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British Airways recently announced a third daily flight between Heathrow Airport and New York’s Newark Airport. Normally I wouldn’t pay much attention, except that the Newark to London service is going to be a so-called “daylight flight” that departs Newark at 7:55 am and arrives into London at 7:55pm.
Why do I Love Daylight Flights?
I believe it to be the best way to manage jet lag…
A standard overnight flight from the East Coast to London takes about 7 hours. And unless the flight departs extremely late, I usually spend several hours wide awake until I feel tired enough to sleep (even in Business Class). By the time I feel like sleeping, the plane is approaching London.
Because it’s morning in London, I could either go straight to bed – and really screw up my body clock – or suffer through a rough day of trying to stay awake until nightfall.
Or…
I can book a one-night stay near the airport (in New York, Boston, etc), and make it to the plane with little hassle. Because I am generally well rested, I can then work on the plane or watch a movie or two. I would arrive into London in the evening. By staying up until 2-3 am London time, I can go to bed and sleep through the night. By the time the next morning rolls around, my body clock is basically adjusted to London time.
For the added cost of one hotel night, I enjoy a much more pleasant trip to London…
Where Can I Find a Daylight Flight?
London seems to be the main destination for daylight flights from North America to Europe. I cannot recall seeing one to Continental Europe, mainly because the extra hour time difference makes it even harder to depart at a reasonable hour and touch down before its the middle of the night.
British Airways
British Airways usually offers daylight flights from:
- Boston
- New York JFK
- Newark
American Airlines
I have seen daylight flights from:
- Chicago
- New York JFK
United Airlines
I believe that United offers daylight flights to London from:
- Newark
- Washington Dulles
Virgin Atlantic
- New York JFK
Air Canada
- Toronto
Are You a Fan of Daylight Flights?
Do you share my point of view? Or is it simply not worth it to spend a night at an airport hotel and “waste” a whole day on a plane? Let us know in the comments section…
Sorry if not clear to me: you book the hotel in NYC or London?
This was originally an article for the US version of InsideFlyer, which is why it might seem a bit strange from a UK perspective.
So I’m talking about a hotel near the airport in the US, so someone living over there could get to the early flight easily. In London, a UK resident would obviously just go home – or if you don’t live within shouting distance of Heathrow, a hotel for the night before heading home the next morning.
Yeah, sorry my editing is to blame for the confusion there (have amended for clarity). The point is a good one though and can be applied to similar length flights heading East from any starting point really.
When I was flying US-UK, I always enjoyed the morning flights out of Chicago. You’d get to London in the evening, have a drink and relax, going to bed when youre tired. Much less of a fight with jet lag when you get up the next morning.