I’m in love…with the day flight to Europe

Thank you for sharing your experience! I am considering a daytime flight next time I visit Europe, and I will try it next time based on your experience. I live in NY, and JetBlue has a morning flight from JFK that arrives in London around 9 PM. I could then take a flight the next morning elsewhere in Europe, or a train further into the UK.

For me the appeal is an economic one. I figure that a day flight in coach class, where it would be very difficult/uncomfortable for me to sleep, followed by a good night's rest in a nice hotel, would be far cheaper than a lie flat business class seat ($300 for the hotel versus $1000+ for the fancy plane ticket).

I have also had good experiences with a return flight that departs midday from Europe. That brings me home in the evening, in time to feed dinner to my cat and get to bed at my usual time.

@NYC Librarian (I'm a former librarian myself!) - do it! You won't regret it. As a family of 4 we can't afford 4 first-class tickets and it's hard to save up that many SkyMiles, so I'm a convert! Next time we go I've promised the kids we'll do Paris, so we'll stay in London 1-2 nights and then take the Eurostar over to France.

Your advantage is that you are flying from the east coast, a shorter flight with a 6 hour time difference. I’ve never seen a day flight offered from the west coast, which tacks on a lot of time in flight and we have a 9 hour time difference. It’s always good to find something that works for you. I hope you had a lovely trip.

@Andrea, yes, the West Coast definitely throws a wrench in that! (But y’all definitely have the advantage for Hawaii!) Although, you also can fly to New York a day or two early and get adjusted by three hours and then head over. Of course, one must have the luxury of that extra time to be able to do that, and I know that’s not practical or feasible for everybody.

There is also a day flight from Boston. We took the day flight on Virgin from JFK for the first time last May and will definitely do this when possible in the future. And as someone who does fly business class(because my husband flies for work and would be embarrassed for me to sit further back), you will be glad to hear that I(and he) prefer a day flight to business class.

Agree with Angela, we left coasters have a much longer flight time. I’m so used to the overnight LAX to LHR that I sleep like a baby. Departs around 4pm. So couple of movies, nice dinner and sleep. Arrives at around 10:30am. I’m usually enjoying lunch by noon. Often a Pret a Manager sandwich and crisps to enjoy on a park bench. Then have the rest of the day to walk off the lunch. As my treks are usually in November sun disappears around 4pm. I’ll enjoy a pint, then tube or stroll back to my accommodation and call it a night. 5am next morning, up and out the door by 6am. Love watching the city and the London populous awaken.

Isn't a daytime flight miraculous? We try to take the 7 am BA flight from Boston to Heathrow whenever possible.

I've been doing the day run from JFK to Heathrow about 3 to 4 times a year for the last 7 years. I could never go back to the overnight flight.

Even on route to Iceland I take the daytime flight out of Boston to Reykjavic.

Used to do a day flight from Dulles to London when I lived in the DC area until we moved "west" 10 years ago. Loved it.

The next best thing is a flight that leaves the US in the PM or at such a time that it arrives in, say, London or Paris in the mid afternoon. Those 7 to 8 am arrivals are awful, you get to your hotel and they hold your bags until the room is ready at 3 pm...agony. At least arriving mid afternoon London or Paris time you can usually get into your room right away, and you only have to hold out until normal "bedtime", albeit it time shifted. Much easier adjustment with jet lag.

I also love the daytime flight. I take the United flight out of Dulles and was totally bummed when they cut it last year; it is back this year and I am keeping my fingers crossed that my Sept. flight doesn’t get canceled. I ”discovered” the daytime flight about 20 years ago and since then I have started nearly every vacation with a couple of days on London to take advantage of the daytime flight. I too can’t sleep a wink on a flight and this is so much more civilized. I take the tube to my hotel on arrival.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Great information. Are there daytime flights from US East coast to other cities in Europe like Paris, Rome, Amsterdam or Frankfurt? Is Virgin the only airline offering daytime flights? Thanks for your help.

@Cala, that’s good to know that you prefer the day flight over business class!

@Simpgolf, I’ve never seen a day flight to anywhere other than London or Reykjavík. Maybe somebody else can chime in if they know of a different one.

Years ago British friends who live in the US convinced us to try the daytime flights to London from the east coast. We are hooked! We have flown several times with British Air from JFK. We stay at the TWA Hotel at JFK and the SofitelLHR.
No jet lag the next day. This is the way we fly to Europe now.

Besides the flights previously noted...

British Airways, American Airlines and Jet Blue have daytime flights to LHR from JFK.

United has one from Newark to LHR.

British Airways has one from Boston to LHR.

Flying back to SFO from London, Paris or Frankfurt is always a day time flight, as you are flying into the light, 11 hours non-stop. I land here in the afternoon.

Going over I much prefer the overnight flight from SFO where I can calculate on an eleven hour non-stop flight and sleep accordingly to be fresh and fit upon arrival by 10 AM or so, usually it's earlier as the wind is at your back.

American Airlines have a daytime flight from Chicago leaving around 9:00 am and arriving in LHR around 10:50 pm. It really is the best. For us leaving out of Saint Louis, the first flight in the morning will get you to Chicago in time to make the flight to London.

I booked the day flight to LHR for my upcoming trip this coming August from JFK as well .

Let's hear from the folks that prefer the redeye flights.

Just a quick search for next spring's flight to Warsaw, and the daytime flights were comically more expensive than the overnights.

Let's hear from the folks that prefer the redeye flights

Personally it's because evening and night time flights fit better with the way I like to travel. I'd rather fly direct from Dulles over starting at ORF or RIC. So I start with Amtrak to DC and then the Metro from Union Station to IAD. I prefer the relaxed lazy travel without tight timings. Next UK trip it's UA918 departing at 5:30pm & arriving 5:55am. Once arrived at LHR I'm in no rush to catch my train to Chichester, but I'll arrive there at the time I can check-in to my hotel.

From here on the West Coast we have no day time flights to Europe.
Flights are 9 to 12 hours for us.
That’s fine with me, as I like it when the lights go off after dinner and everyone (hopefully) goes quiet for a few hours.
It’s the day time flights home that I hate…..too noisy!
I wouldn’t feel relaxed after a day time flight to get to Europe, even if I did have the option to take one.
Too relentlessly “peopley” ! 😞

We are going to be testing it out in a couple of months. IAH to IAD, overnight at the Marriott @ IAD and 8:25 AM flight to LHR. Hoping not be as hammered due to jet lag!

Hoping not be as hammered due to jet lag!

You will love it. It is a game changer for jet lag sufferers...I literally felt no jet lag on the next day when I used to take those flights from IAD to London.

Ed, what airline are you using?

Rebecca, the daytime flight out from Dulles to London is United.

We are flying on United. Flight #122 @ 8:25 AM.

Laura and Ed, thank you!

We have been flying out of IAD to Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic's overnight flight every time. Unfortunately, I've never been able to sleep on a flight.
This daytime flight will be an improvement!!

The only advantage of the Red Eye flight is that everyone else is asleep all night, so it's always so quiet.

Kelly, thank you for posting this topic! It's been interesting.

I wish Virgin would bring back the daytime flight from BOS. I have a "free roundtrip" on Virgin after a recent screw up by them.... And JFK is just a pain (and no I am not paying the overpriced TWA hotel rates for a subpar hotel... after you get past the theme, it's poorly maintained and has pathetic service IMHO)