Route guide

London New York

Heathrow (LHR) — John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Westbound

Distance: 5,550 km
Duration: 8h
TZ shift: 5h west
Best side: right

Overview

London Heathrow to JFK — the most-flown long-haul corridor in the world. Short enough that aircraft choice matters less than seat choice; westward direction makes recovery quick.

Jet lag

5-hour westward delay — the easiest long-haul jet lag pattern. Stay up until local bedtime on arrival, get afternoon light, expect to feel functional within 2 days.

Estimated recovery

Without intervention ~3 days

With timed light + melatonin ~2 days

Estimates only — based on ~1 day per time zone west, compressed roughly 40% with a timed protocol. See how long jet lag actually lasts .

Build a LHR→JFK adaptation schedule

Best window side

Westbound daytime — the right (north) side avoids direct sun for most of cruise and is the calmer side for sleep on this short long-haul.

Typical economy row (3-3-3)

Left

Middle

Best · Right

The right window is the calmer pick on this route. For sleep, the window itself matters more than the side — see how to sleep on a long-haul. For the exact rows and seat letters on this aircraft, use the seat picker.

Cabin atmosphere

If you have a choice on this route, A350-1000 or A330neo runs noticeably more humid than the 777-300ER. Matters less than on a 14-hour leg, but eyes and lips still notice on the older aircraft.

Expected cabin humidity at cruise

This route's typical aircraft ~15-20%

Indoor air at home ~40-60%

Composite-fuselage aircraft (787, A350) run higher humidity than older aluminum-fuselage types. See what the 787 actually fixes.

What to pack for this route

Read before you fly

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