It’s celebration time here at TPG as we mark our 15th anniversary today! After a decade and a half of helping people travel smarter and more affordably, we couldn’t be happier with the community we‘ve built, and we sincerely thank you for being part of it.
A lot has changed in that time, but one thing that remains constant is the power of points and miles to improve your travel experiences. Here’s to the next 15 years!
Speaking of improving your travel experience, as someone who flies frequently between the U.S. and Europe, I’ve come up with some pretty excellent hacks for beating jet lag on my flights across the pond, regardless of what cabin or carrier I’m flying.
Here are my tips:
Try a daytime flight. If you are flying from the Northeast to London, book one of the lesser-known daytime flights that leave the U.S. in the morning and arrive in Europe that evening. I swear by these jet lag-busting short hops, which allow you to be productive for a day on the plane and then get a proper sleep in a real bed at your destination. This definitely beats attempting to sleep on a red-eye.
Choose your schedule carefully. If you are taking an overnight flight, the schedule is crucial. If you’re flying in a premium cabin, I recommend choosing a departure as close to your regular bedtime as possible, eating in the lounge beforehand, and reclining your seat swiftly after takeoff to maximize rest and minimize jet lag. (Add noise-canceling headphones to drown out the meal service.)
If you are flying in economy and are unable to sleep sitting up for any decent period of time, I’d choose the earliest evening departure (usually 5 or 6 p.m.) and try and nap on and off, but accept that I’m not going to get much sleep. After landing, see if you can check in to your hotel room to grab a quick nap. (This is where having elite hotel status can be really valuable.) When I do this, I’m usually free of jet lag by dinnertime.
Do what works for you. Experts say to avoid alcohol if you want to sleep well on a plane. But I say if a glass of red wine with dinner helps you nod off, give that a go. Just make sure to stay hydrated. I generally avoid taking any kind of sleep aid, primarily because they make me feel groggy the following day, even if I have slept.
I also recommend going for a walk outside in the daylight at your destination to help adjust your body clock, or hitting up the hotel fitness center for a quick workout.
Ultimately, there’s no perfect formula, and my TL;DR recommendation is to just sleep when you’re tired rather than feeling rough your entire first day in Europe because you are trying to make it to your normal bedtime.
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