CEOs Relate How They Overcome Their Jet Lag

“Never mind steering companies through the artificial-intelligence revolution or trade wars. Beating jet lag is equally serious business for globe-trotting corporate bosses.

 

With so much time spent up in the air, they can ill afford not to.

 

So The Wall Street Journal spoke to four leaders who apply the same kind of discipline and problem-solving to jet-lag hacks that they use in leading their enterprises.

 

Sure, these executives usually fly business class -- one of them, United Airlines' Scott Kirby, can have any seat he wants -- but they say many of their techniques work for coach fliers, too.

 

Here are some of their tested tips and tricks:

 

Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines

 

It starts with booking the ticket: Kirby goes for later flights, closer to his normal bedtime. Yet, "Even at like, 6 or 7 o'clock at night, I can go to sleep," he said.

 

On board: The seat goes back as soon as the plane gets past takeoff. Forget the on-flight dinner service, he said. "All the times I've gone to Europe, I've never once eaten a meal," he said. "My goal is to not hear the ding at 10,000 feet, because I'm already asleep."

 

The tough part: Kirby skips melatonin and other sleep aids -- and still often clocks seven hours of sleep on long-haul flights. That is more than most travelers -- especially those in coach -- yet still less than his regular 8 1/2 hours a night.

 

Don't stop: If he has traveled to Europe, the goal is to go until midnight the first night. Returning home, though, he listens to his body. He doesn't schedule any dinners that first week back and goes to bed at 5 p.m., if he is zonked. "I wake up too early in the morning when I come back, but that's the point," he said.

 

Yvette Ostolaza, chair of law firm Sidley Austin

 

Before the flight: Ostolaza makes sure to eat before boarding. Then, "I have a bottle of water and try to walk around the airport," she said. Another pro tip: avoiding checking bags, so she has more time to relax and freshen up upon arrival.

 

On board: She changes her watch to her destination's time zone and wears a warm, comfortable outfit. If it is night, she puts on a lavender sleep mask and earplugs and goes to sleep. Going off all electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before takeoff helps. So does bringing one of her large blankets she has specifically for travel. "I tell the flight attendants not to wake me up -- not even for breakfast," she said.

 

What about coach? Ostolaza usually flies business class internationally -- and sometimes is upgraded to first because she travels so much. But her hacks are easily replicated in coach, she says. She tries to find an empty row of seats or, if it is full, a window seat so she has something to lean on. One of her rules: Pick a seat away from the bathroom or galley.

 

At the hotel: If she heads there first, she tries to get a massage so she can fall asleep for a bit, often since the room might not yet be ready. After that, napping is out. Then it is all about the mindset. "I like to manifest that I'm not going to have jet lag, and I'm going to be in the time zone," she says.

 

Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Match Group

 

What's in the carry-on: Hand sanitizer and hoodies are musts. "The foundation of beating jet lag is to make sure I don't get sick," Rascoff said. So are earplugs, eye masks and two pairs of socks (more on that later). If he has had a crazy day, he treats himself to a Hershey's bar and Life Savers at the airport. "Not those terrible Life Savers gummies, but the old-school hard candy," he said.

 

First thing on the plane: Rascoff switches the clocks on his phone and computer to the time at his destination. Then it is time for the eye mask and earplugs. He never drinks alcohol -- that only hurts his sleep, he said.

 

As soon as he lands: It is time to change socks. "A friend once told me that you can trick your body and your brain into thinking that it's a new day by changing your socks once or twice, so I always change my socks when I want to reset my brain clock in a new location," he said.

 

Tarang Amin, CEO of e.l.f. Beauty

 

Before the flight: Amin tries to squeeze in a workout that morning, and chugs water throughout the day to prep for the dry air on the plane. He doesn't bother getting to the airport early and sometimes cuts it close. "Life's too short to wait around an airport, so I'd rather chance it," he said.

 

On the plane: Amin adjusts right away to the time zone he is traveling to. "If it's daytime wherever I'm going, I stay up watching movies or working," he said. If it is nighttime there, he goes to sleep. He drinks a lot of water on the plane, too -- though he skips the meal if doing so means extra sleep time.

 

Land, then work out: "The workouts get my heart rate up so I can power through," he said. After a shower, he dives straight into back-to-back meetings, followed by dinner with the team in the evening. "I never take a nap that first day," he said. If the hotel offers it, Amin will treat himself to a massage before going to bed. "I usually sleep through the massage, but I find it helps relax my body," he said.” [1]

 

1. CEOs Relate How They Overcome Their Jet Lag. Smith, Ray A; Glazer, Emily.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 05 Jan 2026: B1.