I took a daytime flight for the first time from New York to London — instead of a red-eye. A morning departure is easily the better option to battle jet lag.

11.03.2024 - 09:07 / insider.com / John F.Kennedy / London Heathrow / Airlines / London

The ever-popular transatlantic corridor between New York City and London-area airports sees millions of yearly passengers and represents one of the busiest routes in the world.

According to aviation data provider Cirium, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways collectively operate up to 72 flights between New York and London daily.

This means travelers have a ton of choices on this particular route, and I've experienced almost every option available. However, until last week, I had exclusively taken overnight flights — known as red-eye flights — when flying eastbound across the Atlantic.

Red-eye routes that depart at night in the US and arrive the next morning local time better streamline airline connections and give travelers a full day when they land, but this can come at the expense of a good night's rest.

The jet lag is a drawback, but in my college years, I preferred having an extra day at my destination and found the grogginess worth it — though I'll admit the sleepless nights have gotten old, especially since I now fly to Europe at least once a month for work or leisure.

There are daytime flight options, however, which are less common. They depart in the morning in the US and land in the evening on the same day in Europe.

Curious about how the daytime flight compared to a red-eye, I specifically booked a morning departure for my recent trip from New York to London. I found it easier to manage my sleep cycle.

My particular daylight flight was in economy on a British Airways Boeing 777 that left New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at 8:05 a.m. Eastern Time and landed at London Heathrow at around 7:30 p.m. local time.

Out of the nearly two dozen flights scheduled on my day of travel, there were only a handful leaving in the morning.

I've been put off by morning departures in the past because they were many times more expensive, but the one I took was about the same cost as the red-eye options that day. Google Flights shows similar pricing heading into the summer, too.

To minimize jet lag, my plan was not to sleep the entire flight and aim to go to bed by 11 p.m. London time the same day — or what would be 6 p.m. back in New York. Because I was up at 4 a.m. in New York to catch the morning flight, I figured I'd be tired enough to sleep.

My vision seemed to work. It took two hours to get to my hotel after landing at Heathrow, getting me there at 9:30 p.m. That was perfect timing as I grabbed dinner, showered, and was asleep by midnight.

I woke up around 9 a.m. the following day, refreshed and ready to explore London. I did find myself sleeping in a bit more than I usually do at home, but