Ultra long haul and the body: what 17 hours actually does and how to recover
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#1 LATAM Santiago to Sydney, 14 to 15 hours, monthly. What I have learned: the sector itself is manageable with structured rest; it is the days after that need planning. Recovery: I protect a full night's sleep on the Sydney layover before anything else, eat on local time, walk in daylight, and take the extended days off after the rotation as real rest, not a chance to do everything. The crew who treat the long days off as a holiday come back tired. Two ULR a month is my limit; three is a bad month.
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#2 SIA New York crew say exactly this. The days after are the job, not the flight.
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#3 Tokyo to New York is our version. The 'sleep first on arrival' rule before any sightseeing is what separates the crew who last.