Ridiculous travel plans

[ORBrit]

So tomorrow I fly from Eugene to Hong Kong, via Vancouver. (Family obligations)
I arrive at 8pm Hong Kong time (GMT + and then leave on Tuesday at 4pm local, returning to Eugene at 8pm PST.

I'll be spending more time in the plane and airports than in Hong Kong!

Anyone else ever do crazy traveling like this and what are your tips for adjusting to the time zone differences for short periods?

[amvince]

Never done it, never want to. I had to make sure I had a layover when my wife and I went to Hawaii becuase I needed to get out of that little plane seat. Better you than me. Good luck.

[ORBrit]

I was about to ask how you managed a layover flying to Hawaii, then realized you're in Texas!

I did a similar trip to Hong Kong with my wife, 8 years ago, but for an extra day that time.

Around the same time (before we had kids) we flew back to England 5 times in 18 months for weddings. The last 3 times were in a 6 month period.

[omegajim]

I had to go to South Bend, IN for Business, does that count as anything?

[kay]

MY worst travel was starting from Tokyo, get one job done in Christchurch, NZ, then go to Venice and back to Tokyo. That SOUNDS simple, but since there were no direct flights flying any of those routes, this is what I actually had to do.

Tokyo - Sydney (Australia) - Christchurch, NZ *business done* - Sydney - Singapore - Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) - London (UK) - Rome (finally Italy! Yay!!) - Venice (not on a plane..the final bit was a boat ride to the island) *2nd job done* - Rome - London - Tokyo.

Boy was I tired or what!!!!
Actually, there was a direct flight from Rome-Tokyo but it was all full and I couldn't get a ticket. So I had to settle with a detour route.

[kay]

Oh forgot to say this. My tip for coping with it?
There is none. I didn't and I was trashed.

[omegajim]

UAE to London to get to Venice?

that's forked up.

[inspiron]

I was thinking the same thing. I would have tried to book a flight from Abu Dhabi direct to Milano, or worst case, to Zurich, then take the train to Venice.

And how to deal with jet lag in the short term - you don't. Just ask the flight attendants, they'll tell you that it's not possible. Just try to get by on adrenaline and caffeine for the couple of days, then sleep on the plane on the way home.

[omegajim]

no, NOT ZURICH. You'll be contaminated with neutrality.

Which reminds me of a flight I took once; Denver to Milwaukee with a stopover at Chicago.

The stopover wait was long enough (something like 2 hours) had there been a train station nearby it would've been faster.

[inspiron]

Believe me, there are plenty of fates worse than neutrality...

Just remember, there are very few terrorists in the world who are planning to bomb Switzerland.

It's just a thought ...

[omegajim]

or Milwaukee.

The week of 9/11 (that week, when everybody was in panic and all air travel was grounded for 3 days) - I went on record for saying "the only way Milwaukee would be hit by the terrorists, is if they took the wrong turn at Alburqurque and got lost. Really lost."

There are about 12 large metropolitan areas in the States that I consider much at risk; most of them are on either coast.

More aggravating to me than that, we have cities 200 - 300 miles apart that if we had decent rail service would negate a lot of these "puddle jumpers" flying around.

A 200 mile flight (say from a stopover to final destination) could easily take 3 hours, and let's not forget crummy weather. Here in WI we just came off of the 2nd snowiest winter ever. A train could cover that distance in 3 hours, perhaps a bit more.

[busa-boy33]

refuses to get on a plane... ever!

[Apertureguy]

The only thing you can do is be a well trained sleeper.

With the proper amount of rest...it's possible to at least appear human after an ordeal of this nature.

I've flown into more cities and countries then I care to remember, and sometimes for only an hour meeting.

[busa-boy33]

nope!! not going near them there contraptions!

[omegajim]

nevermind his 06 busa either has, uses, or was developed by technology so sophisticated it makes the Apollo program look like some kids with tinker toys.

[tricker]

jimbo here makes a good point

[buster]

Well, Orbrit, I just had a week in a different time zone, I recovered by spending the week lying on a beach!

[rugerguy45]

My tip. Do your best not to sleep on the plane. Really hard I know. Then take some over the counter sleep aids when you get to your bed. The next day you will have terrible jet lag but it is bearable.

I have made several trips to Hong Kong in the past for business in the past few years.

[omegajim]

NM to Hong Kong?

That's like, I dunno, 9 time zones!

[ORBrit]

Well, I made it.

I woke up at 5:30 am PST Saturday and didn't sleep until 11pm Monday Hong Kong time. (that's 7am Monday PST).
I just couldn't sleep at all when I tried on Sunday night.
I woke up Tuesday refreshed, and adjusted to Hong Kong time...

...just in time to fly back to Oregon!
I got back last night at 8pm PST.