Qantas Is Researching Ways to Reduce Jet Lag. You’re Welcome.
One of the worst parts of long-haul travel is by far the jet lag. One airline, though, is attempting to lessen the impact of that scourge on its passengers.
Last week, Qantas released some of the ways in which it’s trying to reduce jet lag on upcoming “Sunrise” flights, which will fly nonstop from New York and London to Sydney, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. The first direct flights between those locations will take almost 20 hours—and the change in time difference is sure to mess with some people’s internal clocks. But Qantas is doing what it can to combat that.
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“Given our geography, Qantas has a long history of using imagination and innovation to overcome the tyranny of distance between Australia and the rest of the world,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement. “Now that we have the aircraft technology to do these flights, we want to make sure the customer experience evolves as well, and that’s why we’re doing this research and designing our cabins and service differently.”
On three trial flights in 2019, Qantas made changes to cabin lighting, the timing of meals, and other in-flight amenities in order to relieve jet lag among passengers. For example, chili, chocolate, caffeine, and spices were served to help travelers stay awake, one of the researchers told the Post in an email. To aide with sleep, they were given foods like dairy, bread, and chicken, which contain tryptophan (you may be familiar with that from your Thanksgiving turkey—and thus your post-dinner Thanksgiving nap).
Elsewhere, Qantas introduced a “Wellbeing Zone” aboard the new Airbus A350 jets. There, travelers will be able to stretch and follow on-screen exercise programs, with movement also helping to stave off jet lag. To create that space, the planes will seat just 238 passengers, about 100 less than other airlines.
In response to all these changes, the volunteer customers reported less severe jet lag, better sleep during the flight, and better cognitive performance in the two days after traveling. When Qantas officially launches these routes in 2025, it seems like getting to and from Australia will feel a whole lot better.
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