h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know if others can agree on this one, but my personal experience from a couple of cross-Atlantics is that flights from east to west are far easier to cope with than flights from west to east. Whenever one flies west, time is gained, but when flying east, time is lost.

My theory is that the body is happier with a enlonged day than with a shortened night. So far I had next-to-no jetl-when flying west, but it often took me two to three days to adjust to a flight to the east, no matter the time.

However, this may be influenced by the fact that I can't get any sleep on planes (tourist class just ain't comfortable at 6ft6).

As I have the ability to sleep whenever and wherever I am, the sleeping bit never was the problem, but staying awake at times where I normally would sleep is.

This is really true for me. London-Toyko is a killer but Tokyo-London is easy.

Coming to London only requires staying awake to the witching hour (9pm) once and I am fit. Going back I can do the same thing but I have lingering lag for a week. When I worked in Adelaide and holidayed in London it meant I had great holidays but work suffered.

Now that I work in London I can be fully functioning at work the day after I land but I am cactus in Oz for the first week.

So I tell people that it takes four days to fly Ukland to Oz and I quietly spend two days in Tokyo getting over my jet lag. All very civilized. Incidently, Champagne is tax free in Japan which makes Moet a very affordable drink.