pm arriving at 11:35am.

 

I am completely spoiling myself with Delta One Business Class, which has the 180-degree lie flat seats, so hopefully I can crash pretty early into the flight. :)

 

lucky you!

We are always in cattle car.............

Helaine

[ducklite]

You don't have to skip your meal if you are in business. Just ask for "express" service, they will serve it all at once and you'll be full and sleeping before they serve the rest of the cabin their entrees.

[slidergirl]

I spoil myself when I fly TATL by going Business Class - gotta love my SkyMiles. When I arrive, I'll spend the vast part of the day just walking around, taking in the local ambience. Being outdoors and, if possible, in the sunshine, helps me out. Around 3:30pm, I'll head to the hotel and check in (I'll leave my bags at the hotel when I first arrive and come back later for check in). I have a little ritual of my "power nap" - about a 30 minute session in the bed with my eyes closed, not necessarily asleep. I get up, take a shower, and head back out for more walking around and, later, a nice dinner. I'll end up back at the hotel for a late night nightcap and then to bed. Wake up the next morning ready to rumble!! I do this for every TATL I do - Paris, Munich, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Prague...

[ducklite]

I spoil myself when I fly TATL by going Business Class - gotta love my SkyMiles. When I arrive, I'll spend the vast part of the day just walking around, taking in the local ambience. Being outdoors and, if possible, in the sunshine, helps me out. Around 3:30pm, I'll head to the hotel and check in (I'll leave my bags at the hotel when I first arrive and come back later for check in). I have a little ritual of my "power nap" - about a 30 minute session in the bed with my eyes closed, not necessarily asleep. I get up, take a shower, and head back out for more walking around and, later, a nice dinner. I'll end up back at the hotel for a late night nightcap and then to bed. Wake up the next morning ready to rumble!! I do this for every TATL I do - Paris, Munich, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Prague...

 

 

Same here minute the power nap. I find in business with lay flat seats that I do get a full five hours of sleep (or more) which is more than enough to keep me going until 9:00 pm or so.

[FawnRiver]

I can't sleep on a plane, no matter what I do - not even when BA so kindly bumped us up to Business Class on our last transatlantic flight :).

 

We always fly in at least a day early. Fortunately, DH can sleep a bit pretty much anywhere, so he sleeps on the flight and keeps me going until we can get to our hotel. While he checks his work emails (he's self employed, so he's never completely off the clock), I get a half hour power nap. DH gets me up and into a nice, hot shower and then we go out for a nice walk around wherever we are, an early dinner and then back to bed. Works for me, I feel great the next day.

[iancal]

I can sleep on the plane.

 

I stay up the night before. When travelling to Europe we usually arrive at our hotel mid day. We may take a nap but more often we just shower and go out.

We eat and early dinner and are back in the room by 9. Early night and next day we are back to normal.

 

Going to Asia is easier for us. We arrive, usually dog tired, late at night and seldom get to our hotel before midnight/1AM. Have a good sleep, good breakfast, and we are back to normal.

 

We find it much worse coming home, especially from Europe. Much more so than we go west to Asia but Europe is a much shorter flight for us.

[Bookish Angel]

My husband dozed briefly but I did not sleep a wink despite no alcohol and all the things (except medication) one is supposed to do to sleep on a plane. I read 3 good books, watched some decent films, lol. I went to bed right after dinner at our bed and brekfast, about 8:30 p. m. I slept in a bit the next morning and was fine at breakfast and on the bush plane.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Bookish Angel

[fbgd]

I flew Washington, D.C. to Johannesburg with layover in Los Angeles

 

When there are IAD-JNB flights on SAA why would you do that?

 

There also aren't any LAX-JNB flights...

Edited February 13, 2016 by fbgd