[Swissdiver]

We all spend countless nights in the air. And I don’t know about you, but I prefer by far a 9 hours night flight to the 6 hours’… But actually there is worse than a mere 6 hours night flight. There is the one where you have to loose some of the flight time to eat (to take the Malarone pill). This is precisely what happened to me last week. ABJ – BRU, but via OUA, with a departure from ABJ at 18:55 (btw, almost missed it as luggage drop off time limit is 70 minutes before departure in Abidjan and I arrived 63 minutes ahead, as traffic was horrendous). So dinner was impossible before. 1ish hour flight to Ouaga, 1ish hour on the ground, 1ish hour before dinner is served: you are left with 3ish hours of flight. Absurd!

[FDOS_UK]

Yep, that’s a horrible type of flight. Full of disruption to rest.

I often take the 0150 from AUH to LHR and that is not great (though at least it is non stop, ~7 hours).

It’s not long enough to get a decent sleep, especially when you get a crew who are slow at the meal service (and this is a MF route), 3-4 hours is just about the most one can manage and then it’s the ‘zombie walk’ to the Flounge for a hot breakfast before the hop to MAN. It is meant to be a sleeper service in CW, but there is no dining area at AUH, so a lot of people still eat onboard.

I no longer travel in business class, there is just no point, since I find I get as much (or as little) sleep in W for 1/4 – 1/3 of the price.

[Olneyflyer]

Hi FDOS_UK. I agree fully with your comments. There is no point booking a CW seat on a flight of six hours or less as even with an express meal service you still realistically only get 2-3 hours maximum rest (not necessarily sleep). Rest can also often be hampered when passengers next to you are insistent on keeping their reading light on for the duration of a night flight!

[canucklad]

Swissdiver, it’s an interesting point you’ve raised……especially the 9 + hours bit.

Looking back over the years my 4 worst reddest eye flights ever……..all under 6 hours

Late evening departure, YYZ to PIK with a following tailwind with the excellent Wardair
Last flight SEA –DET with Northwest, classic bad US airline experience.
After midnight GLA –LPA , and on a charter
Finally HNL –YVR , 1.00am to Abbotsford due to fog @ YVR, even CP couldn’t make that better!!

And I suppose it’s all about personal choice , dictated by wealth , ability to sleep and flight duration aligned to time of travel and indeed travel zones linked to direction of travel..

About me — I struggle to sleep if I’m not horizontal; and I’m not really a cat napper- it’s comatose or restless energy. A couple hours sleep makes me feel groggier than no hours of sleep.
I don’t have enough vast wealth to travel business class on family/friends trips, especially when travelling with others. If I’m travelling alone I’d consider upgrading using my bank of points, otherwise it’s the back of the plane for me.

So it’s about choice and 2 of my frequent trips best illustrate this, and possibly highlight the excellent points already made ……

EDI – HKG
I prefer a short hop and then a long flight, but because I can’t really sleep a traipse through the middle east isn’t as harsh on me, as it is om my mates who can double up as one of the 7 dwarfs.
In fact, thoroughly enjoyed my Doha stop over the last time, getting into HKG nice and refreshed, on the way home, arriving back into EDI at 5.30 after transiting Doha in the wee hours was just tortuous

EDI –YVR
More interesting,, because I’ve flown in both classes. , and it’s always a short hop via LHR or AMS.
Westbound, I don’t see any real reason to fly upfront, it’s a day flight, you leave in the afternoon and arrive 2 hours later local time —stay awake for another 5/6 hours and all is good the next day.
Eastbound evening departures , means on the other hand, if I could afford business class, then it would be business class every time, preferably AC’’s , who delivered the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had on an aircraft.

[FDOS_UK]

Eastbound evening departures , means on the other hand, if I could afford business class, then it would be business class every time, preferably

I agree completely; Vancouver is long enough a flight to get in a decent sleep.

My rule of thumb is

0-5 hours – Y
5-8 hours (day flight) – W
5-8 hours (night flight) – W
8+ hours (day flight) – W up to 10 hours, J 10+
8+ hours (night flight) – J

[MartynSinclair]

My wonderful TC has suggested Charlotte to Dublin as oppose JFK to Dublin. Reckons I could get an extra 45 minutes shut eye..

@Canucklad – agreed, short hop then long hop…

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=818753]My wonderful TC has suggested Charlotte to Dublin as oppose JFK to Dublin. Reckons I could get an extra 45 minutes shut eye..

@canucklad – agreed, short hop then long hop…

[/quote]

Tim is on the ball, much better routing – is this on AA, perchance? IIRC, that’s the A330 with a decent flat business seat.

[AlanOrton1]

CLT – DUB is indeed on an AA ex US Air 330-200. Seat very similar to CX seat.
Still a sub 7 hour flight once airborne though (flew this route a couple of years back) and I think it may only operate in the summer.

[TiredOldHack2]

Tend to agree here, and this extends to Finnair and Qatar flights to the Far East, routing through Helsinki or Doha – I’d rather have one long flight than two medium-length ones. However the other side of the coin tends to be attractive prices and double-bubble on the points.

Decisions, decisions.

[ChrisJR]

Swissdiver – I have done very similar with Brussels from Banjul to Brussels via Dakar a few times – similar timings. And what makes it worse is then having to hang around in Brussels for five hours for a connection to London!

[MartynSinclair]

To be honest FDoS, the flat seat in the American 757’s used from New York to Dublin are not the worst in the world…

[Swissdiver]

0150 from AUH to LHR

With this kind of flights, I eat before leaving the hotel and sleep upon departure (with something on my eyes and in my ears…).

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=818837]

0150 from AUH to LHR

With this kind of flights, I eat before leaving the hotel and sleep upon departure (with something on my eyes and in my ears…).

[/quote]

I try to crash out in the Premier Inn, next to the airport, for 2-4 hours before, eat in the lounge and then get another 2-3 hours on the aircraft.

Still not great, but survivable and functional the next morning.

[LuganoPirate]

In the good old days when flying Europe – Far East, the planes would make multiple stops. Usually Dubai, Colombo and Bangkok, so I’d arrange my business accordingly and stay 2 or 3 days in each city (except BKK, it was only another hour or so to Singapore from there) mixing business with some sightseeing. Very civilised. Now we have non-stop unless using the ME3 which I try to avoid as I hate the midnight shuffle. Equally whenever I can I take day flights where I sleep like a baby anyway.

[nevereconomy]

Snag with AA 330 Eastbound services is VERY long meal service with all lights on and usually lots of eaters as no lounge food options. That will not get you more sleep as I well know…..

[Author]

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