A new study has found that around half of business travellers report severe jet lag (55%) and significant fatigue (54%) following long distance trips.
Released by Booking.com for Business, the research found it can take up to 11 days to recover from a long-haul flight. For Kiwi travellers, this is particularly relevant as crossing multiple time zones is part of long-haul travel. Understanding how jet lag works can help agents offer clients some practical pre-departure advice.
US-based PubMed Central found that the direction of travel plays a key role in how quickly the body can adjust. Eastbound travel requires the body clock to shift earlier, which is generally harder to achieve. Westbound travel, by contrast, involves staying awake longer, which most people find easier to adapt to.
This difference is reflected in recovery time. For this analysis, jet lag recovery is estimated at one day per time zone crossed when travelling east and half a day per time zone crossed when travelling west.
. . . See The Light
For example, travellers flying between New York City and London cross five time zones, so they’ll need around five days to fully recover from jet lag on the eastbound journey (New York to London), compared with about two-and-a-half days on the return leg (London to New York). For Kiwi travellers, the impact can be even greater. A flight from Auckland to London typically involves crossing around 11 to 12 time zones, meaning travellers may need more than a week to fully adjust after arrival. Similarly, clients flying east to North America before continuing to Europe can experience compounded fatigue if they have little time between flights or meetings. If a client is travelling for business, attending a conference, joining a cruise, or starting a guided tour, arriving a day or two earlier can make a noticeable difference to how they feel and perform. Light exposure also affects how quickly travellers adjust on arrival.
. . . Ideal Flight Times
Research suggests the ideal arrival windows are: Eastbound flights, arriving 1200-1600 to avoid early morning light, which can make adjusting more difficult. For Westbound flights, arrive 1000-1400 to avoid late evening light, helping travellers adapt more quickly.
For Kiwi agents, sharing simple advice like this adds value beyond booking the trip. Helping clients understand how jet lag works, and how to minimise its effects, can make the difference between arriving exhausted and making the most of those first few days overseas.
