Tips for East Coaster at Aulani

[floribr1]

It's not the same issues at all. Flying West is no issue, in either case. Flying East is the issue, and there's a huge difference.

Flying to Europe takes 6 hours on the plane, plus 5 hours of clock change, for a total clock difference of 11 hours from takeoff to landing. You can leave Newark in the morning and be in bed in your London hotel at a decent local time, ready to start a work day the next day at normal business hours. Coming back to the East Coast from Hawaii means 12 hours on the plane, plus 5 hours of clock change, for a total clock difference of 17 hours from takeoff to landing. That's a HUGE difference. It's almost an entire day. To mitigate some of that difference, I'm recommending doing things as early as possible local time while you're in Hawaii

What exactly is a "clock difference?" I don't know where you came up with that concept, but I definitely do not agree with the math you are applying. I agree that a longer flight is usually more tiring that a shorter flight. But simply adding flight hours to time change to come up with some kind of metric is definitely fuzzy math (to put it gently). When I used to fly from NY to Buenos Aires for business a few years ago, that flight was about 12 hours long, with 1 hour time difference. Using your metric, that would be a "clock difference" of 13 hours. While the journey was certainly tiring, I can tell you that the jet lag I would experience after that flight was nothing like the jet lag after a return flight from London, which your metric gives a "clock difference" of only 11 hours. I can tell you that I most certainly was not waking up at 4am after the flight from Buenos Aires...

And not to nit pick, but most of Europe (i.e., other than Ireland, Portugal and the UK) is 6 hours ahead of the east coast, not 5. And if your flight to Europe from NY involves a layover, you are approaching a 12-hour journey... But a direct flight to JFK from Honolulu is less than 10 hours.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

What exactly is a "clock difference?" I don't know where you came up with that concept, but I definitely do not agree with the math you are applying. I agree that a longer flight is usually more tiring that a shorter flight. But simply adding flight hours to time change to come up with some kind of metric is definitely fuzzy math (to put it gently). When I used to fly from NY to Buenos Aires for business a few years ago, that flight was about 12 hours long, with 1 hour time difference. Using your metric, that would be a "clock difference" of 13 hours. While the journey was certainly tiring, I can tell you that the jet lag I would experience after that flight was nothing like the jet lag after a return flight from London, which your metric gives a "clock difference" of only 11 hours. I can tell you that I most certainly was not waking up at 4am after the flight from Buenos Aires...

I'm not talking about jet lag, I'm talking about the human body needing sleep every day. You can fly from New York on a Monday morning and sleep in a hotel in London on Monday night. You can fly from New York on a Monday morning and sleep in a hotel in Buenos Aires on Monday night. When you fly from Honolulu to New York on a Monday, there's *nowhere to sleep on Monday night at all.* You miss an entire night of sleep. You sleep at Aulani Sunday night, and you sleep in your own bed Tuesday night, with nothing in between. It's an LAX to New York redeye taken to the extreme.

We're talking about leisure travel to a Disney resort here. Yeah, when I'm flying for work in a United Polaris lay-flat cabin, I can get some decent sleep. That's a hell of a lot different than flying with my wife and three kids in a Premium Economy seat.

And not to nit pick, but most of Europe (i.e., other than Ireland, Portugal and the UK) is 6 hours ahead of the east coast, not 5. And if your flight to Europe from NY involves a layover, you are approaching a 12-hour journey... But a direct flight to JFK from Honolulu is less than 10 hours.

I'm basing it on JFK or EWR to LHR.

 

[floribr1]

I'm not talking about jet lag, I'm talking about the human body needing sleep every day.

Understood, but I guess the point is that jet leg (crossing multiple time zones) has a greater impact on one's ability to get regular sleep than does the flight duration. Are you stating that this is not so?

You can fly from New York on a Monday morning and sleep in a hotel in London on Monday night. You can fly from New York on a Monday morning and sleep in a hotel in Buenos Aires on Monday night.

I suppose there are flights from NY to London that are not overnight, but in my experience most of your options are going to be overnight flights. And similarly, I never saw any realistic flight options from NY to Buenos Aires that were not overnight flights...

When you fly from Honolulu to New York on a Monday, there's *nowhere to sleep on Monday night at all.* You miss an entire night of sleep. You sleep at Aulani Sunday night, and you sleep in your own bed Tuesday night, with nothing in between. It's an LAX to New York redeye taken to the extreme.

Not entirely true, from my own personal experience... While I agree that most are overnight flights (i.e., same as flying from NY to Europe), I myself have flown from HNL to New York on the same day, i.e., without spending the night on the plane. Admittedly, we did depart from HNL very early, but still.

We're talking about leisure travel to a Disney resort here. Yeah, when I'm flying for work in a United Polaris lay-flat cabin, I can get some decent sleep. That's a hell of a lot different than flying with my wife and three kids in a Premium Economy seat.

I hear you, but just looking at this apples-to-apples (leisure travel to London vs. the return flight from HNL), the only real difference I can see is that most -- but not all -- flights from HNL to the east coast require a connection, thereby increasing overall flight time. That will have an impact on the exhaustion from the trip; I don't believe a layover increases your jet lag, i.e., the impact on a good night's sleep.

I understand you feel differently, and that is okay!

 

[jlovesee]

I am flying next January from Florida to Oahu. We are stopping at Los Angeles for Disneyland for two nights before flying to Oahu, and then staying the first 2 nights in Waikiki before 7 more nights at Aulani. I figured we would do Diamond Head on that first morning since we will probably still be getting up early with the 6 hour time difference between California and Hawaii (I think). It makes sense. We will find out if the plan works!

Jennifer

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I am flying next January from Florida to Oahu. We are stopping at Los Angeles for Disneyland for two nights before flying to Oahu, and then staying the first 2 nights in Waikiki before 7 more nights at Aulani. I figured we would do Diamond Head on that first morning since we will probably still be getting up early with the 6 hour time difference between California and Hawaii (I think). It makes sense. We will find out if the plan works!

Jennifer

That's smart. Take advantage of the early hours. It's always a funny transition throughout the day in Hawaii, because all of the mainland Americans are up before dawn while the Japanese tourists sleep in, and then when it gets to be dinner time, the Americans are heading to bed and the Japanese are staying up late.

 

[Inga]

We travel a lot - all pleasure (yay us!) and adjusting east or west is a bugger for me. We live very East - east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. Not as far east as our Newfoundland friends, but pretty darn east. We have always found going east so much harder - losing time zones - seems to be tougher for us. Gaining time - going west - seems to be easier for us. But to be clear, either direction, I completely lose my mind (ie lose my s@&t) with jet lag and often end up in tears no matter what direction I travel! Have tried to sleep on a plane but it just isn’t possible, even when I flew to Hong Kong and had the business class sleeper. Not sure what that’s about. Tried melatonin, gravol, natural supplements, alcohol - nothing seems to work!

Our rule is always live in the time zone you are in, as best you can. Jet lag will take the number of days to resolve as the number of hours difference - eg 6 hours time difference will take 6 days to completely adjust to the new zone. Kind of difficult to erase jet lag completely no matter what strategy you use. Drinking lots - of water, that is - exercise, and eating right (I know, boring) has been my strategies. And an understanding that I won’t be as functional as normal for a few days! Practicing patience with myself is part of my vacation

We will be at Waikiki for a week before our week stay at Aulani so hope by then we will be acclimatized, just in time to go home!

be well
Inga

 

[tntstults]

We are heading to Aulani from the East coast. I’m hoping we can stay on a schedule that is in between east coast time and Honolulu time. For instance, go to bed at 8 or 9pm Hawaii time. And wake up early. Then when we head back to the east coast we won’t have to adjust to as big as a time difference. Do you think this is possible? I realize we will have jet lag no matter what. Just looking to ease it some on the way back.

 

[Lilsia]

We are heading to Aulani from the East coast. I’m hoping we can stay on a schedule that is in between east coast time and Honolulu time. For instance, go to bed at 8 or 9pm Hawaii time. And wake up early. Then when we head back to the east coast we won’t have to adjust to as big as a time difference. Do you think this is possible? I realize we will have jet lag no matter what. Just looking to ease it some on the way back.

Yes it is possible. Everyone goes to bed early and gets up early there so you will be fine.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I'm very confused. Are you Australian? The thread topic was about American East Coasters.

Sounds like Tankin is from US East coast, and is sharing his routines/strategies when he returns from a European trip. So still a 5 hour East to West adjustment - equivalent, just at the opposite end of a trip.