<P> A red - eye flight is any flight departing late at night and arriving early the next morning . The term red - eye, common in North America, derives from the fatigue symptom of having red eyes, which can be caused or aggravated by late - night travel . The red - eye flight usually flies eastbound . The flight is usually four to six hours, less than a seven - hour full sleep, but due to time differences and prevailing jet stream winds from the west, a red - eye flight that departs around midnight arrives around 6 am or 7 am . Westbound flights that depart around midnight and arrive in the early morning are also colloquially called red - eye flights, despite the fact that those flights are significantly longer than seven or eight hours . </P> <P> Red - eye flights offer numerous advantages for passengers . For example, passengers do not have to negotiate peak hour traffic reaching the airport at their origin or while entering the city at their destination . These flights are also good for passengers who want to travel to a city and return the same day . They can save the money that they would spend for a night's stay at a decent hotel by taking the flight at night for return . Furthermore, red - eye flights allow passengers to spend a full day at both their origin and destination, especially by giving them time to complete any important tasks at their origin before flying out at night . Because of this reason, red - eye flights are popular among business travelers who benefit more from flying at night than during the day. (1) </P>

What do you mean by red eye flight