Red-Eye
What is Red-Eye?
A red-eye flight departs late at night and arrives the following morning — typically covering significant distance overnight, often across time zones. The name refers to the bloodshot eyes passengers have upon arrival, having slept poorly (or not at all) in the compressed, uncomfortable conditions of an economy cabin at cruise altitude.
Despite the misery, red-eye flights are popular for practical reasons: they allow travellers to avoid losing a full day of travel time, typically cost less than equivalent daytime flights, face less congested airports late at night, and can be a reasonable alternative for covering long-haul routes when holiday days are limited. Business travellers sometimes prefer them to leave after work and theoretically arrive ready to function the next morning.
Example of Red-Eye
Aiko booked the 11:45pm red-eye from London Heathrow to New York JFK. She arrived at 5:30am local time, red-eyed, slightly disoriented, and clutching a coffee she'd queued for with apparent sincerity at a terminal Starbucks. The upside: it was a Thursday, she'd paid £380, and she had her full first day in New York rather than watching it disappear through a plane window.