In late Sep. through early Nov. of 1998 I went to Australia and New Zealand for five weeks. Granted, I flew in Business Class but that was during UA's upgrading of their Biz Class cabins and I was unlucky enough to get a 744 with the old seats and cramped (at least for Biz Class) pitch. Truthfully, despite riding in "J," I was miserable for the 14.5 hour LAX-SYD leg and could not sleep at all. I spent a couple of days getting over my jet lag.
Was it worth it? You bet! I would gladly do it again. True, I have not flown that distance in Economy but I would if it were my only option because New Zealand and Australia were both so wonderful that I'd hate to think my trip in '98 was the only one for me.
A friend flew to OZ and NZ last year on Air New Zealand in Economy and he reported that their "Spacemaker" seats with 34" pitch made a huge difference in his ability to sleep while flying LAX-SYD. Is NZ an option for you or are you trying to build miles in another program? Here is a link to more info. on their Pacific (Economy) Class seat.
http://www.airnz.com/travel/onthepla...e.jsp?pid=8014
In any event, go for it. It would be hard for me to imagine any place more beautiful than New Zealand and the Kiwis were so friendly and hospitable. I had a great time and wish I could have just stayed there.
My recommendation is for you to discuss the jet lag issue with your physician. It has been my experience that most doctors will prescribe a small quantity of sleep medication for such purposes. Restoril (or the generic temazepam) works very well for me and I use it on the overnight flight as well as at my destination if I have trouble getting adjusted to the new time zone. Others have reported success using herbal preparations and/or melatonin to help induce sleep and get them over the jet lag.
Good luck and have a safe trip!
Bill
**Edited to add that geo1004's advice is sound; I follow the same steps he outlined.
[This message has been edited by bbinchi (edited 01-29-2002).]