Caleklika

Hi all,

I'm soon off to SK, the BA flights have some rather awful times and I was wondering if anyone has any jetlag advice? To sleep the whole way or just a little bit?

I will be in CW both ways so not to worry about the 788's horrible Y cabin.

BA0017/LHR-ICN/1300-0855+1
BA0018/ICN-LHR/1055-1425

Thanks in advance!

Jenzo

Logically sleep on the way out if you can, and have a shortish nap on the way home.
I have yet to do they daytime flight but I did NRT-LHR, and that leaves and arrives similarly. Long day in the end and i didnt manage to sleep for more than 40 mins on the flight back, but it was alright IMO.

manymany

Similar timings to the BKK route which I do often. I sleep on the way out, as much as possible and try not to bother with the IFE. On the way back, I watch 4 or 5 movies and doze a bit when I feel tired but try not to fall asleep. Generally works for me!

Flythe96flag

I wouldn't know what's best physiologically, but what has worked for me when flying east on a similar timing, was sleeping very little the night before departure. Thus, you're exhausted by the time you get onboard and sleeping is much easier. (Slept the latter 8h of a 10h flight in Y once doing this. )

I guess one could call it proactively adjusting your circadian rhythm.

As for the return, I would minimise sleep but not eliminate completely. Otherwise, you'll end up with a very long day.

shefgab

If you are able to sleep most of the outbound, do it. Most people find it difficult getting to sleep at 3pm UK time though. To get the best jet lag results, try for a few days before departure having earlier nights, and getting up earlier in the morning. Ideally on the day of departure, you should be up and about 5 am or so. That way, by the time lunch/dinner has been served around 3pm LHR time, you'll be a bit snoozy. A generous nightcap or two (or a sleeping pill), and you'll sleep most of the way to ICN.

Resist the urge to sleep that first day - try and stay up until 10pm, then get a full nights sleep. That way you should have a good chance of adjusting to local time pretty quickly.

Coming home, snooze on the plane if you're tired, but don't bed down for more than 3-4 hours. Again, when you get home, stay awake until 9-10pm, then get a full nights sleep. It should be easier adjusting going west, as it's just a very long day, rather than a short day, short night and short day.

In future, do all you can to select late flights out of Europe heading East, as it'll be more natural to sleep onboard.

Sigwx

On the eastwards bound flight the official advice us as follows (official being the flying staff fatigue management guide)...
Day before departure - normal activity and do go to bed beyond your normal bed time.
Flt- try to rest/sleep beyond the first third of the flight.
On arrival- dependant on engagements you may drink caffeine unless you wish to nap, in which case limit any nap to 4 hours. If you nap or stay up, avoid natural daylight until around 1800 local time. Sleep is more natural if you stayed up after arrival due to incurred sleep debt.
If you eat in the evening do so according to lunch time at home.

On the day before return do not nap in the afternoon so as to maximise sleep prior to departure. Unless sleep is planned for the first third or the return flight avoid caffeine on the morning of departure. Then during the later thirds of the flight, sleep as long as possible.

shorthauldad

How long is your trip?

itsmeitisss

I have flown that route on BA and AY metal 22 times in the last few years, and this is the philosophy I follow. I find that "Oh I'll just have a quick hour" turns into 4 and feeling out of it for days as 4 hours wasn't enough to be totally rested, but enough to stop you sleeping well overnight.

AA_EXP09

I try to stay up very late the night before the trip (until roughly 0200), wake up at 0600, fall asleep at 1400-1430 UK time, sleep on the aircraft for 5-6 more hours after eating lunch onboard, and wake up for the breakfast service.
(I have done something similar for the similarly timed CX252.)
The worst has been doing just that and having to be at the office 2 hours after landing!

Caleklika

Thanks for all the help, I have a jetlag plan now!

Only 2 days!

1010101

If its only 2 days i would try to stay on UK time as much as possible.

LondonAndy

BA have a jetlag advisor on their site. Not very complex, but maybe worth a look. However, for a trip of 2 days I'd agree with phol to stay on UK time as much as possible.

itsmeitisss

Depends how 'on it' the OP needs to be. If he is falling asleep in meetings, then it will look pretty poor and will reflect badly on his company. Better to be 'on it' for the purposes of the trip and be given consideration for recovery afterwards.

Internaut

It's hard to sleep on a day flight, going East. I found that going from MAN to HKG with CX. I thought that nice business class bed, plus a few good drinks, might net me a few hours sleep. In reality I got at most a couple of hours. In the other direction? Either way can work, so caveat YMMV:

• I've done a day flignt from HKG to LHR in 2010, with NZ. That worked out well - got home very late, had a night cap and slept. That was in Y.
• I've also done a night flight, from HKG to LHR. That was in First, so four hours of food drink and entertainment, and then an on again/off again sleep (reading other threads, the quieter cabin of the A380 may have been better). Still, I got some sleep and arrived in LHR ready for the day.

I'd like to try a night flight, going East. It would mean a late afternoon arrival in whichever city I land (I think Shanghai is next on the list).

Internaut

Oh.... Just re-read the OP's post. Yes, the corporate travel policy should allow for a day's rest. Based on what friends, who've visited South Korea on business, have told me about business culture there, it's also best not to tell your customer you'll be arriving a day early* .

* They'll want you to come in. I had the same experience visiting Mumbai. On my way for tne airport to the hotel, and got a "could you just come in for a meeting" call from my customer (who were lovely BTW - didn't detain me for long).