How long is the Los Angeles to Sydney flight?

About fourteen and a half to fifteen hours nonstop. Carriers running this include Qantas, United, American, Delta, and Virgin Australia.

What's the time difference between Los Angeles and Sydney?

Eighteen to nineteen hours ahead, depending on daylight saving time. The international dateline means you skip a calendar day flying from LA to Sydney. You can also think of Sydney as five to six hours behind LA, the day before.

Why is the LA to Sydney flight so brutal for jet lag?

Two reasons. First, fifteen hours sitting upright is hard. Second, the time shift is about as big as you can get. Your body has no clean way to adapt mid-flight; the strategy is to live on Sydney time the moment you board.

Will I sleep on the Los Angeles to Sydney flight?

Yes, but on Sydney's clock, not LA's. Stay awake for the first meal, around takeoff hour two, which is dinnertime in Sydney. Sleep from about T+4 to T+12, aligned with Sydney's night. Wake about ninety minutes before landing.

What's the best way to avoid jet lag flying to Sydney?

Live on Sydney time on the plane. Eat when Sydney eats. Sleep when Sydney sleeps. On arrival, get water, daylight, and a slow walk. Push through the long Australian day to a normal Sydney bedtime around 10pm.

How do I prepare for the LA to Sydney flight?

Delay your body clock at home in the days before. Sleep a little later each night. On flight day, get a workout in early. Eat a normal lunch. Skip the late afternoon coffee. Board LAX ready to live the Sydney evening.

Los Angeles to Sydney · the Pacific crossing

Bright eyes on the other side.

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Why the Los Angeles to Sydney Pacific crossing makes you feel rough.

Fifteen hours. Eighteen time zones. A whole day lost to the dateline.

Takeoff is 10pm Los Angeles, Tuesday. Land 7am Sydney, Thursday morning. You crossed the international dateline; Wednesday simply didn’t exist for you. Your body has been awake through what felt like Tuesday night but it’s now Thursday in Sydney. Most travelers arrive zombied for two days.

What Steadway does for your Los Angeles to Sydney flight.

When to wake. When to sleep. When to switch your phone to Sydney time.

Steadway knows your exact takeoff on the Los Angeles to Sydney flight. We know when the cabin lights dim, when the meal arrives, and what time you land. The path covers the day before, the fifteen hours in the air, and your first morning in Sydney. Drawn from traveler craft and peer-reviewed sleep science.

One step from the path

Eat the meal. It’s Sydney dinnertime.

On the LA to Sydney flight, the first cabin meal arrives around takeoff hour two. That’s Sydney’s evening, around 6pm. Eat it. Eat it as if it were dinner at home in Sydney, because that’s what it is on the clock that matters. Then settle for sleep around hour four. Wake roughly an hour and a half before landing as Sydney’s morning arrives.

That’s one card. The path has the rest, in order, at the right time. The night before. The morning of. The crossing. Your first morning in Sydney.

Map out your Los Angeles to Sydney flight.

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Common questions

About the LA to Sydney flight.

How long is the Los Angeles to Sydney flight?: About fourteen and a half to fifteen hours nonstop. Carriers running this include Qantas, United, American, Delta, and Virgin Australia.
What's the time difference between Los Angeles and Sydney?: Eighteen to nineteen hours ahead, depending on daylight saving time. The international dateline means you skip a calendar day flying from LA to Sydney. You can also think of Sydney as five to six hours behind LA, the day before.
Why is the LA to Sydney flight so brutal for jet lag?: Two reasons. First, fifteen hours sitting upright is hard. Second, the time shift is about as big as you can get. Your body has no clean way to adapt mid-flight; the strategy is to live on Sydney time the moment you board.
Will I sleep on the Los Angeles to Sydney flight?: Yes, but on Sydney's clock, not LA's. Stay awake for the first meal, around takeoff hour two, which is dinnertime in Sydney. Sleep from about T+4 to T+12, aligned with Sydney's night. Wake about ninety minutes before landing.
What's the best way to avoid jet lag flying to Sydney?: Live on Sydney time on the plane. Eat when Sydney eats. Sleep when Sydney sleeps. On arrival, get water, daylight, and a slow walk. Push through the long Australian day to a normal Sydney bedtime around 10pm.
How do I prepare for the LA to Sydney flight?: Delay your body clock at home in the days before. Sleep a little later each night. On flight day, get a workout in early. Eat a normal lunch. Skip the late afternoon coffee. Board LAX ready to live the Sydney evening.