Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Cabin pressure 6,000 ft reduces AMS

At the end of another thread about the overdue hiker (later found), Ken and I were discussing the likelihood of a confused/lost/injured Whitney hiker having altered sensorium or even HACE at only moderate altitude like low or midway on the Whitney Trail
Overdue Hiker

The official altitude of high altitude illness begins at 8,000 ft. Most of the time this is simple AMS, but there are occasional full blown cases including the complications of HAPE and HACE occur in susceptible people. Boeing's medical dept (and other medical sources) believe the 8,000 rule is too high

The 787's cabin will also be pressurized at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Most similar aircraft have cabin altitudes pressurized at 8,000 feet. Lower cabin altitude will enable passengers' bodies to absorb more oxygen, making them less susceptible to air sickness, says Boeing.
this is from a CNN report, but of course there are more detailed versions:
Dreamliner pressurization

another source states Boeing worked with Oklahoma State U. on the altitude/pressure subject. My dad went there in WWII to learn radar, so maybe they do some aeronautics.
Dreamliner

In GOING HIGHER-OXYGEN, MAN, AND MOUNTAINS (4th edition, 1998, The Mountaineers) Charles Houston,MD notes:

"I carry a small altimeter with me on most flights and this leads to many pleasant and informative discussions with crew and now and then a passenger. I've asked six commercial pilots (four-stripers) about the following story I've heard: if overly boisterous and noisy passengers, or incessantly crying babies annoy the passengers, a pilot may 'bump the cabin altitude up' a few thousand feet, putting people to sleep!

Two senior pilots said yes, they sometimes do this and it works. Two others never heard of it. One said cabin pressure was automatically set (which is true) and cannot be changed by the crew (which is not true). The sixth said he too knew it could be and was occasionally done but was not included in any manual!"

Jim F

SO, would taking the redeye from Boston to SFO be about the equivalent of one nights sleep at WP? That can be about 6 hrs westbound.

I once climbed Whitney the day after retuning from London and swear that the "no ill effects" was due to the long flight back to LA.