Comments on: The Tyranny of Distance: Part 2 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/ Kirrily Robert's blog Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:01:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Infotropism – The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-307 Infotropism – The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek Sat, 04 Aug 2007 01:37:11 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-307 [...] Part 2: Timezones, Travel, and more [...] [...] Part 2: Timezones, Travel, and more [...]

]]> By: Alec Clews http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Alec Clews Sun, 15 Jul 2007 21:43:15 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-183 I once went to California for a three day trip -- it was a killer. I can generally cope going to West Coast by leaving on Sunday morning and getting in Sunday afternoon. However any further (east coast or Europe) and I try and arrive on Saturday to get the extra rest. However arriving in Europe in the early morning is another killer because I'm tired from travel and no sleep; and then I have stay awake for another 12 hours to try an adjust my clock. If I fail to stay awake then it takes a week for my internal clock to adjust. Plus the fact that I'm a fat bastard in an economy airline seat makes for a really comfortable trip. I try and avoid eating before long flights and then only eat lightly. Having an empty stomach seems to make a big difference. I also hate US airports. I always get marked SSSS for extra security screening :-(. Bring back ocean liner travel I say! Having whined about all that though, I'd still fly over for OSCON if I could afford it, and no doubt I will still fly for business (but only to Sydney today) I once went to California for a three day trip — it was a killer.

I can generally cope going to West Coast by leaving on Sunday morning and getting in Sunday afternoon. However any further (east coast or Europe) and I try and arrive on Saturday to get the extra rest.

However arriving in Europe in the early morning is another killer because I’m tired from travel and no sleep; and then I have stay awake for another 12 hours to try an adjust my clock.

If I fail to stay awake then it takes a week for my internal clock to adjust.

Plus the fact that I’m a fat bastard in an economy airline seat makes for a really comfortable trip.

I try and avoid eating before long flights and then only eat lightly. Having an empty stomach seems to make a big difference.

I also hate US airports. I always get marked SSSS for extra security screening :-(.

Bring back ocean liner travel I say!

Having whined about all that though, I’d still fly over for OSCON if I could afford it, and no doubt I will still fly for business (but only to Sydney today)

]]> By: PaulWay http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-175 PaulWay Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:27:50 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-175 Even going to the west coast of the USA is a pain. The 747-400 has the smallest amount of room per passenger across the entire Qantas fleet, and this is generally true of most airlines as well. Air New Zealand has more room: 34" compared to Qantas' 31". And this is in the plane that we spend the most time in for any flight anywhere. The depressing thing is that even with the Airbus A380 having 55% more space but only 35% more passengers, no-one from any airline is making any actual commitments to economy passengers: "more legroom" is being promised but who knows what that will translate into? And with them talking about bars, spas and other perks for the business-and-above-only classes, who'd take a bet that it won't be at the expense of giving Economy passengers more legroom? http://www.geocities.com/profemery/entertainment/legroom.html is a good site for information on getting a good seat. I'd love to know how to pre-book your seat with Qantas, though... Even going to the west coast of the USA is a pain. The 747-400 has the smallest amount of room per passenger across the entire Qantas fleet, and this is generally true of most airlines as well. Air New Zealand has more room: 34″ compared to Qantas’ 31″. And this is in the plane that we spend the most time in for any flight anywhere. The depressing thing is that even with the Airbus A380 having 55% more space but only 35% more passengers, no-one from any airline is making any actual commitments to economy passengers: “more legroom” is being promised but who knows what that will translate into? And with them talking about bars, spas and other perks for the business-and-above-only classes, who’d take a bet that it won’t be at the expense of giving Economy passengers more legroom?

http://www.geocities.com/profemery/entertainment/legroom.html is a good site for information on getting a good seat. I’d love to know how to pre-book your seat with Qantas, though…

]]> By: Mary http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Mary Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:34:46 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-166 Yes it's not just the boringness or similar as many people seem to think, although it is true that something has to be pretty special to make sitting in a narrow chair for 26 hours appealing. It's that long haul jet travel and crossing lots of timezones is actively uncomfortable and exhausting. Yes it’s not just the boringness or similar as many people seem to think, although it is true that something has to be pretty special to make sitting in a narrow chair for 26 hours appealing. It’s that long haul jet travel and crossing lots of timezones is actively uncomfortable and exhausting.

]]> By: Skud http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Skud Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:29:01 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-165 Mary: Oh hell yes. That's why I reckon it's not worth going to the US or Europe for a single week. You blow 50% of the time in travel nonsense. Not to mention the nearly inevitable run-down-ness and post-travel bug you're likely to end up with afterwards. Mary: Oh hell yes. That’s why I reckon it’s not worth going to the US or Europe for a single week. You blow 50% of the time in travel nonsense. Not to mention the nearly inevitable run-down-ness and post-travel bug you’re likely to end up with afterwards.

]]> By: Mary http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-164 Mary Wed, 11 Jul 2007 23:26:24 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/11/the-tyranny-of-distance-part-2/#comment-164 Another small thing which shouldn't be underestimated is the times the planes fly, mostly due to noise curfews at the airports I believe. Sydney to London is particularly interesting. (It stands in for Australia to Europe in general, but I know it best.) Sydney -> London flights always arrive in the morning. So say you're arriving for a Monday start: you'll probably want a flight that gets in Sunday so you can sleep off 26 hours of travel in an actual bed, that means Sunday <em>morning</em> which has two negative effects: one, you can't check in anywhere and have to wander around bleary eyed, and two, you've had to arrive (and therefore leave Sydney) 12 hours before you really needed to. You finish work/play Friday afternoon and while you can get evening flights back to Australia, it's a pain to cross London, but the next flights aren't until Saturday afternoon and arrive back in Australia <em>Monday</em> morning. So you have a choice between rushing off from work/play in London on Friday, or rushing straight from the airport to work in Australia Monday. If you try and cut the ends off this (arrive Monday morning, leave Friday evening), the 24 hours in a plane and the time differences mean that as nearly seven days pass for your body (leave Australia Sunday afternoon, get back Sunday morning), you only spend four nights (Monday to Thursday) in an actual bed, two more on a plane (I can't sleep in economy class no matter how tired I am: I once stayed awake for over sixty continuous hours for this reason) and miss one entirely. I suppose the upshot is: jetlag and long haul flights suck. Probably much more than you think even after reading this comment, unless you've ever flown from Australia or New Zealand to Europe. Another small thing which shouldn’t be underestimated is the times the planes fly, mostly due to noise curfews at the airports I believe. Sydney to London is particularly interesting. (It stands in for Australia to Europe in general, but I know it best.)

Sydney -> London flights always arrive in the morning. So say you’re arriving for a Monday start: you’ll probably want a flight that gets in Sunday so you can sleep off 26 hours of travel in an actual bed, that means Sunday morning which has two negative effects: one, you can’t check in anywhere and have to wander around bleary eyed, and two, you’ve had to arrive (and therefore leave Sydney) 12 hours before you really needed to.

You finish work/play Friday afternoon and while you can get evening flights back to Australia, it’s a pain to cross London, but the next flights aren’t until Saturday afternoon and arrive back in Australia Monday morning. So you have a choice between rushing off from work/play in London on Friday, or rushing straight from the airport to work in Australia Monday.

If you try and cut the ends off this (arrive Monday morning, leave Friday evening), the 24 hours in a plane and the time differences mean that as nearly seven days pass for your body (leave Australia Sunday afternoon, get back Sunday morning), you only spend four nights (Monday to Thursday) in an actual bed, two more on a plane (I can’t sleep in economy class no matter how tired I am: I once stayed awake for over sixty continuous hours for this reason) and miss one entirely.

I suppose the upshot is: jetlag and long haul flights suck. Probably much more than you think even after reading this comment, unless you’ve ever flown from Australia or New Zealand to Europe.

]]>