Overnight flights

[PHF2ATL]

Do you like them or hate them? I'd rather fly during the day rather than overnight because 1) I don't sleep well on planes 2) You can't see anything out of the windows and 3) I feel like crap the next day. I did have one nice flight from ATL-LGW. I got about 2 hours of sleep which is good for me plus Delta had great service on this flight. So what do you think of them? Share your stories

[pilotgolfer]

Our chartered SFB-AUS flight Thursday night was a redeye. We departed about 10:30pm. At night it's really beautiful. We skimmed the Gulf coast and I could clearly see the shoreline. A couple of years ago on a CLT-DFW flight, that was also a redeye. I was just about the only one awake on both flights. But, knowing me, I'll stay awake for stuff like that. The best times to fly, though, is just before sunrise. I caught it on our AUS-SFB flight Sunday morning. Looking down at the maze of lights on the ground is just amazing. Anyway, those are just my experiences.
-ryan-

[FlyCharlestonSC]

I took the DL red-eye from SFO-ATL once. It left at 10:00 and got in at 5:00. I didn't like it because I had to go to school the next day. I was so tired! I slept for the 4 or 5 hour flight and then in the ATL airport, I slept on the floor. You don't realise it, but that place is pretty bright inside! :lol: I tried to find the darkest corner I could, unfortunately for me, it was right by some crew breakroom and I kept getting stepped on. Anyway, try and be one of the first to board. My flight was pretty empty, so I was able to claim a whole row to myself right when I boarded.

[Chaoui Airlines]

I always took night flights. I like it, because if I have a flight during the day, over the ocean, I get bored of seeing the sea. If I flight over the continent, that's another thing. When I fly during the night, I'm normally tired of the day I had, specially that the day before the flight I go late to bed.
The thing that is true is that sombedoy's tired the other day, but for me it isn't a big difference because I normally sleep between 5 and 7 hours and it's fine. I think night flights gets faster because you sleep. And if you sleep two hours, you can always drink coffee :wink: .
And, somethign that I love is during the take off and climb, you can see the city and it's very beautiful. I remember NY during the night, it's very very beautiful seen from the air.

[LRJet Guy]

I like flying the aircraft at night better than day. No need for sunglasses, the air is usually smoother, and fewer people out flying.

That being said, flying an a/c with a poorly lighted cockpit sucks. Nothing worse that rummaging around looking for a flashlight so you can do something. Landing at night is different due to the change in depth perception. Also, many times you can't see the features of the terrain you're flying over which would make things interesting if you're flying a single and it quits....

[DAL767-400ER]

Depends, being stuck on a redeye LAX-ATL aboard an L1011-250 in the middle seat, with a snoring neighbor, isn't real fun.
But since I mostly get a window seat, redeyes are fun, especially if you are flying from ATL to Europe. Depending on the routing, you can see the lights of D.C., BWI, Philly, NYC and BOS; always an awesome view (*sigh*).

-Colin

[uy707]

Depends of everything
-airline,
-aircraft
-where I am accomodated and
-what about closest neighboors around.
Globally, if due to fly overnight, I enjoy much more a long-haul than a medium which may leave me somewhere in the middle of the night ... :skeptic:
Alain

[FlyCharlestonSC]

If I sleep on a plane (which has only happened once--on my red eye), it is not a restful sleep because of all of the engine noise. :roll:

[FlyingPhotog]

Do you like them or hate them? I'd rather fly during the day rather than overnight because 1) I don't sleep well on planes 2) You can't see anything out of the windows and 3) I feel like crap the next day. I did have one nice flight from ATL-LGW. I got about 2 hours of sleep which is good for me plus Delta had great service on this flight. So what do you think of them? Share your stories

I hate red-eyes for all the same reasons. My last was HNL/LAX on a United 767. They showed "The Core." :roll: They gave out Listerine breath strips shortly before landing. :lol:

[FlyCharlestonSC]

Well...at least they gave you listerine strips. Delta didn't even do that for me! I thought it was great that they woke me up half way through the flight to se if a wanted a coke or any pretzels, though. :roll: Really, really considerate :shakehea:

[matt1168]

I don't like redeye flights, even if a day flight may take a day from me. This is hard to avoid escpecially on USA-Europe flights.

The worst for me was a JFK-KEF-LHR flight some years back... it was horrible because I had to get off the plane at KEF at what was (for us New Yorkers at the time) 3:00 AM, just to get on a plane 3 hours later bound for LHR. It was horrible, considering I can't sleep on planes, and I didn't sleep at the KEF airport; it's not an airport (or a country) where sleep comes easy. :lol:

[Cubana]

As some of you know, I shuttle a lot between South America and Europe. I always fly during the night because of a very simple reason- I sleep on planes.

I once took KLM AMS-GRU, which is an all-day flight and it was the most boreing experience I have ever had on a plane. The first two hours are cool, but then you start thinking I still have 9 hours to go. The crew made everything possible to keep us entertained (lots of food, beverages, reading material, etc.), but I was still bored. Overall it was not a bad experience, but I prefer flying overnight. I always sleep between 4 and 7 hours, and that makes a huge difference!

[FlyCharlestonSC]

Heck--I've only slept 2 times while moving!
One was my redeye and the other was a hurricane evacuation. 14 hours in the car from Charleston to Hendersonville, NC!!! :shock:

[Greg]

My B6 flight to FLL in Feb. was awesome as we skirted around the north side of D.C. so you could look down and see the lights of the MAll, the Washington Monument and the string of airliners on approach to DCA. And the fact that I was settled back in a nice B6 leather seat did nothing to hurt the mood. :P

Otherwise I like day flight as you can get better pics out the window.

[matt1168]

Heck--I've only slept 2 times while moving!
One was my redeye and the other was a hurricane evacuation. 14 hours in the car from Charleston to Hendersonville, NC!!! :shock:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I can't believe people who can sleep on the subway. I once rode the Philadelphia subway from Frankford (near my father's house) to 30th St. (downtown to transfer for the train to the airport), roughly 30 minutes. A man got on at a station just past Frankford and fell asleep, finally awaking at 15th St. (about 25 minutes). After he woke up he asked me, "where are we?" I told him 15th St. He cursed and said, "Damn, I was getting off at Berks..." ... that's about 10 minutes from where he got on.

:lol: :lol: How do people sleep like that, I'll never know. :lol:

[FlyCharlestonSC]

Heck--I have trouble falling asleep anyway. When I am on school trips and stuff I am always the last one to fall asleep (and the last to wake up!!!) :lol:

[PHF2ATL]

I've had three overnight flights (only flights where I leave in the evening and arrive in the morning) and I've only slept on one of them but I have good reasons why I didn't sleep on the others. My first overnight flight was in 5th grade(IAD-CDG) and I was just to excited to sleep. My second flight was the only one I did sleep on. We left ATL at 1am because our flight was delayed and I was so tired I slept for about 4 hours. And my last overnight flight was last april and there was no way I was going to sleep on that flight- I had no room to sleep! I'll be taking two more overnight flights for sure by years end and hopefully I'll get a good nights sleep!

[yul_airplane_freak]

if its a flight to Europe then I prefer at night! It gets boring always seeing the ocean. If it was cross-country or transborder then I would probably take a daytime flight.

[northerner2121]

I've only been on one long haul redeye... It was back in 1998 when i was 9. It was HNL-DFW on an AA DC-10. We had the bulkhead, therefore lots of room. I slept on the floor for maybe about 2 hours... Thinking back on it, I must have been very tired. It takes a lot to sleep on the floor of a 20-25 year old aircraft :nod: I was jostled around by turbulence about an hour before landing, so I got in my seat (dead center) and stared at the orange-ish wall in front of me for the rest of the flight. Never again :lol:

[Simpleboy]

Well...at least they gave you listerine strips. Delta didn't even do that for me! I thought it was great that they woke me up half way through the flight to se if a wanted a coke or any pretzels, though. :roll: Really, really considerate :shakehea:
Very considerate,

[NOTAR520AC]

I dont' mind- I'm a night owl, and have a very irregular sleep schedule, so it's not that big of a deal for me. I like departing PHX at night too- really breathtaking considdering how large the city is.

[FlyCharlestonSC]

I dont' mind- I'm a night owl, and have a very irregular sleep schedule, so it's not that big of a deal for me. I like departing PHX at night too- really breathtaking considdering how large the city is.

I have never been to PHX, but I was impressed flying over the Southwest on my way to Tucson. Seeing El Paso--a huge circle of light coming out of the middle of nowhere! Also, the approach to TUS was very dark--it surprised me. Once the city was in view, though it was bright. I can imagine how cool PHX would look!

[BA747-436]

I got back from Hong Kong yesterday, and experienced two complete oppersites as far as sleep goes on overnight flights.
LHR-HKG 12 hour flight - slept: 45 minutes :P
HKG-LHR 13 hour flight - slept 10 hours :nod: (admitidley having had no sleep in the last 52 hours might have had something to do with this one)

ps - my first A340-600 experiance :D

[CheckSix]

Nothin' like the red eye special. :nod: :nod:

[afkabruce98]

I have flown many times between Australia and USA and the LAX-SYD leg is always a red-eye. I hate it because it is always a longer flight than SYD-LAX, you are in darkness for about 13 of the 14-15 hours, and I can't sleep on planes. The most I have slept on that flight was about 5 hours (only once, compliments of Dramamine). I don't enjoy the feeling of dozing for an hour or two and then realizing it is still dark and you still have 10 or 12 hours to go (and all over the ocean).

[LRJet Guy]

I remember coming back from London on a DL L1011-250. About an hour after takeoff I dozed off for an hour. When I woke up, I thought I had been out a while and we'd be landing soon. I was a little dissapointed I slept though the whole flight until I realized we still had 8 hours to go. Then I got pissed.....

The eastbound redeye flights are much better.

[bbuse]

The two times I flew from Tokyo to SFO it was overnight flights. The part of those flights that seemed strange was leaving Tokyo in the evening and arriving at SFO on the morning of the same date and day of the week. One time when this happened it was on a Friday the 13th, so I could say I experienced two Friday the 13ths in a row.

Several times I have been on the Air Canada red-eye flight from Calgary to Toronto and I liked that flight due to the fact I could put in a day of work in Calgary and then be in Toronto for the next day. That flight was a popular flight and was always full when I was on it.

[herpa2003]

I usually sleep on my overnight flights. I've been on 3 so far, and the only one I had trouble sleeping on was my flight from ATL-FRA on a World MD-11. I was in seat 1A for much of the flight (right up near the TV) and moved back to 2A once the meals were being served.

[DeltaASA16]

I like the Redeyes that fly you THROUGH the night. So, when you get their, it is Morning (5am-7am) I've probably taken 3 redeyes. IAD-CDG, JFK-LYS, and ANC-SEA.

I dunno about those flights that leave at 10pm and get in at 12-1am.. those arent Redeyes... those are just night flights. :roll:

Adam

[PortColumbus]

Flew LAS-CMH in August of 2002 on HP. 12:30am scheduled. Didn't mind it at all, it was cool to see all the thunderstorms over the Plains. Plus, it gives you a full extra day on a trip as opposed to leaving in the morning.

[DeltaRules]

I like red-eyes...each time I've gone to Europe I've taken one (because I really don't have any other choice). I like it a lot better than flying in the day on return legs...seems like it takes less time.

Only domestic red-eye I've ever taken was LAS-CLT in 2002 on US Airways. Didn't realize that they didn't serve any food on red-eyes, so I was starved by the time we made it to CLT, but I thought it was fun seeing the sunrise without having to take a 3,500 mile flight overseas to do so.

DeltaRules

[G-TDTW]

I love Red Eye flights, we were flying home from SFB to LGW on Air Atlanta 747, looking out the back door window for hours and because it was a clear night we saw cities, staduims all the way up to canada, when i went to sleep. The 747's are sooooo quiet, the only time i have ever slept on a Transatlantic flight was on a 747

[Greg J.]

I cannot sleep on a plane, so for me it would depend on what I am doing the next day. If I can get some rest when I get off the plane, then I do not mind.

[HS-TGY]

I flew with Thai Airways on 17 March from London Heathrow to Bangkok with the flight departing at about 9.30pm. Having made many long-haul night flights, I'm not particularly bothered what time I fly. I'm tend to think more about the hot, sunny weather which awaits me at my destination.

If I were to fly with Thai at 11.50am from Heathrow, arriving in Bangkok at about 11.00pm GMT, I wouldn't be at all tired, and having to endure almost 12 hours without a personal TV screen would be torture.

Our flight the other week was half empty/half full (delete as applicable!), so we could stretch our legs over many seats. I still found it a struggle to sleep though. Sleeping upright is not something I enjoy! :shock: