# Opinions on a daytime flight from the US to the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122 "2018-03-24T18:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/1 "2018-03-24T18:52:30Z")
Most flights to anywhere in Europe leave in the afternoon or night in the USA and arrive in the morning. However, I’m considering a flight that leaves at 9 am from Chicago and arrives into London at 1045 pm and staying at an inexpensive hotel (£37) near the airport for the first night. I’ll probably have a cocktail at the hotel bar and then head immediately to bed. Is this a good way to beat jet lag? ---
**Author:** ![betterlifethroughchemistry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/betterlifethroughchemistry/32/3094_2.png) [@betterlifethroughchemistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betterlifethroughchemistry)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/2 "2018-03-25T02:18:02Z")
That’s a good way, IMHO. I traveled back and forth to Europe for years for business (London, Basil, Frankfurt and Zurich were the main destinations.) I typically took the red-eye flights as it gave me an extra day at home and I could usually soldier through the day in meetings/etc. despite always being tired. The vacations we left early for London, but for the Switzerland trip, we did the red-eye as it just worked out that way. I alway found it harder traveling east, but traveling west (with the benefit of time) was easy. For business, go late as you ca[FONT=“Arial”]n always sleep that night. For vacation, you probably want to be rested up and ready to go for the day and night. On a completely different subject, I’m surprised you found a £37/night hotel at a London airport…granted, it’s been 8 years since my last trip…Heathrow or GatwicK?[/FONT] ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/3 "2018-03-25T02:23:03Z")
Use the money you saved on the cheap hotel, and upgrade to business class. You won’t regret it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/4 "2018-03-25T04:49:30Z")
I’d say it’s probably a good idea. You do have to take into account taxi fares to the hotel - I doubt any hotel charging £37pn is actually at the hotel - and you will have to pack everything again and move the next day. If you’re coming in to Gatwick or Heathrow you can pre-book a minicab for about 40 or, maximum, 50 quid to central London (I’ll give you a link to a reliable firm if you PM me - don’t want to seem like I’m spamming) which sounds a lot but you should investigate where your extremely cheap airport hotel actually is. If it really is £37pn and walkable from the airport then staying there the night you arrive is a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2018, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/5 "2018-03-26T07:33:36Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Use the money you saved on the cheap hotel, and upgrade to business class. > > You won’t regret it. I don’t know how much spare cash you have to throw around but there is no airline on earth that offers an upgrade to business class for the difference between a cheap and mid-class hotel. It would most likely be at least an extra $1000 dollars (and most likely much more). A BA mid-April flight Chicago-Heathrow is £372 economy, and £3192 business…one way I was lucky enough to fly business and first for work and I’d say it definitely isn’t worth the money. I can’t sleep on planes anyway so a flat bed is wasted on me and the food onboard with the higher classes is often just a slightly higher class of meh! The cheap hotel will be fine (and you can certainly find a £37 near to Gatwick or Heathrow…I’ve done it on many occasions) and economy will be fine, and your plan is fine. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/6 "2018-03-27T17:03:27Z")
> [@betterlifethroughchemistry](#): > > I alway found it harder traveling east, but traveling west (with the benefit of time) was easy. Yep, so hard. The OP plans to have a cocktail and go to bed around 6-7pm on his body clock. Imo, go into town, get settled into a chap hotel, and spend about 4 hours walking around in the middle of the night - see the city from a very different perspective, cafes, coffee, people watching. Trying to sleep at 7pm at Heathrow ain’t no way to go. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/7 "2018-03-27T17:58:54Z")
I did book the flight for about $650 in cattle car class, leaving Chicago at 9 AM and arriving at 1045 pm. But, I was able to get a late departure when I leave the UK on BA which I love. I so despise those early AM flights from Heathrow. To stay at my hotel in central London is £198 on that Saturday night that I arrive at 1045 pm. There seem to be numerous hotels at/ or near Heathrow for £50 or less. That seems to be a no brainer for me as that adds about £150 to the budget. I can then take the Piccadilly line the next morning to my central London hotel where I’ll be staying for 8 nights right near Leicester Square tube station. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/8 "2018-03-27T18:21:24Z")
If it’s a Saturday, parts of the tube run all night. You can stay in half of London. Greenwich s cheap and cheerful: > **[The Night Tube](https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-improvements/what-we-are-doing/night-tube)** > > Fridays and Saturdays on five lines. Standard off-peak fares apply ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/9 "2018-03-27T18:50:47Z")
I’ve only been across the ocean twice but did it both ways: the first time I was in travel for literally two whole days because I flew to Toronto to London to Madrid because I was going to be departing from London and a layover in Toronto was cheaper. When I arrived at my hotel in Madrid it was 11:00 and I tried to get to sleep but couldn’t until probably around 2 am. However, I don’t feel loagy or out of sorts when on vacation (because I’m not working!) so other than that there were no problems _either_ day. The second time I was not as tired, even though I should have been because I couldn’t sleep well in the middle seat on my nighttime flight. I fueled up on Red Bull and alcohol and was ready to see London from around 10 am until around 3pm when I had to get to my hotel because it was getting dark rather than because I was tired. But as soon as my head hit the pillow it was lights out! I slept straight until 6 am and no sleep issues after that. All in all when I do it again I will take my chances on a nighttime flight again. I think it will be better for me than arriving at night assuming I get a better sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-a-daytime-flight-from-the-us-to-the-uk/811122/10 "2018-03-27T18:52:28Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I did book the flight for about $650 in cattle car class, leaving Chicago at 9 AM and arriving at 1045 pm. But, I was able to get a late departure when I leave the UK on BA which I love. I so despise those early AM flights from Heathrow. > > To stay at my hotel in central London is £198 on that Saturday night that I arrive at 1045 pm. There seem to be numerous hotels at/ or near Heathrow for £50 or less. That seems to be a no brainer for me as that adds about £150 to the budget. I can then take the Piccadilly line the next morning to my central London hotel where I’ll be staying for 8 nights right near Leicester Square tube station. One tip, a place I’ve used previously. is the [Travelodge in Hounslow](https://www.travelodge.co.uk/search/results?location=Hounslow&lat=&long=&action=amend&checkIn=27%2F04%2F18&checkOut=28%2F04%2F18&rooms%5B0%5D%5Badults%5D=1&rooms%5B0%5D%5Bchildren%5D=0). It is only 10-15 minutes by tube from Heathrow and the hotel is only 150 yards from the station. You should be able to get it for £35-£45 and it is perfectly fine, clean and quiet. Next morning, trot on down to the station (it is Hounslow _central_ tube station) and continue into London again on the Piccadilly line.