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Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Red eye from JFK
Comefeelthenoise · 25/01/2020 17:05
How many people have experienced horrendous turbulence on a red eye flight from JFK?
The last 2 occasions I’ve done the red eye, it’s been horrific turbulence which has now made me anxious about doing that journey. The fact it’s dark makes it even worse IMO, and I wondered if I’ve just had horrendous luck or if it’s a bit of a “thing” on that route? It seems mad to book a morning flight from JFK to waste a day in NY.
AttilaTheMeerkat · 25/01/2020 17:10
I think you’ve been unlucky. Turbulence can occur on any airline routing.
squashyhat · 25/01/2020 17:20
Do you mean leaving JFK in the evening and arriving back in the UK early morning? I have found the flights coming east generally better as the prevailing wind pushes the plane along rather than battling against it. I think you have just been unlucky!
CMOTDibbler · 25/01/2020 17:27
I think you've just been unlucky too. Certain times of year are worse for turbulence, and it was pretty bad when I flew back from Phoenix a few weeks ago (and I quite like turbulence when I''m sleeping), but that's just the way it goes. I've been on flights where I've heard the crew being briefed that they are doing drinks and food as fast as possible because 3 hours into the flight they are going to be belted in and sat down for the rest of it - that was memorably turbulent!
Robs20 · 25/01/2020 17:29
Yes!! I flew to jfk in November and it was horrendous. So bad that the seatbelts signs were kept on for the entire flight back.
BasiliskStare · 25/01/2020 17:32
Sent a PM but Dh had something similar - gulf stream adds to turbulence. Not dangerous and probably no point in changing time of flight.
eurochick · 25/01/2020 17:34
Hmm. I've done the red eye back from the East Coast many times and there has pretty much always been some turbulence in the middle of the flight. Not to the extent that people are being thrown around the plane, but so you feel like you left your insides a few miles back.
Mamia15 · 25/01/2020 17:36
Have taken the red eye from JFK a few times and its been fine - I usually sleep through it and jet lag isn't as bad as a result.
stripeypillowcase · 25/01/2020 17:40
sometimes the route crosses the jet stream. which is what's causing the turbulence.
you've been unlucky.
Expressedways · 25/01/2020 17:51
Yes - the one time I got an upgrade to First and it meant I didn’t sleep at all! But I’ve flown overnight transatlantic more times than I can count and I only recall it being really, really bad that one time so I don’t think it’s a ‘thing’, more likely an unlucky coincidence.
SJaneS48 · 25/01/2020 17:55
I’ve done it twice and don’t remember it being a problem, most recently in October. The flight out to JFK landing in strong cross winds was definitely memorable though!
Comefeelthenoise · 25/01/2020 17:57
Thanks everyone. I’m talking about an evening departure from JFK and arriving early morning back to UK. Both occasions I’ve done the trip the turbulence has been just horrific. I’m not easy to scare on flights and generally have no concerns about flying but I got very frightened on last route and going at night just amplified it x10000. We were locked down seated for entire flight and on disembarkation the crew said it was one of the worst experiences they’d had 
I’ll hope it’s just a bad experience and think I’ll rebook, it’s not worth losing a whole day for!
Hart1eyHare · 25/01/2020 18:16
Wish I hadn’t read this. Hate flying from and to Seattle and San Francisco which we’ve done a few times visiting family. Had horrid flights every time.Had dream flights to and back from NY JFK including red eye this summer and thought I’d found my USA answer- JFK and train everywhere else. Maybe not.😩
crustycrab · 25/01/2020 18:32
Hartley that's a mad plan. It takes 3 solid days to cross the USA on a train 
Op - if the crew were telling you it was the worst flight they'd had then obviously it was unusual. Don't waste a day of your holiday
Buddyelf · 25/01/2020 18:34
Oh I wish I hadn’t read this thread. I’m doing the red eye back to the UK from JFK this summer and I’m a nervous flyer anyway 😫
Comefeelthenoise · 25/01/2020 19:41
Sorry I don’t mean to alarm anyone! I think it’s largely because most of the route is over the Atlantic too. I think I could cope if it was daylight outside but the middle of the night coupled with jet lag and anxiety just made it so much worse. Like I said I’m not an anxious flyer but after 4 hours of this I was composing a goodbye text to DH!
reluctantbrit · 25/01/2020 20:24
DH flies 3-4 times a year NY - Heathrow. Yes there is th odd time he is having a bad one but in the 20 years he does it he can count them on two hands with fingers to spare.
The worst one I had was landing with aquaplaning in London City.
Junie70 · 25/01/2020 20:32
We flew back from JFK on an evening flight at 10pm, and had awful turbulence just coming off the US coast. They put the seatbelt signs on and stopped serving food/drink a bit quick. But it was only around 15/20 minutes, and was smooth then all the way back. This was in November.
I don't like flying full stop but much prefer night flights and hasn't put me off doing the same again. Waste of a day otherwise.
HairyFloppins · 25/01/2020 22:29
Not JFK but our last two red eye flights back from LA and Atlanta have been turbulent. The cabin crew even had to sit down. Nothing on the day time flights going there.
I really dislike flying so have to grin and bear it. Not as bad as when we landed at Nashville in a bloody storm mind, we had to keep circling. Me and dd were in bits. The frequent flyers on the plane were very unperturbed.
GiantKitten · 25/01/2020 22:41
DD1 has lived in NYC since 2013 & comes over 2-3 times a year (Christmas, summer & occasionally spring).
FWIW I can’t recall her ever mentioning turbulence so I don’t think it can be a Thing on that route particularly (although the jet stream does hang around in the Atlantic, as mentioned...)
GiantKitten · 25/01/2020 22:43
There is some kind of OTC sleeping thing she sometimes uses - a Tylenol thing maybe? Certainly she finds getting as much sleep as possible is the best way 
cuckooken · 25/01/2020 22:46
Red eye has nothing to do with turbulence. That's dictated by the weather.
GiantKitten · 25/01/2020 22:48
It’s Tylenol PM. Might be worth trying next time 
www.cntraveler.com/story/should-you-take-sleeping-pills-on-a-flight
Hart1eyHare · 26/01/2020 12:36
Crusty I’ve done long US train journeys and loved it. Coast to coast is on my bucket list and cuts down air time. Win win in my book.
crustycrab · 26/01/2020 12:37
There's long and there's 150 hours round trip but each to their own
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