As I stated in my last post, I have spent a significant part of my life on LONG, international flights (please CLICK HERE if you have not read it. . . definitely read the comments by Scott Stephenson and Tim Waddell at the end). These flights tend to be physically demanding and life shortening, but at least we have them as opposed to boats as they had in the old days.
Additionally, many of my friends will be traveling from America to Asia in the coming weeks, so I hope this will be helpful.
I’m sure one day we will find an alternative means of long-distance travel, but for now we are stuck with massive, over-crowed planes. Until an alternative to plane travel is created. . .
Here are 10 of my suggestions for surviving LONG, international flights. I’ll start off with a tip based on the end of my previous post.
- Wear shoes that can easily slip on and off – See my previous post for the reason why. This is essential. On a related note, ALWAYS WEAR SHOES TO THE BATHROOM! If you have not, you really need to read this post. . .
- Drink water often – I try to get up and ask the flight attendants for water every 1-2 hours. You get massively dehydrated on flights of 8+ hours, even when you don’t realize it. This will lead to head-aches and other symptoms. . . drink water often!
- Stretch often – While getting up for water, stretch some. My body suffers much less wear and tear if I simply stretch for about 5 minutes every hour or so. You kind of look like an idiot, but who cares. . . it’s worth it.
- Bring paper and a pen – Some of my best work is done on planes. I’ve actually done two blogs and numerous other work items on this flight already. Some of my best ideas for helping people, planning fun times of travel, thinking about life, etc. come on LONG flights. I always have both digital stuff (computer, iPad, etc.) and physical items (notebook, pen, etc.) while flying simply to capture thoughts I have which I want to flesh out later.
- Entertainment – It goes without saying, but 14 hours is a LONG time to spend on a flight. While I do usually spend at least half of the flight working, I also bring a few forms of pleasure reading and a movie or two. Sometimes in-flight entertainment is adequate; often it is not. Plan accordingly.
- Eat when offered – Even if I am not hungry when food comes by, I always eat. You never know when the next cart will come back around. You never know when rough air will suspend in-flight service. Eat when offered! Being hungry on a long flight is rough.
- Get good headphones – If you travel much at all, good over-ear headphones are completely worth the investment. Dad gave me some Bose headphones a few years ago, and this has completely changed my travel for the better.
- Pack for an unexpected overnight stay – With long flights, any delay can cause a forced overnight layer. As a result, make sure you have one change of clothes ON-BOARD with you. You might not need it, but it will be well worth it when you do. I was once on a flight when an attendant dropped an entire trey of orange juice and water on my chest and lap. It was miserable and made much worse by the fact that I did NOT have a change of clothes on board. Side note. . . a male steward lent me a shirt to wear on the flight since I was miserably wet. The shirt was black and skin-tight with a large dragon that began on the front and extended to the back. Needless to say, I felt foolish.
- Bring toothbrush and paste on-board – Not just for the unexpected layover, I love being able to brush my teeth on the plane after 7-8 hours of in-flight food, beverage, and partial sleep. Additionally, whoever picks you up at your destination will be extremely grateful!
- Get an extra blanket AS SOON AS YOU ENTER THE PLANE – Put your stuff in your seat while the plane is still on the ground, find a flight attendant, and request an extra blanket. I am not cold-natured. However, 9 out of 10 LONG flights are uncomfortably cold, especially if you are trying to sleep. Once the plane is in the air, others will get the extra blankets. GET THEM FIRST! Even if you don’t need the blanket for warmth, you can use it as a pillow. Airplane pillows stink. I find that blankets are normally better for this purpose.
There you have it. . . my 10 tips for surviving LONG flights. I would love to hear tips that you have found helpful. . . please use the comments section below to let us know what you think!
Happy travels (especially for those of you coming my way this week)!
(Other similar posts on travel: The 5 types of people you see on LONG airplane flights, 9 observations from an American airport, 7 people you see on American domestic flights, and The (not so) highlights of my LONG plane rides this summer).
John,
I did three flights to Iraq which took about 24 hours to travel by the time we left San Diego, stopped in Maine, Germany, Spain, Kuwait, then FINALLY Iraq. All of your 10 points I stand by whole heartedly. Also, I used that time to do my daily quiet time, & then read other books. Also, I guess my advice to someone who has never flown, or traveled more than a few hours is that when you travel that long you have to be patient, & just be prepared to do nothing out of your usual routine for a whole day. Like running, walking, whatever. You’re stuck in that airplane, or in that airport, or that bus for 24 hours. At the end of it you’re so glad to be done traveling that you want to kiss the ground. Even if the ground is sand.
Semper fi,
Bryan
Were those military or commerical planes? Thanks for the words, Carson!
Gotta be honest, I’m quite jeaous of your cold flights. Of the 4 (wow, only that many?) Pacific flights I’ve had, all were uncomfortably warm, stale, and sweaty. I always had to escape to cooler more comfortable air on my stretch breaks.
Man, that is unusual. What do you usually fly?
Been United basically every time. They’re the worst. Only one TV per “cabin” that is washed out and awful. Warm and humid. Usually been stuck in center seats too. Bah humbug. I hate United.
I almost always fly United… only their 747 on transpacs have 1 main screen in each cabin section, but it is now a big LCD screen. Their 777s have a screen for each seat. United is usually cold in my experience. ANA, in contrast, seems to love to fly their cabins hot.
I’m not sure if these posts are making me feel more prepared or incredibly nervous 🙂 I’ll let you know how our flight goes. (And I promise we do NOT fall into the Community Parenting category and I ALWAYS pack a ton of snacks.)
Glad you read this. . . have a great flight!
dude, just sleep throug the flight. it’ll be over before you know it
I definitely agree with shoes that are easy to slip on and off and also the stretching. You can wiggle your feet in different directions to stretch out your ankles- that way your feet aren’t twice as big at the end of the flight.
Biggest piece of advice? Avoid United at all cost.
Seems to be a theme. . .
Hi John! Remember me from HHS? I tend to do a lot of intl flights as well …and wanted to add another piece (particularly for women). Wear FLAT SHOES and uncomplicated clothing to get through security the quickest and to be able to curl up.
Hey Beth. . . of course I remember you! Nice word on the shoes. . . I’ll have to take your word on it. Thanks for your comment.
A new app game as nice too to kill some time….this one is great: http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/mobile-apps/wheres-my-perry
Sally, good thoughts. . . looks like a fun sit.
Nearly all of your recommendations are good. For your points, I would add the following:
2. Drink water often – Don’t rely on the attendants to keep you topped up. Buy a bottle in the airport. You can supplement it with what is provided on the plane.
3. Stretch often – This is for sure. It also helps deal with your airplane seat from getting uncomfortable.
6. This is the one I somewhat disagree with. To minimize the effects of jet lag, you should get on your destination’s time schedule as soon as possible in terms of meals and sleep. Also, consider buying your own at the airport. What you pick up in the airport is often better. Also buy a snack at the airport too. I find sweets like candy or a cookie are poor choices, but even something like banana bread is good.
7. Get good headphones – Besides Bose, consider in-ear phones from Etymotic or Shure, which are compact and don’t require batteries.
10. Instead of a blanket, dress for flexibility… such that you can put on a jacket if you need, or go down to a t-shirt if too warm.
I would also add these:
– Get good eye shades — You can’t rely on your neighbors to not turn on a reading light next to you.
– Upgrade if the opportunity permits. If the cost to upgrade is just a cost in miles, then it is definitely worth it. More airlines are beginning to charge a cash co-pay in addition to miles, in which case you can decide if it is worth it.
– If you’re on a flight where the entertainment is common (1 screen per cabin, or individual screens playing the same loop), get up to walk around and use the lavs in the middle of the movies. Everyone waits until the movie is over to use the lavs. At the same time.
– Make it easier on yourself before the flight. Check your luggage in (still mostly free on international flights) so you don’t have to lug it around or worry if there will be a space in the overhead bin.
– Above all, give grace exceedingly to others. Your fellow passengers will annoy you. They can be very rude and inconsiderate. The staff may not make your flight comfortable. But they need grace as much as you do, and with few exceptions, they do not actually intend to offend you.
Tommy, as always, great thoughts and input. I agree with everything. The jet lag thing is a tough one, as I find that everyone seems to have their own receipt. Love the thoughts on the bathroom and completely concur. . . and good reminder on grace to the folks around you, especially the flight staff!
Hey Gunter, I told you I would leave some thought for how to survive a LONG flight with KIDS. Honestly, a long flight with no kids almost seems like a mini-vacation to those of us with kids. 🙂 My kids have flown long flights more times than we can count and have become quite the pros.
1. When they were really small, we did a lot of talking about the flight before we traveled…you could call it brainwashing. It went kinda like this, “What do we do on the plane? That’s right… we sit in our seat, we don’t get out, we sleep, we play with toys, we sleep, we color, and we sleep.” We did that over and over again.
2. We, parents, had really low expectations of the trip. I didn’t plan to read a book, watch a movie, or do really anything. I usually would have a book and a magazine that i picked up in the airport. I get less annoyed if a magazine gets inturupted than a good book.
3. Prepare some favorite easy to eat snacks and unimportant toys. I would not take your kids favorite toys on the plane. If they love hot wheels, just go buy a few new ones before you leave and pull them out for the first time on the plane. If you lose one of those it’s not as big of deal as losing a favorite toy.
4. We told our kids from their very first long flights that they couldn’t get out of their seats except to go to the bathroom and they still believe that they aren’t allowed up. I think i would die if I were walking kids up and down the aisle of planes. We just never did that and our kids were fine.
5. Put them in comfy clothes and take a change of clothes. When our kids were younger, if possible, we changed them into their PJ’s and it helped them understand that they were supposed to sleep.
6. Sleep when you can. When my kids sleep, so do I. I don’t try to get on any timezone, just sleep. I would rather be well rested and on the wrong time zone (and you will be) than a really mean, grumpy wife and mom.
7. Put kids’ games and movies on your phones, ipads, computers, etc….and let them play/watch if it keeps them entertained.
8. Pick a time and tell them it is time to go to bed and sleep. Help them get settled in a comfy position and say “Good Night”.
9. If you have a layover, find a spot in the airport where they can run around and play a little to get some energy out until the next flight.
10. Remember, it is ONLY X number of hours and you can do anything for that amount of time. You will make it to your destination and into a bed soon!
Sonya, this is tremendous. . . thanks a ton!
Sonya, you covered almost everything I was going to cover. I used to look forward to flights as a chance to read, but once I had kids I had to totally change my expectations (I always brought a book just in case, but I didn’t expect to get to read it). Also, it’s helpful to explain the whole security check thing. My kids were really freaked out when they had to put their favorite stuffed animals on the conveyor belt. Listening to the “eye of the tiger” before you get started to prepare yourself is also helpful 🙂
Thanks, Erika. . . hope you guys are settling in well to NC!
Thanks, Sonya! And FOR REAL about the mini-vacation! Half a day to just sit still, read a book, snack, and nap sounds amazing.
Sleep is good, John didn’t emphasize that ’cause he simply is unable to sleep on planes.
+1 on bring your own water bottle, you may have to empty out before you board the plane but you can walk back to the attendant and get it refilled because of you wait for the drink carry you will get dehydrated. Stay hydrated.
Sleep mask & ear plugs! $8 at a bed bath & beyond. Ear plugs block a lot of the high pitch engine noise (& your snoring neighbor) which will lower your stress & make it easier to sleep. Noise canceling head phones do this also but cost a lot more. Well fitting in ear earphones earphones work. I prefer in ear so I can turn my head side ways. Sleep mask so it doesn’t matter when the attendants turn the lights on & off office if if your islemate is obsessed with keeping the window shade up over the north pole
Thanks Ed…now things have changed for you guys! Make sure and read Sonya’s comments.
I’m cringing just reading this, as I hate long flights.
Additional thoughts:
1. a neck pillow is essential for getting any decent sleep, unless you want to spend hours nodding off and getting a sore neck (except for those people born without necks like Patrick Ku– that’s why he can sleep anywhere anytime). i use the kind you can inflate with air because i’m obsessed with packing light, but too bad they don’t last too long bc they develop leaks. inflate when on ground bc then they expand fully in the air. if you wait til high altitude to inflate it’s hard to fill completely.
2. get up and walk around every couple hours to prevent blood clots from developing in your lower extremity veins, which can then come loose and travel to your lungs and kill you (not kidding). or wear those really tight leg stockings, that helps too.
3. bring a book or magazine (disposable) for times when you can’t turn on any electronic devices because it will supposedly cause the plane to malfunction
4. dress in layers
5. bring snacks and hoard extra food
Ivy, thanks for your contribution to this! Spoken like a doctor. . . I think Pat is also big on the “really tight leg stockings”, but I guess that is all the time, not just on flights.
In response to Carl McCullough asking about further tips, specifically with those traveling in groups to Asia. . .
1) Get on the internet before and designate your seats – This is huge. You can go to the airline website and get specific seats. I definitely recommend isle seats in the middle sections. With this, you can get up whenever you want and if you fall asleep the others in your row can exit the opposite side without waking you up. Definitely do this as soon as you can, as seat assignments get booked fairly soon.
2) Group check-in – When with groups, check in as a group. This way you can pool the number and weight of the baggage. Therefore, if someone is over, you can generally just push it towards someone in the group who is under.
3) Random, bright colored ribbons on the baggage – Get the same color on each bag so that you can do more of an assembly line of pulling luggage off of the carousel. Know the exact number of bags with, say, purple ribbons on them and you can just pull off each without having to have everyone around to verify bags. Makes getting into and out of crowded Asian airports a little more smooth.
Thanks for reading, Carl. . . have a great trip!
My #1 addition would be high quality microfiber cloths. I bring Norwex and wipe down everything around me -especially trays, seats, etc. Or if you don’t mind chemicals you can use lysol wipes.
Most people think that you get sick b/c of the recycled air, but more likely it’s the things you touch. They almost never EVER clean the planes – they pick up trash, but wipe for germs? Never.
Ever since we started doing this – no one has gotten sick during/after a flight.
And did anyone mention decongestants? If you have even a slight cold or congestion, you don’t want to have that pressure hit your ears. I had an eardrum nearly burst on the plane once. I was down for 2 days after that.
And gum for the slight pressure changes. Good for take offs & landings.