Originally Posted by
ratypus
CatchThePigeon - as I say, I've not done this as a "commute" but do a New York work week often enough that I'd say for a Monday-Friday set-up you would want:
- On the Monday, LHR to JFK departing around 5/6pm - allows a decent day of work in London, sleep an hour or so later in the flight, land JFK at 9pm and bed at hotel by 10pm (if you have Global Entry and a car waiting): means you get a few hours zzz even if you wake up at 3/4 am Eastern time; I would at a push depart London a bit earlier and get to my hotel in NYC around 7/8pm and then head out for a quick bite; I wouldn't depart London much later as that entails probably falling asleep more on the plane and by the time you get to bed on arrival your body will be waking you up within 2/3 hours
- On the Friday: the Friday morning daytime flight is optimal if you can manage it with work - get a day of work done, land LHR Friday evening and home by 8/9pm - you miss Friday night a bit but otherwise much better for jetlag; the second choice would be depart JFK on a c. 10/11pm flight on Thursday night - enough for a full day in NYC, get to sleep ASAP on board, then you land LHR mid-morning with a shorter day to get through before early night London on Friday
I used to see so many Businessmen on those ghastly Friday early departures. We would invariably be in a queue for take off with 30 or so others with the wonderful Eau de Kerosene perfuming the aircraft. I have one question. Does the provision of internet actually aid what work you are trying to achieve or does it cause distractions that you could do without? I can see both sides. Myself, I would prefer not being available for a period when I could get on and get something done without being interrupted by trivia to which one feels obligated to respond. I knew loads of Businessmen (I am sure that there were Businesswomen as well but they were less evident) who used to fly on Sunday evening from LHR and get on with work or as one put it - just had time to think and plan.
I remember one lady - an absolute Darling - who was on our overnight to LHR from ORD. She had flown to ORD that morning with AA's first flight and made a presentation and was now going back that same night. She just wanted to sleep and sleep she did. We poured tea into her as we approached London so that she would not feel totally like a bit of rag. It was the first time that we had someone who had flown to and fro and worked she had to get back to Morden and go to the office in Long Acre for that afternoon.