VS018 - A good choice?

Hoping you can help me? I'm thinking about getting the day flight from Newark back to London rather than the usual red eye express of an evening. I'll be in Upper - any views as to whether its a good choice or not? Be flying back on a Saturday.

Also what's the meal service on this flight?

Many thanks

[honey lamb]

Look at the TRs in the Trip Report Index in the Toolbox at the top of the page for information but from my experience it's brilliant. Apart from the very early start there's everything to recommend it. I flew it once and if I possibly could I'd take it (or the VS26 when it comes back) every time out of choice. Even with an ongoing flight it meant that I was in bed at my usual time and woke up with minimal jet lag. I know that some people would see it as a loss of a day but I don't. For me it's an adventure

I like the VS18. It certainly helps with any adjustment to UK time and jet lag.

Generally it's always on time too as the VS17 comes in the night before.

I have done this flight twice -- both recently (TRs are on this site).

The first time I didn't enjoy the flight much but managed to avoid jet-lag quite well. The second time I had a great flight but then suffered terrible problems getting to sleep in the evenings when back in the UK -- this was a real pain as I was very busy at work and struggled to cope with the lack of sleep.

Since then I have reverted back to overnight flights and will stick with them in the future. I have one zombie-like day after landing and then I am fine again. I suspect this is a minority view.

In terms of the flight itself, there is a good breakfast in the Clubhouse, and then a rather average offering on board, followed by a main meal a few hours before landing. They do offer a full bar service throughout but both the flights I've done have been pretty subdued with a lot of people sleeping. (The 5 am start isn't much fun.)

EWR is quiet at that time, so security and boarding aren't much of a problem.

It's definitely worth trying -- I think that many people find it a really great option.

I would recommend the VS018. It is an early start but when over that the Clubhouse offers a good breakfast buffet.

The Clubhouse is before security and my last two flights the security area has been really busy and it has taken a little time to get through, however - all my previous flights have not had that experience.

Once on board, a light breakfast after take-off (bacon butty, bakery items, juices etc) and then a full meal service around 2hrs before touch-down. The bar has been busy on my flights and have also found the crew to be in great spirits too!

Its worth a try.

Jon

6 of one and half a dozen of the other, I've done it more than a few times and fine it a very comfortable flight. I do, however, mind that it eats a whole day and from a work perspective makes it very unproductive. I don't suffer from jetlag that much, and like at240 I prefer the night flights.

It really boils down to how much jetlag bothers you. After an overnight to Europe I usually have slight issues right after lunch for a couple of days - kind of "20 minute snooze" issues - and I go to bed a few hours later at night, not too much, so it's a non-issue for me. OTOH put me on a day flight, especially in a nice seat where I might doze off and generally relax and I'll get off a plane ready to be up all night - and I'm not a DJ in my line of work, so that's not all that helpful.

So I'm a night flight person too, to the point that I'll even do red eyes to BOS or NY now over the day flights, and they are around 1000 miles shorter. I just seem to do OK on the other end even with 3 or 4 hours sleep, and I don't lose a whole day in the process.

Thanks all for your reply, it will be at the end of a 2week holiday, so kind of hoping the day flight back to blighty helps me get over the jet lag a little bit quicker. If I'm staying in midtown manhattan what time will I need to get a cab by?

Thanks for all your great steers and friendly welcome much appreciated!

In PE is the first meal a warm bagel thing or a more substantial meal? I've read reports of both.