Navigating jet lag as a business traveller: The impact of flight direction and arrival time

Jet lag is challenging for all travellers, but it can be particularly disruptive for business travellers who have to work and perform at client meetings or corporate events despite the side effects. 

 

In fact, a PMC study found that around half of business travellers report severe jet lag (55%) and significant fatigue (54%) following long-distance trips.

 

But how does jet lag work? And how can business travellers minimise the effects? 

 

Jet lag is driven by disruption to the body’s circadian rhythm – the internal clock that regulates sleep, alertness, and energy levels. The Mayo Clinic reports that rhythm is closely linked to light exposure, which helps signal when the body should be awake or asleep.

 

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; jet lag recovery is estimated at 1 day per time zone crossed when travelling east and 0.5 days per time zone crossed when travelling west

 

For example, travellers flying between New York City and London will cross five time zones, so they’ll need 5 days to fully recover from jet lag on the eastbound journey (NYC to London), compared to 2.5 days on the return leg (London to NYC). 

 

That gap becomes more noticeable on long-haul routes, where crossing multiple time zones can extend recovery by several days. 

 

Light exposure also affects how quickly travellers adjust on arrival. Circadian rhythm research suggests that early morning light after eastbound travel and late evening light after westbound travel can delay adapting to the new timezone.3

 

Using this principle, we have modelled ideal arrival windows for long-haul business trips: 

• Eastbound flights: arrive between 12:00–16:00 (to avoid early morning light)
• Westbound flights: arrive between 10:00–14:00 (to avoid late evening light)

 Therefore, small decisions - like choosing a flight that arrives at the right time of day - can make a meaningful difference in how quickly a business traveller adjusts to the local time zone. 

 

With these insights in mind, our business travel experts have developed a Business Travel Jet Lag Calculator that estimates how different journeys affect the body clock. 

 

By entering a direct flight route between top business hubs across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, the free tool calculates the effective time zone shift, estimated recovery time, and recommended departure and arrival windows based on circadian rhythm research. 

 

Rather than leaving travellers to guess how disruptive a journey might be, the calculator helps business travellers and travel managers make more informed booking decisions that could reduce the impact of jet lag.

 

It’s important to build realistic recovery time into business itineraries where possible, especially after crossing multiple time zones. While business trip schedules aren’t always flexible, avoiding important meetings or presentations immediately after landing can help workers perform better.

 

Switching to the local schedule as soon as you arrive can also help to mitigate jet lag. Resisting the temptation to stick to your home time zone and instead eating meals at local times, getting outdoors, and aligning sleep with the local time zone will help signal the body’s internal clock to adjust. 

 

Finally, poorly timed caffeine, typically in the six to eight hours before your planned bedtime at your destination, can also affect sleep quality and make it harder to adjust to local sleeping patterns. Therefore, travellers should prioritise water intake and be conscious about caffeine consumption.

 

The key is thinking carefully about when a journey starts and decisions along the way, not just when it ends. In particular, selecting departure times that align with more favourable arrival windows can help reduce exposure to disruptive light patterns and support faster adjustment on arrival.

 

For travel managers, this means looking beyond cost and convenience alone. Considering factors such as time zones, departure and arrival times, and recovery periods can help create travel plans that are better aligned with employee well-being and business outcomes.

 

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Joshua Wood is Director of Business Travel at Booking.com for Business.

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and FG Trade