787 Dreamliners and jet lag
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
787 Dreamliners and jet lag
I have read the 787 helps reduce jet lag due to its design and construction. We have a 14.5 hr. flight next year on one. and AC DEL-ORD with a stop in Vancouver.
Has anyone ever had along flight on one and if so how did it effect jet lag if at all?
Thank you
Has anyone ever had along flight on one and if so how did it effect jet lag if at all?
Thank you
#2
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,035
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was on a flight from SFO to SIN, it was around 17 hours. I've also flown LHR to AUS on the 787. I'm sorry to say this but the jet lag was no better for me. But everyone is different and I'm sure others will disagree.
I did like the bigger windows on the 787.
I did like the bigger windows on the 787.
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,262
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Larry, I have been on several 787 flights (EZE-LAX was one of them). Jet lag is supposed to be reduced because cabin pressurization is for a lower altitude and the lights are supposed to more simulate the phases of the sun, it did not work for me.
#6
I flew it NYC-NBO last year, about 15 hours each way. It didn't help with jetlag much but I didn't get nearly as dehydrated as I usually do and my sinuses weren't too dry, so I think there is something positive to the air quality.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the replies.
I suppose we will have to see for ourselves though I hope there is some improvement. A lady I know said she felt more refreshed after her flight ORD-CDG which is a shorter flight, long but not in the teens.
We shall see.
I suppose we will have to see for ourselves though I hope there is some improvement. A lady I know said she felt more refreshed after her flight ORD-CDG which is a shorter flight, long but not in the teens.
We shall see.
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,514
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
May be placebo effect, but the extra moisture in the cabin environment did seem to make a difference for me. Still had to contend with some jet lag, but it seemed to be less than in other aircraft.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Im hoping for the best. We will just have to wait and see.
Our flight will be 0545 but we will be tired for sure as we have to be up much earlier of course so we will be tired at the beginning of the day. However the ticket was a biz freebie from UA so you take what you can get.
We do plan to check in to an airport hotel the day before to make it easier for us.
#10
janisj and amyb make sense. The flight should be more comfortable but you still have to deal with the time change and its affect on your circadian rhythm.
I see the flight to YVR takes 14 hours 5 min and arrives at 7:30 AM. It departs DEL at 5:55 AM. Air Canada flight 45.
Say you want to sleep 6 hours and wake up 1.5 hours before arrival. That would mean that you would want to stay up for the first 6.5 hours of the flight. That would mean getting to sleep at about 12:30 PM Delhi time or midnight Vancouver time. You have another 2 hour time change going to ORD.
I see the flight to YVR takes 14 hours 5 min and arrives at 7:30 AM. It departs DEL at 5:55 AM. Air Canada flight 45.
Say you want to sleep 6 hours and wake up 1.5 hours before arrival. That would mean that you would want to stay up for the first 6.5 hours of the flight. That would mean getting to sleep at about 12:30 PM Delhi time or midnight Vancouver time. You have another 2 hour time change going to ORD.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
janisj and amyb make sense. The flight should be more comfortable but you still have to deal with the time change and its affect on your circadian rhythm.
I see the flight to YVR takes 14 hours 5 min and arrives at 7:30 AM. It departs DEL at 5:55 AM. Air Canada flight 45.
Say you want to sleep 6 hours and wake up 1.5 hours before arrival. That would mean that you would want to stay up for the first 6.5 hours of the flight. That would mean getting to sleep at about 12:30 PM Delhi time or midnight Vancouver time. You have another 2 hour time change going to ORD.
I see the flight to YVR takes 14 hours 5 min and arrives at 7:30 AM. It departs DEL at 5:55 AM. Air Canada flight 45.
Say you want to sleep 6 hours and wake up 1.5 hours before arrival. That would mean that you would want to stay up for the first 6.5 hours of the flight. That would mean getting to sleep at about 12:30 PM Delhi time or midnight Vancouver time. You have another 2 hour time change going to ORD.
By the time we arrive in YVR our body clocks were be used to about 8PM ish.
I imagine we will nap soon after take off as we have to be up quite early for check in. Then lets see how it goes.
Thank you for your input. Its best to be at least somewhat awake by the time we hit YVR. Our onward flight gets in around 1600 to ORD. I imagine we will sleep well. I hope.
Its around a 3 week trip BTW.
#12
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 4,024
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think people are conflating two things here. There's jet lag, which is dealing with the time difference. Then there are the effects of being on a long flight. They are not the same thing, although they may feed off each other. OP could be transported to India in the snap of a finger, but would still have to contend with the time difference, essentially flipping days and nights around. That would still take several days to adjust completely. The 787 simulates cabin pressure to 5,000 feet instead of the standard 8,000 feet. (I think those are the numbers.) I flew to China on one last year and it did make a difference. After a 13-hour flight, I didn't feel quite so wiped out, but it was still a 13-hour flight and it was still an 11-hour time difference between China and USA. I still was wide awake at 2 am in my Beijing hotel and needed a nap at 2 pm those first few days.
Last edited by Jeff_Costa_Rica; Sep 2nd, 2019 at 04:05 PM.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think people are conflating two things here. There's jet lag, which is dealing with the time difference. Then there are the effects of being on a long flight. They are not the same thing, although they may feed off each other. OP could be transported to India in the snap of a finger, but would still have to contend with the time difference, essentially flipping days and nights around. That would still take several days to adjust completely. The 787 simulates cabin pressure to 5,000 feet instead of the standard 8,000 feet. (I think those are the numbers.) I flew to China on one last year and it did make a difference. After a 13-hour flight, I didn't feel quite so wiped out, but it was still a 13-hour flight and it was still an 11-hour time difference between China and USA. I still was wide awake at 2 am in my Beijing hotel and needed a nap at 2 pm those first few days.
For us the jet lag effect seems longer to adjust to coming home to Chicago from Asia or Oz than going out. When we went to Sydney we had one mega sleep day, easily 12 hrs but after that it’s wasnt too bad but going home took much longer.
#14
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,514
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jeff, one man's conflation is another's aggregation, I guess. I consider jet lag as the sum total of the effect of all the potential irritants in long distance travel. Thus, altering one or more of the inputs affects the outcome. Can't do much about time zones, but hydration, avoiding prolonged immobility, minimizing/avoiding alcohol, springing for the more costly upgraded cabin, etc. definitely have positive effects.
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jeff, one man's conflation is another's aggregation, I guess. I consider jet lag as the sum total of the effect of all the potential irritants in long distance travel. Thus, altering one or more of the inputs affects the outcome. Can't do much about time zones, but hydration, avoiding prolonged immobility, minimizing/avoiding alcohol, springing for the more costly upgraded cabin, etc. definitely have positive effects.
Thank you.
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,858
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just flew in one but only for about 8 hrs, I had the worst jet lag of my life after that flight, so who knows. Other modern aircraft have better air filtration systems, also, this isn't unique to the 787, Airbus has a couple just as good or better, newer models (like the A350).
I really really hated the windows on the Dreamliner, I would avoid it just because of those. They have no window screens you can pull down to black out the windows, I couldn't believe it. I suppose at night time, it's dark out anyway, but during daytime, you can't block out the light. Which isn't just bad if you want to sleep, but also for viewing any video screens. You can hit this button that darkens it a little, it's sort of like sunglasses, but it doesn't darken it totally at all. I always travel with an eye mask anyway, which I had to use, but that doesn't solve the problem of unwanted light if you are watching a video or not sleeping. The fact that the windows may be slightly bigger only makes it worse. Who cares how big the window is anyway, you are looking into space, why would bigger be better when you can't make the screen dark.
I really really hated the windows on the Dreamliner, I would avoid it just because of those. They have no window screens you can pull down to black out the windows, I couldn't believe it. I suppose at night time, it's dark out anyway, but during daytime, you can't block out the light. Which isn't just bad if you want to sleep, but also for viewing any video screens. You can hit this button that darkens it a little, it's sort of like sunglasses, but it doesn't darken it totally at all. I always travel with an eye mask anyway, which I had to use, but that doesn't solve the problem of unwanted light if you are watching a video or not sleeping. The fact that the windows may be slightly bigger only makes it worse. Who cares how big the window is anyway, you are looking into space, why would bigger be better when you can't make the screen dark.
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just flew in one but only for about 8 hrs, I had the worst jet lag of my life after that flight, so who knows. Other modern aircraft have better air filtration systems, also, this isn't unique to the 787, Airbus has a couple just as good or better, newer models (like the A350).
I really really hated the windows on the Dreamliner, I would avoid it just because of those. They have no window screens you can pull down to black out the windows, I couldn't believe it. I suppose at night time, it's dark out anyway, but during daytime, you can't block out the light. Which isn't just bad if you want to sleep, but also for viewing any video screens. You can hit this button that darkens it a little, it's sort of like sunglasses, but it doesn't darken it totally at all. I always travel with an eye mask anyway, which I had to use, but that doesn't solve the problem of unwanted light if you are watching a video or not sleeping. The fact that the windows may be slightly bigger only makes it worse. Who cares how big the window is anyway, you are looking into space, why would bigger be better when you can't make the screen dark.
I really really hated the windows on the Dreamliner, I would avoid it just because of those. They have no window screens you can pull down to black out the windows, I couldn't believe it. I suppose at night time, it's dark out anyway, but during daytime, you can't block out the light. Which isn't just bad if you want to sleep, but also for viewing any video screens. You can hit this button that darkens it a little, it's sort of like sunglasses, but it doesn't darken it totally at all. I always travel with an eye mask anyway, which I had to use, but that doesn't solve the problem of unwanted light if you are watching a video or not sleeping. The fact that the windows may be slightly bigger only makes it worse. Who cares how big the window is anyway, you are looking into space, why would bigger be better when you can't make the screen dark.
#18
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 8,247
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IME, the only thing that really helps against jetlag is trying to adjust gradually to the time at your destination 2-3 days before departure.
If you went to bed later than usual, and eventually stayed up that last night it would push your internal clock into the right direction.
I assume that with a 6am departure from Delhi you need to leave the hotel at such an early hour that you won't get a full night's sleep anyway.
By the time your plane has taken off, you'll probably be so tired that you must sleep..
So you'd be asleep by 7am Delhi time, 6.30pm Vancouver time.
It won't erase the effect of jetlag completely, but it can reduce it.
If you went to bed later than usual, and eventually stayed up that last night it would push your internal clock into the right direction.
I assume that with a 6am departure from Delhi you need to leave the hotel at such an early hour that you won't get a full night's sleep anyway.
By the time your plane has taken off, you'll probably be so tired that you must sleep..
So you'd be asleep by 7am Delhi time, 6.30pm Vancouver time.
It won't erase the effect of jetlag completely, but it can reduce it.
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IME, the only thing that really helps against jetlag is trying to adjust gradually to the time at your destination 2-3 days before departure.
If you went to bed later than usual, and eventually stayed up that last night it would push your internal clock into the right direction.
I assume that with a 6am departure from Delhi you need to leave the hotel at such an early hour that you won't get a full night's sleep anyway.
By the time your plane has taken off, you'll probably be so tired that you must sleep..
So you'd be asleep by 7am Delhi time, 6.30pm Vancouver time.
It won't erase the effect of jetlag completely, but it can reduce it.
If you went to bed later than usual, and eventually stayed up that last night it would push your internal clock into the right direction.
I assume that with a 6am departure from Delhi you need to leave the hotel at such an early hour that you won't get a full night's sleep anyway.
By the time your plane has taken off, you'll probably be so tired that you must sleep..
So you'd be asleep by 7am Delhi time, 6.30pm Vancouver time.
It won't erase the effect of jetlag completely, but it can reduce it.
#20
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Leaving JFK at 11pm and flying to TLV Israel and arriving at their 5pm proved perfect. Get to the hotel. Yes, we're tired beause of lack of sleep or very little sleep on the plane, have a light dinner and collapse a few hours later to wake up the next morning ready to go.