LHR to LAX - Best flight time for minimise jet lag
Feb 27, 2021, 8:49 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
its astonishing how many things you can bear sober. but thats another thing. why dont you do the B2B on the day before and start in LHR? a connection with less than 24 hrs is still a connection and not a stopover.
Feb 27, 2021, 8:54 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
this also minimizes the risk of a missed connection. if the outbound is delayed, this inbound will be delayed too. --> you miss your flight to LAX...
Feb 27, 2021, 8:55 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 127
I found the earlier departure a killer on arrival to stay awake. I found myself asleep far too early then wide awake at 3am!
I always take the 16:10 LAX departure, A380 so I find the air quality better, can stay up until what is a sensible hour and get 7/8 hours normal sleep and feel fine next day.
I always take the 16:10 LAX departure, A380 so I find the air quality better, can stay up until what is a sensible hour and get 7/8 hours normal sleep and feel fine next day.
Feb 27, 2021, 8:58 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South Glos, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver/OW Sapphire
Posts: 1,159
Is that always the case? I’ve tried to price it on BA.com and Google Flights but neither worked. Happy to ring BA if it’s definitely allowable.
Feb 27, 2021, 8:59 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
i have plenty of tickets with an overnight in HEL/LHR. call them. i believe they will try ANYTHING to sell you a ticket right now. whats your travel date? its ex-GVA?
Feb 27, 2021, 9:23 am
#22
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
My normal for this would be a few drinks on the plane with some food. A bit of a nap if necessary. Get to the hotel, and then hit the booze heavily to send me to sleep 
No jetlag.
My routine may not be everybody else's normal though
No jetlag.
My routine may not be everybody else's normal though
Feb 27, 2021, 9:38 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South Glos, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver/OW Sapphire
Posts: 1,159
Feb 27, 2021, 9:39 am
#24
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,180
Whoever said that everyone is different is quite correct. My idea would be to take the 11.40 departure. I would not B2B before a transatlantic as there is too much that could go wrong. You'd only have to have a slot delay or some stupid incident and everything goes. If you can get a J seat on the earlier flight then I'd go on that - by the time that you get out of LAX. I usually snooze rather than sleep very profoundly on the flight and I drink and eat and care less. There is also the matter of where you want to stay. The hotels near the airport well reflect that soullessness of that ghastly part of Los Angeles but are perfectly fit for purpose. Thus if you start from LHR on the 11.40 you will arrive at 14.55 and by the time that you get on those shuttles to the hotel if that is what you chose to do it will be 15.30 earliest. Matters may have changes but LAX always was very crowded when those evening departures got in. There was traffic everywhere and the shuttles took an age and were packed. All this may have changed, but then it is about the time that the flights from HNL got in as well as some transcons and the airport was a zoo.
I can power nap if I need to. I then go and have dinner somewhere decent and try to stay out of bed until 22.00 earliest. Now comes the most important part - I always take a Sleep-Aid that you can buy in any US drug store . This is not to make you sleep - it is to keep you asleep when your body thinks that it is midday and it is only 4.00am. I never ever take anything of the sort so it works for me. It is for much the same reason that I take the last flight home to London which does not land until about 16.00.
I can power nap if I need to. I then go and have dinner somewhere decent and try to stay out of bed until 22.00 earliest. Now comes the most important part - I always take a Sleep-Aid that you can buy in any US drug store . This is not to make you sleep - it is to keep you asleep when your body thinks that it is midday and it is only 4.00am. I never ever take anything of the sort so it works for me. It is for much the same reason that I take the last flight home to London which does not land until about 16.00.
Feb 27, 2021, 9:47 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
I always find an 8-hour time difference the worst (no problem with even 12 hours!). I would tend to go for the later flight since by the time you get into LAX and get to the hotel (or whatever) it will be bedtime. Also, if you get the earlier flight, what time would you have to leave home in the UK? (First-train of the day is sometime problematic).
Feb 27, 2021, 9:49 am
#27
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 2,343
A bit if Champagne in the lounge, a few drinks on the plane and then I normally take the 2pm flight - arriving at LAX 7pm, heading to the Marriott LAX where I normally check in at 8pm.
Off to the sports bar for another beer and I can stay awake until 1030pm or so which allows me to sleep until 430am (by then I either call my wife in London or start plane watching from my room’s window).
[key is to have Global Entry so you don’t have to queue for ages at LAX]
Feb 27, 2021, 9:50 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 19,107
I would always recommend landing late into the west coast, going out for dinner and to bed around 22.00.
I find that being hungry wakes you up at silly o’clock so also have a muesli bar by the bed if you wake up.
I find that being hungry wakes you up at silly o’clock so also have a muesli bar by the bed if you wake up.
Feb 27, 2021, 9:57 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Every body is different so you can't read too much in anyone saying "this is the right way to do it".
But for what little it is worth, for me
- first objective is to get to sleep as late as possible, without being silly about it. 21:00 hrs or 22:00 hrs in LAX would be good for me
- you don't want to hit REM in the wrong place or out of sync, so no sleeping on the flight, perhaps a light nap if unavoidable
- therefore consider walking around your hotel, or better still going for a swim an hour or so before bedtime, if in daylight
- eat light and keep hydrated, no booze obvs.
- always factor in your departure time from Europe, you ideally want to get up as late as you can. Long connections add to tiredness at some point, don't up for the first flight way too early.
So for me, 13:00 departure - with a lie in on the day of departure - would be perfect.
But for what little it is worth, for me
- first objective is to get to sleep as late as possible, without being silly about it. 21:00 hrs or 22:00 hrs in LAX would be good for me
- you don't want to hit REM in the wrong place or out of sync, so no sleeping on the flight, perhaps a light nap if unavoidable
- therefore consider walking around your hotel, or better still going for a swim an hour or so before bedtime, if in daylight
- eat light and keep hydrated, no booze obvs.
- always factor in your departure time from Europe, you ideally want to get up as late as you can. Long connections add to tiredness at some point, don't up for the first flight way too early.
So for me, 13:00 departure - with a lie in on the day of departure - would be perfect.
