{"id":256648,"date":"2026-08-10T11:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T11:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/10\/surviving-a-redeye-my-top-strategies-as-a-frequent-flyer-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T11:00:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T11:00:32","slug":"surviving-a-redeye-my-top-strategies-as-a-frequent-flyer-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/10\/surviving-a-redeye-my-top-strategies-as-a-frequent-flyer-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"Surviving a redeye: My top strategies as a frequent flyer – The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Taking red-eye flights is a reality of intercontinental travel.<\/p>\n

After all, the vast majority of flights from the U.S. to Europe take off late in the day, fly through the night and land the next morning across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

You’re also likely to spend the night on a plane if you’re headed deep into South America \u2014 and certainly if you’re flying to the Middle East, Asia or Australia.<\/p>\n

The question is: When you land after a night of very little sleep, how do you make the first day at your destination as un-miserable as possible?<\/p>\n

Here are a few of my most successful strategies.<\/p>\n

Book a day-use hotel<\/h2>\n

Did you know you can book a hotel room for the day?<\/p>\n

This might have been the best 90 euros I’ve spent recently.<\/p>\n

Day-use hotel reservations allow you to check into a hotel right after you land from a red-eye flight and have a guaranteed hotel room for the day.<\/p>\n

I did this for my wife and me earlier this summer when we kicked off our big summer trip with an overnight (economy) flight to Dublin on Aer Lingus.<\/p>\n

Knowing we’d be running on fumes, I went through Hilton’s WorkSpaces by Hilton platform<\/a><\/span> and booked us a day-use room at the Hampton by Hilton Dublin City Centre.<\/p>\n

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Check-in time? 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

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Hampton by Hilton Dublin City Centre. SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This was clutch: It allowed us to grab a shower, catch a nap and feel refreshed enough to explore the city by early afternoon.<\/p>\n

Best of all, we didn’t have to sit around in the hotel lobby waiting for our room to be ready.<\/p>\n

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Temple Bar in Dublin. SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bonus points (literally) \u2014 I earned both Hilton Honors points and an elite night credit for the brief stay.<\/p>\n

Helpful hint: Guests may instead pay an hourly rate for some day-use reservations, such as the one that TPG’s Summer Hull booked<\/a><\/span> after a recent red-eye.<\/p>\n

Take advantage of status, credit card perks to get into your room early<\/h2>\n

Sometimes, booking a day-use room isn’t worth it if you’re confident you can get into your hotel room early.<\/p>\n

For instance, if you have an eligible American Express credit card<\/a><\/span> and can book through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts portfolio,<\/a><\/span> your perks include a 12 p.m. early check-in when available.<\/p>\n

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The W Edinburgh, which I booked through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts. SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Plus, some hotel loyalty programs offer early check-in (or customizable check-in and checkout times) as an elite status benefit.<\/p>\n

Just ask nicely<\/h3>\n

Beyond that, just ask nicely! Sometimes the front desk can accommodate an early (perhaps even very<\/em> early) check-in at no additional cost if rooms are available.<\/p>\n

Some pleasantries at the front desk allowed me into my Singapore hotel at 8 a.m. earlier this year after a 17-hour flight.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Make use of the airport lounge shower suites<\/h2>\n

Maybe it’s just me, but having access to a shower after a red-eye can often be a more important reset than a nap.<\/p>\n

If you’re connecting onto another flight after a red-eye and have lounge access, take advantage of the shower suites available at many global airports.<\/p>\n

When I have a connecting itinerary, this is a big way I feel refreshed and ready for another leg of the trip \u2014 as opposed to walking around all day in the clothes I slept in on the plane.<\/p>\n

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British Airways Club at Miami International Airport (MIA). SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some airlines and airports also have arrivals lounges for eligible members, such as American Airlines’ facility<\/a><\/span> at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). This is a good option if you’ve already reached your final destination and cleared customs.<\/p>\n

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JT GENTER\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Avoid the red-eye altogether and book a daylight flight<\/h2>\n

Most eastbound flights from the U.S. to Europe are red-eyes. But not all.<\/p>\n

There is a (very small) handful of daylight flights that take off from the U.S. in the morning and land that night on the other side of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

I booked one of these unorthodox itineraries from New York City to London last year and was a huge fan: No sleepless night on the plane. No breakfast served when your body clock says it’s 1 a.m. No wandering around the next day like a zombie.<\/p>\n

The only real downside of this itinerary is that it’s not the most efficient, financially, when it comes to paying for hotels: It’ll be nighttime when you land, so you’ll want to head straight to the hotel to get to bed.<\/p>\n

But taking a daylight flight helped me beat jet lag altogether, and earned a permanent spot in the bag of travel tricks.<\/p>\n

Which airlines offer daylight flights from the US to Europe?<\/h3>\n

Daytime flights from the U.S. to mainland Europe include:<\/p>\n