Red-eye flight

A red-eye flight usually refers to a flight that departs late at night and arrives early in the morning the following day so that passengers can’t get a proper night’s sleep. The term ‘red-eye‘ relates to passengers’ eyes being bloodshot from fatigue.

Some reasons why travelers may choose a red-eye flight despite its tiring effects are

• to save on a night’s accommodation,
• to take advantage of lower rates for such flights,
• to avoid traffic and crowds at the airport during day peak hours,
• to maximize the time at the destination, or
• to avoid missing a working day.

For airlines, such flights allow them to get more revenue from utilizing aircraft that would otherwise be idle at night. Also, this way the passenger stream can be spread out to avoid extreme peaks.