I would find a nice place to eat at JFK and sleep as much as possible on the flight. The meal is nothing to write home about on this flight and the AC only has typical snacks for free. You can pay for sandwiches, salads, etc. in the AC.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dtc
I seem to recall there's a way mentioned on the AA J menus that you can have the meal delivered sooner/all at once. Does that really exist?
Yes. It's called "Dine on Request". I've used it on a couple Europe flights where sleep is a priority over an extended meal service. Everything comes out on one tray.
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On a flight that short, even 'Dine on Request' will take at least 1-1.5 hours before you're done. If adjusting to time zones is a priority, just sleep immediately. Then, once at LHR you can grab a delicious English Breakfast at the BA lounge.
Agreed on all fronts that the meal service is just pomp and circumstance and isn't worth the lost sleep potential. I'd grab a to-go sandwich from Starbucks or a cafe, eat it prior to takeoff with the PDB and grab the 6+ hours of sleep.
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Yes, unless I am on AA 100 which leaves too early to want to sleep (and hence I try to avoid taking that flight), I consumer nothing more than a quick scotch on take off (with the Ambien) on JFK-LHR flights - if that.
I have taken this flight or the 10:30/11pm red eye to LHR when visitng our London office. My suggestion is eat for free in the Flagship Lounge. The spread AA puts out is very nice. After dinner, take a shower, then grab some sleep on the plane. On arrival at LHR, have breakfast at the BA Club. It works for me everytime.
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For a nicer snack, Vino o Volo has some decent fare. I'm partial to the chickpea & chorizo stew and a glass of red. Hard for me to sleep on an empty stomach.
Lots of good advice here. I wondering I should pick up a chicken parm at my neighborhood place. I suspect getting a lasagna or veal marsala might not make it past TSA.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dtc
No FL for this lowly Plat flying in J.
Lots of good advice here. I wondering I should pick up a chicken parm at my neighborhood place. I suspect getting a lasagna or veal marsala might not make it past TSA.
In the old old days, flying Coach on Panam, I would bring a luscious smoked salmon sandwich from EAT, the East Side Zabar's, ask for a vodka on board (yes, in the 80's liquor was free in Coach) and start eating and drinking them slowly when everybody got their dogfood. Invariably, somebody would ask "Where did you get that?", to which I replied "Oh, I just asked for it"...
Even younger, I would bring a porn magazine on Swissair flights, leaf through the magazines rack as if nothing, leave it there, and eye people getting their reading matter from the same rack. It beat any other kind of IFE.
I miss those times...
PS: Eastbound from JFK in J, I usually ask for just a salad and a cheese plate with a glass of wine, and I get it most times within 20 minutes of wheels up. 20 minutes later, I sleep.
While many here might know exactly when that flight departs, it might be a good idea to put the departure and arrival times in your post, as it is entirely germane to your question.
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I don't fly to Europe ex-JFKor BOS anymore. On overnight flights, the time change is just too hard. I try to fly ex-ORD (but not in the winter), MIA and west. The slightly longer flight gives sufficient time for a better sleep and alleviates the problem.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. HFH
I don't fly to Europe ex-JFKor BOS anymore. On overnight flights, the time change is just too hard. I try to fly ex-ORD (but not in the winter), MIA and west. The slightly longer flight gives sufficient time for a better sleep and alleviates the problem.
I agree the longer flight makes for better sleep. But, if we're delving into 104 alternatives, rather than sleep, I'd much rather take AA142 - the morning flight. I'd do that in Y (anyone say MCE) rather than overnight J.
Last edited by Microwave; Nov 19, 12 at 6:11 am..
Reason: Corrected invalid quote syntax
Did JFK-LHR for about 10 years. The key as someone mentioned earlier is to eat before boarding esp for the 6pm or 8pm departures to LHR. Try the Bobby Vans steakhouse just past security at T8. Its actually quite good. JFK-LHR is honestly too short a flight if you want to get a good nights sleep and also eat the meals. Meal service takes at least an hour post departure and even if you are a deep sleeper you normally will wake up about 40 minutes out from LHR as they prepare the cabin for landing and do the breakfast service. So that leaves you with somewhere between 3-4 hours of sleep. My strategy is to eat pre departure. Get on plane. Take a sleeping pill as the wheels lift off. (unless you normally go to bed around 8:30pm) Lights out.
Or get swiitched to BA on that JFK-LHR leg. BA serfves the dinner (to J passengers, at least) in the lounge priority to the flight, instead of the flight. So you can eat dinner couresy of the airline and yet slleep the whole flight! How civilized!
I only experienced that because my connecting flight to my original JFK-ZRH flight was late and so AA rebooked me on BA JFK-LHR-ZRH, and since my SWU had already cleared, they put in me in Club World / Club Europe on BA.
If AA wants "metal neutrality" on JFK-LHR flights between itself and BA, why doesn't it take the same approach??? I understand it may not have a place in the AA terminal to provide such a dinner itself, but it could give all the J/F passengers vouchers for airport concession food if they're booked on a late-evening JFK-LHR flight.
I understand it may not have a place in the AA terminal to provide such a dinner itself, but it could give all the J/F passengers vouchers for airport concession food if they're booked on a late-evening JFK-LHR flight.
