ratypus

Looking at a US trip next month for meetings, flying into Boston and doing 3 cities in a week (ooof).

This was originally supposed to be a 3 day midweek trip, which has now morphed into a full week departing Sunday afternoon and only returning on an overnight Friday into LHR on Saturday morning. Mrs R and the baby are not impressed...

I have a choice of flights to Boston on the Sunday of 1645 (arrive around 1930 local) or 1955 (arrive around 2230 local). I have no plans in Boston on Sunday night, but want to get a good night of rest and be as fresh as I can for the week ahead come Monday morning...

On a weekday I would take the earlier flight, snooze for an hour or two on board, then land with time to check in, quick bite to eat then bed by 2200 and sleep. Works pretty well for me.

But to maximise time at home on a Sunday I am tempted by the late flight - eat on the ground, board and sleep from around 2200 UK time - land somewhere "in the middle of the night" then try and get back to sleep when arrive at hotel at around midnight...no idea if this will work though in terms of rest and jet lag?

for those who take these later US flights more regularly (I always try and travel earlier in the day), what would you recommend in terms of choice and strategy - I would ideally like more time at home on Sunday, but not at the cost of ruining my week of meetings with jet lag...

travelling in First if that makes any difference - the earlier flight is 747 and the later 777 - but let's leave that out of equation for now

Tobias-UK

I'd take the earlier flight and stay awake throughout, have dinner a couple of hours before landing and straight to the hotel and bed at 2200L.

rossmacd

Very wise advice.

The later flights are horrific for jet lag, especially if you need to be functional the next day.

shefgab

Unless you have big problems sleeping, I would take the later flight if you want more time at home on Sunday. Unless you have an early wake up call on Monday, you should be fine having a little snooze on the plane (don't force yourself asleep), then wake up, land, hotel, then head to bed around midnight and have a bit of a lie in. I always try and stay awake heading to the US so I know when I get to the hotel room, I will be exhausted and will sleep well.

The time difference isn't really big enough to give you proper jetlag, especially on a Westbound flight. It's just one long late day/night, far easier to adjust to than going the other way and have a short day, short night then short day again.

ratypus

Thanks - I suspected as much...I do pretty well on departures around the 2-5 pm window; later than that I haven't really tried to the US but wanted to check I wasn't missing a trick...it did feel like it would be pretty awful for sleep / jetlag - just felt like less of a compromise on losing Sunday with the family

happy to hear any other view, though suspect the later departure from home is probably the only redeeming feature of the later flight!

ratypus

Yeah my concern with the late flight is that with a baby at home we run a pretty early schedule...so I'll be awake at 6am UK and ready for a full night of sleep on Uk time about 2 hours out of LHR - then get woken up for landing in the middle of the night, and the body clock will be waking me up again for an early UK morning pretty much an hour after I get to my hotel room in Boston...

basically - a lie in on the Monday is unlikely simply because I don't know what one of those even looks like anymore! So the later flight does look sort of painful...

World Traveller Fuss

The jet lag problem here is not so much the departure time, but the arrival time in Boston in British time.

If you're hardest on sleeping from 10pm British time then the earlier flight might make slightly more sense.

But it's not too different to the mid-afternoon west coast flights which are also arriving in the middle of the night British time.

Immigration is usually quieter later too, even though they've got the machines for immigration during the earlier rush on the BA215/BA203.

Cap'n Benj

Depends on how you're affected by jet lag.

For me with a problem of tiring early and waking up early I find the 10pm arrival better for jet lag. It effects everyone in different ways though so if you don't have problems staying up then the 1900 arrival may be better

For arrival into BOS though the other consideration is immigration.

Ive picked up 2 people recently arriving at that 1900-2000 peak and both suffered from hour long queues.

The 2200 arrival, esp in F, would likely have you first into an empty hall

Fraser

I don't really get jetlag but having done regular London-US East Coast flights for the past 15yrs almost I definitely try to leave LHR around 5pm/6pm. Allows me to get the most amount of time in London before heading back to the US.

I stay awake for the flight, enjoy the service and roll into bed when I get in.

One summer BA had a LHR-IAD that left at about 8pm. It was before the days of Global Entry and I had a 2-3hr drive when I landed. I was pretty exhausted upon landing at IAD, even though I was in F, and had secondary screening due to my immigration status at the time. Really wouldn't do that again unless at a pinch.

HilFly

I'm a 239 fan. I don't sleep on the flight - I like to arrive tired and ready to sleep. I'm up bright and early the next day, and I'm immediately back on east coast time.

varkey

I always take late flights to the US usually followed by a connection landing around midnight local time. Not a problem for me but we're all different. If you don't have to work on the flight get a few hours of sleep ahead of time.

sweetsleep

The other MAJOR factor is that you are traveling with a BABY! You are a brave soul!
You did not indicate the age of your baby though.
I used to live in SoCal and traveled to Hawaii with an infant many years ago so about the same time difference for west bound travel compared to UK to US. It was not fun. Baby was about 6 months old if that helps. She got a middle ear infection which required a visit to a pediatrician-hope your travels are better than mine but want to prepare you just in case!!
On the other hand my 15 month old niece traveled with us and she was a marvel-never noticed any jet lag and slept, well, like a baby!! Ha. Just had to say that.
Good luck with your travels but long haul flights with babies,toddlers and small children are often challenging but hope you have a great trip!!
Best of luck to you!!

Cap'n Benj

Missed the kid part. Having done the same trip with a 6 month, year old 18 month old and then twice when nearly 2, I would very much concentrate on trying to fly as close to when they would normally go to bed for the night.

I'm lucky that mine was a good sleeper and neither the early or late flights were a problem in regards to her pretty much sleeping for the duration, it was certainly easier round her normal bed time though

elitetraveler

I actually like the later TATL westbound flights. Even if I slept for a good portion of the flight, by the time I get through customs and immigrations and to my hotel, I am tired enough to flop down for a solids 7 or 8 hours and then I am ready to since I am still on European time.

madfish

i don't think OP is planning on travelling with the baby. The baby was mentioned for context as to why the later flight is being considered - more time at home to stop their OH getiing even more unimpressed.

OP - I would get the earlier flight and get to the airport super early to enjoy the delights of the CCR. Hopefully your OH would be only to glad of your return that all will be forgiven.

Alternatively see the morning as an opportunity to spend one on one time with the baby and let your OH have a lie in and some me time. Another suggestion along this theme would be to get them to travel to the airport with you and maybe have a nice family lunch nearby before heading through check in.