Confession time: while we are very similar in our likes and dislikes, there is one thing we have never been able to agree on: red-eye flights. Stella is a huge fan because of the time savings. Laura cannot stand them because of how much her sleep and energy levels suffer. The best thing about red-eyes is that you travel during the time you would be sleeping so you maximize the time at your departure and arrival locations. That is, of course, paired with the biggest con: if you travel when you should be sleeping, sleep quality is poor and you arrive exhausted.

We’ve both gone back and forth across the country (and to Europe from California) on both red-eye and non red-eye flights. Just because we feel experienced, though, doesn’t mean that the experience is always lovely. Here are our tips and tricks for when and why you should utilize a red-eye flight.

PRO

We love the bonus time you get when flying a red-eye and there are a lot of instances when it makes sense to take advantage of the time maximization.

When should you take a red-eye flight?

• When it’s significantly cheaper.
• When you are flying business class.
• When you are young.
• When your final destination is a place of rest, i.e. home for the holidays.

Tips for surviving:

• Use sleep aids – We love skullcap herb for an all natural way to go.
• Use sleep gear – Now is the time to use eye masks, neck pillows, and ear plugs. Block out as much stimulation as possible for your chance at maximum relaxation.
• Manage expectations – Let your friends or family that you’re visiting know that you’ll be arriving after a red-eye, and schedule in a nap on your first day or two.
• Plan your schedule accordingly – Don’t plan early morning activities for your arrival day that are set in stone but have a few things mapped out so you can hit the ground running if you have the energy.
• Get breakfast first – It really seems to help ground your body and let it know the schedule by starting off with a solid breakfast (can we suggest oatmeal?) and coffee!

CON

When should you avoid red-eyes?

• When you are navigating a new city with a packed day one agenda.
• When you are traveling with kids.
• If you personally don’t sleep well (or at all) on planes.

Where do you fall on the pro vs con of red-eyes? What are your go-to tips and tricks to survive them and get over the jet lag?? Let us know in the comments!

P.S – This post is part of our ‘30 Blog Posts We Want to Write in 2019‘ list. Be sure to check out the post for the rest!