Tips for the midnight train?
 

I have a trip Thursday, SJC to LAX at 9:30PM, LAX to ATL at 11:30, ATL to MCO around 8AM. (Then I go to a hotel, take a nap, and wait for my girlfriend to get off work.)

I was wondering if anyone would care to share their pet tips for red-eyes, especially those with 3 hops and a relatively short main leg.

In a related vein, has anyone ever tried to DOWNGRADE on a flight like this. I think I'd rather have 3 coach seats (possible sometimes if the flight is very light) than a first-class seat on a flight where I really want to sleep.

I am on AA Eagle for the first leg, and DL for the last two, if that matters.

Out of my last 25 domestic segments in Y, I had only 1 where I had a row to myself (NW DTW-DCA). Loads are high nowadays and even redeyes are being booked up. Enjoy your F seat and dont even try to downgrade. You never know if a standby will come and be assigned to what you thought was your personal row.

What I normally do before a red-eye is either wake-up really early that morning or simply not sleep the night before. By the time I get on the red-eye I am about ready to pass out. And bring your headphones or earplugs because despite being a red-eye there will be plenty of people talking, chewing gun, reading the paper, laughing, coughing, etc.....