Why I have a love-hate relationship with flights at 6 a.m

On Thursday morning, I caught my first 6 a.m. flight in nearly two years.

Historically, I’ve avoided flights at 6am like the plague. While they may be cheaper and more reliable, I have never voluntarily chosen this early morning departure bank.

In fact, when I have morning work meetings that need to be commuted, I will most likely fly the night before. This way, I will be well rested and avoid any possible last minute delays or cancellations.

This week, however, I broke with my tradition (albeit somewhat reluctantly).

Why?

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Well, I was so excited to fly United Airlines’ improved Airbus A319features all-new first-class seats and an overhauled economy cabin with a TV in the back of each passenger’s seat.

Since I’m interested in a specific type of aircraft, I don’t really have much choice in terms of flight times. When the plane was scheduled to make a 6 a.m. flight from New York, I decided to grit my teeth and endure it.

“How bad can it be?” I wonder. Well, after taking a day trip that started with a 6am flight, I was really reminded why these flights should be considered.

The family may be in trouble traveling with children at 6 a.m. and only those who don’t mind the alarm clock at 4 a.m. (or earlier) can take these early morning flights.

Airline revenue managers know this, too, and that’s often why the first flight of the morning is the cheapest flight. There is much less demand to fly at 6am than at 9am, and that fact is often reflected in the fares charged for a given route.

If you’re after the cheapest flight of the day, chances are it’ll be the 6am departure

In fact, I booked my flight just a few hours before departure. Most other one-way walking fare from New York to Houston is $500 or more.

But the frequency of 6 am? Only $329 — a bargain relative to others.

Better upgrade rate

These days, write a Free elite upgrade like winning Powerball. It just never happened.

With record-breaking capacity and high demand, first class is often reserved by paying passengers weeks in advance. The remaining one or two seats are usually reserved for top elite members with super expensive fares.

That’s not necessarily the case on flights at 6am. Like most public-flyers, elite travelers often prefer later flights, which means shorter upgrade lists and better chances of completing an upgrade.

Personally, I haven’t scored a single free upgrade with United this year. (I was more successful when apply PlusPointsan upgrade currency granted to top elite members.)

However, that changed on Thursday when I had no trouble clearing my first free United upgrade in 2023. The upgrade list only had 11 people on it — compared to the numbers. Giant 44 people on the flight at 10:10 am.

Plus, only half of first class cabins are booked before departure, so even mid-tier Premier Gold members get an upgrade.

Less traffic, less lines

As a frequent traveler living in New York City, I’ve learned to avoid flying at certain times of the day.

Landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 5pm? Expect a nearly two-hour ride into Manhattan. While Public transport is always an optionprobably the easiest and most seamless way to the airport is by car at 4am

There’s almost never a traffic jam, and when you get to the airport, it’s not nearly as crowded as it is at the end of the day when there are many flight banks (possibly delayed flights) stacked on top of each other.

RON to the rescue

Many travel experts recommend flying in the morning to minimize the possibility of delays and cancellations.

This is sage advice, and it relies heavily on two factors. The first is that the aircraft designated for the 6am flight is usually RON, or “overnight stay” (especially at outside airports), which gets special attention.

That means the plane will arrive the night before. This gives the maintenance team time to fix any problems that may arise and buys you extra storage if there is a delay the previous day.

It is equally important that airlines realize the value of starting operations with on-time flights. Since planes fly multiple frequencies each day, starting the day on schedule will help create a positive domino effect across the network.

That’s why my flight on Thursday was designated a “star” flight by United – a flight that is extremely important to leaving on time. United may have delayed or canceled a late-night flight to ensure the plane was ready for the 6am flight.

The second factor is that weather systems that often impede air traffic often don’t materialize until late in the day.

Summer thunderstorms are a major obstacle to on-time departures, but — since they happen much more frequently in the afternoon and evening — you can usually avoid them altogether by flying in the morning. As soon as possible.

Also, because early morning flights are not common, there will be fewer flights. This means national airspace is not congested as it usually happens later in the day, minimizing the risk of delays associated with air traffic.

In my case, traveling in the morning was the only way I could make a day trip. Houston has frequent afternoon thunderstorms and with a good chance of Thursday afternoon, I’m glad I got home to New York before I was exposed to the forming storms.

But, 2 sleepless nights

Now, all of these benefits come with one big downside – you’ll lose sleep.

Unless you’re a night owl or work on a non-traditional schedule, the 6am flights are sure to cut your sleep short.

And for me, I found that it kills two nights – both the night before the flight and the night after the flight.

I have trouble sleeping any time before 10pm. So setting the alarm at around 4am means I sleep much less. Also, I don’t sleep deeply knowing that I set my alarm so early.

Then, when the trip is over, I’m usually extremely tired by mid-afternoon, which often kills any dinner or evening plans I have.