Benzodiazepines like alprazolam (better known as Xanax in the US) can cause very similar problems to Ambien (and is somewhat more likely to cause problems when combined with alcohol than the newer non-benzodiapine hypnotics.)

It is, as you note, somewhat longer-acting which can be good for longer flights but also risks more of a "hangover" effect.

I'm glad it works for you -- the main point anyone should take from these threads is "no one sleep medicine works for everyone, and you may need to work with your doctor to find one that works for you" -- a second one being, "always try these FIRST at home or another safe place on the ground, and NOT in the air or an unfamiliar hotel in a new city")

There are other shorter-acting benzodiazepines more usually used for sleep (including Restoril/temazepam or Halcion/triazolam) which would probably be better first drugs to try for most people for sleeping when traveling than the ones primarily used for anxiety (e.g. Xanax, Valium, Ativan among others.)