tonrob

I think the below list sums up the current situation. Any others seen would have been code-shares (Delta/Virgin, Iberia/BA etc.)

BA238 0810 BOS-LHR
BA180 0715 JFK-LHR
VS26 0740 JFK-LHR
BA178 0815 JFK-LHR
VS18 0715 EWR-LHR
UA922 0900 EWR-LHR
UA122 0925 IAD-LHR

Anyone got any others to add to the list?

christmasoompa

More than likely, but there's still quite a few daytime flights to choose from!

Sarah

I'm trying to avoid London though. I need to get to Manchester. In case you were in any doubt, I'm a northerner.

Pulaski

OK, but when you say: Per what you said flights to London would meet your requirements, but anyhow, I am fairly sure that you can either take a flight direct to Manchester OR a non-red eye flight (to London), but not both.

rpjs

My father lives in Bolton so when I've visited London on business I've often flown into MAN the weekend before to see him. Sadly there are no daytime (non-red eye) flights to MAN from NYC, and I don't think there are any from BOS either. Be aware that the BA flights to/from NYC to MAN are actually operated by American Airlines with some really superannuated second-string 757s. Unless things have changed in recent years I do not recommend that.

In the past I've tended to fly into MAN via Dublin, usually with Aer Lingus, to take advantage of US pre-clearance on the return. Unfortunately the flights to Dublin are always overnight. Alternatively I've flown into LHR on a daytime flight then taken the train the next day to Manchester, and this might be a good idea for you. Of course you can book through to MAN with the airline but you'll probably be arriving there very very late at night.

If you take the train and book online early enough you can usually get a good deal on a first class seat which is well worth it (or if traveling at the week-end pay GBP15 per head for an on-train upgrade). Bear in mind that to get the best fares you have to book on a specific train and if you miss it you're out-of-luck. The problem with either flying on from LHR or taking the train is that the daytime flights get in quite late and you'd have to allow time for delays, clearing the airport and connecting to your domestic fight or getting to Euston for the train. What I usually do is book a cheap hotel near Euston for the night of my arrival and take a train up first thing in the morning.

Sally Redux

My sleep always gets really messed up anyway.

AmerLisa

The easiest times we've had flying back are the last two times we've flown through Dublin. We arrived really early in Dublin (5am) and have a booked day room waiting for us. We get in there and take a good long nap (3 or 4 hours) and then head back to the airport and fly on to Leeds. We arrive there, about 7pm and then we have enough time to visit, have dinner and stay awake till 11 or so and then usually get a good night's sleep. The trick (and this didn't happen the last time, so it took much longer for jet lag to wear off) is to get up the next day and get going. Get outside and just spend the whole day moving about. The first time we went through Dublin was a lot easier because we went out immediately the next day.

Anyway, good luck. Not always fun traveling with a little one, but try and pack games, toys, little snacks, etc. I find that if you fly from Boston or New York the commute time to Dublin is faster and a bit easier as well.

Pulaski

That sounds reasonable if you can make that work. I just stay up all day, and accept that I am going to feel like utter shïte that day, then get a fairly early night, and I'm usually pretty OK when I get up the next day.

Sarah

I know, you're right, you're right. As I thought, non red-eye flights to Manchester aren't that common. Normally I'd fly into Heathrow and go on up to Manchester without a second thought, but this time I'm doing it with a 2 year old, so the less kerfuffle the better. Thanks for the replies though.

Sarah

Same. I can't seem to avoid it. It ends up messing up my stay a lot of the time.
I remember once they gave me an Ambien in hospital after I'd had surgery and it did nothing. My brain was like "lol nice try, you ain't going to sleep."

Pulaski

Do you drink (much) coffee, or lots of tea, or other caffeinated drinks? Caffeine is a remarkably powerful stimulant, and once I realised what it was doing to me, I weened myself off it and I sleep much better. If you can stay off the caffeine for a few days before hand it might help you sleep even without a sleeping pill. I will warn you though, going cold-turkey on caffeine might give you mind-crushing headaches, but you'd know that after 2-3 days of giving up the caffeine.

If I have a regular coffee now I will not sleep at all the first night, and find it difficult to sleep the second night. ..... 3-4 cups of tea, or two 20oz caffeinated sodas also severally disrupt my sleep on the first night.

Britsimon

I've done literally hundreds of transatlantic flights over the last few years. I MUCH prefer the red eye flights (the longer the better, ie.e West Coast to UK better than East coast).

If you do end up on a red eye, the trick is to make it like bedtime. Try and be tired before getting on the flight, make sure you have comfy clothes on before boarding, book a window seat, grab pillows and blankets and wedge yourself in. I used to take an antihistamine before the flight too. I would be asleep before take off and would typically get a reasonable sleep. Same principle (less the pill) works with babies/kids. Just ignore the TV/snacks/people.

Once in the UK on the East coast flights I would sometimes take a couple more hours of sleep but generally if you can do without and spend the first day outside/active you will be over the jet lag after a couple of days. There is a knack to it, for sure.

markonline1

To save me starting a new thread, and to save countless people taking the piss out of me, I'll ask my stupid question here. I'm pooping back to the homeland end of April for 10 days. Wife unfortunately can't make it out. Traveling back, I assume I can use the American line at immigration and just hand over my passport and green card to the helpful and friendly immigration nazi?

Pulaski

No shït!
Maybe, maybe not, I think it depends on the airport. The signs should make it clear, though quite frankly unless they wanted to be really pïssy with you, you should be OK in the US line.

rpjs

Depends on the airport. Most allow LPRs to use the USC line, a few have dedicated LPR lines and a few make LPRs go through the visitors' line. It ought to be clearly marked when you get to immigration but there's usually someone at the entry to the various lines to help you if it's not.