Pauls Travel Notes

Long-haul flights are not my best friend. I love that they take me to new and exciting locations. But being stuck cramped in one position for 8-9 hours or longer is not the ideal start to a holiday. So in this post I’ll give you 24 tips to survive a long-haul flight.

I have been traveling now for more than 20 years, and most of this travel was long-haul in nature. Perth to London is anywhere between 18-20 hours depending on the route.

Los Angeles to Sydney is 15 hours and that’s no fun either. These days I try to save up my frequent flyer points to get an upgrade. There is a huge difference between economy class and business class, when you’re stuck in there for hours.

Anyway, let’s have a look at some ways that you can make the flight more bearable, and not end up getting off the flight and looking like your passport photo.

Book Early

This may not sound obvious but hear me out. For a start you stand a better chance of getting the flight that suits you best. Rather than having to settle for the only flight that’s left.

By this I mean that depending where your start and finish points are use the flights to your advantage. For example. If a flight leaves your hometown at 5am, then you should be at the airport 3 hours prior, so that’s 2am.

You had to get to the airport somehow, and probably had a shower and freshened up before you left, so you probably started getting ready at midnight. It’s unlikely that you get much sleep before midnight, so there’s a good chance that you’ve only had 1 or 2 hours sleep in the 24 hours leading up to the flight. That’s not a great start.

Similarly, I like to arrange the flights so that I get to my destination 3-4 hours before bedtime. That gives me time to get to my hotel, unpack my bags, and have a good night’s sleep to reset.

Pick Your Seat

Some folks prefer windows, some like aisles. Nobody likes middle seats. By booking early you can get your seat preferences locked in.

A website like Seat Guru, is an invaluable tool to use. It will show you exactly which plane is being used for your flight and ranks all the seats, so that you know what to expect when you get on.

I find that the smoothest ride is over the wings, however you are next to the engines, so it is louder. The front of the plane is quieter, but generally, that’s reserved for business.

The rear of the plane is for those who came late and didn’t pick a seat.

Reward Your Crew

We always board the flight with a box of chocolates. For us that’s Favourites, Celebration or Roses. You will no doubt have a range in your country to choose from.

These only cost a few dollars, (unless you buy them at the airport). We then give the box to the crew as they greet us at the door.

We do this without expectation. We’re not looking for an upgrade or anything. But I think that a happy crew makes for a happy flight. We tend to get singled out a bit and they seem a bit friendlier when they serve us, which is nice.

Sometimes we get an extra chocolate with our meal, which also puts a smile on our faces.

Bring Snacks

Don’t just bring chocolate for the crew, bring some snacks for yourself as well. We sometimes like to have some trail mix or similar, to munch on while we’re watching a movie.

Just a little something to nibble between meals. Although my wife does sometimes complain that it just seems like all we do is eat on the plane.

Again, buy these snacks at the supermarket. If you wait till you’re at the airport, you’ll get less choice and will pay a lot more.

Socks and Shoes

The airlines have a very short time to turn a plane around and get it airborne again. So, the cleaning is good, but not great.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to slip their shoes off on a flight, at least have socks on. They will give you just a small amount of protection from whatever you are stepping in.

I know I have mentioned this in a previous post, but when you go to the toilet in your socks, and the floor feels damp. Just remember that there is no in-flight mopping schedule, so, that’s probably not water.

There are also all sorts of horror pictures of bare feet resting on other people’s armrests, and people cutting the toenails during the flight.

Just. No. At the very least, keep your socks on during the flight.

In the very unlikely case of a crash. You will need to exit the plane and negotiate twisted, broken metal, in whatever footwear you have on at the time. So, for me, smart casual style runners.

Moisturizer

A lot of folks find that the air in the cabin dries their skin out. Not me, I have skin like a crocodile. Do your worst. But, if you are one of the unlucky ones that suffer from this, then a small bottle of moisturiser will be a godsend.

Contact Lenses

Similarly, if you would normally wear contact lenses, then the dry air won’t be your friend either. In this case, switch to glasses for the duration of the flight, then swap back to contact lenses when you land.

Practice Good Hygiene

If you have ever sat next to someone with poor hygiene on a long flight, well, it can bring tears to your eyes. I’ve done it or a few occasions, and it makes a bad flight, exponentially worse.

Don’t be that person. Have a shower before you get to the airport. Use some deodorant before you board the plane. Hell, if you need to, just duct tape your armpits.

Regular Movement

Staying in one position for an extended period is not good. It can lead to deep vein thrombosis, which at best can be painful and annoying, but can also lead to death.

You can wear compression socks during the flight, but I believe that they only work well on flights over 5 hours.

The other option is to get up every couple of hours and walk up and down the aisles. Have a bit of a stretch and generally just keep the old blood flowing.

This might not be as sexy as the socks, but it is cheaper.

Hydrate

Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty before you board the flight, during the flight, and as an aid to recovery, after the flight.

Water is generally the key to good health anyway so don’t let it slip now.

In other posts, I have advocated for you to buy and use a reusable water bottle. And I stand by that. But not while on the plane.

There are a lot of posts from airline workers, who claim that they would never drink the water out of the on-board tanks, as they never get cleaned out.

This makes sense to me. I’ll graciously accept the little plastic bottles during the flight, and hope that they’ve got a good recycling program.

Prepare For Cold

Whatever temperature it was when you got on, it will always seem to get colder as you try to sleep. For this reason, dress in layers.

This way you can always add a layer if you need to, then dress down as you arrive in the tropical paradise.

Some folks recommend getting travel blanket, but to be honest, I’d rather have something that can be worn at other times as well.

Use A Neck Pillow

Having said that, a neck pillow can save you a lot of pain and aggravation.

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve wound up with a crick in my neck from falling asleep at a strange angle.

If you’re short on space, then get an inflatable one. The next step up is foam beads, which are light and fairly affordable.

After this is memory foam which moulds to you neck and is extremely comfortable. These are a little pricier, but if you travel, they are worth the investment.

Pack light

I’m talking about your carry-on luggage here. For those of you who travel overseas with only carry-on luggage, well, nobody likes a show-off. If I put a pair of my shoes in the carry-on bag, then that’s it, I’m out of room.

No, I’m talking about normal folks, who check a bag in, then have a small carry-on bag for in the cabin.

For start, limit it to one bag. We’ve all seen the passenger struggling down the aisle with multiple bags. Thinking to myself,” Santa must have crashed the sleigh, and now he has to carry all the presents in plastic bags”.

They take up enough overhead space for 4 passengers and complain that there’s no room. Really. How did they think that was going to pan out?

Then there’s the ones who’ve put so much into the bag that they can’t lift it into the overhead compartment. This is not the crew’s problem. And it’s not their job to lift your bags for you.

I am of course excluding people who have a medical condition and can’t lift. I’ll help you. Just let me chuck some of Santa’s bags out first.

What I’m getting at here in the longest possible way, is to pack light in your cabin bag, and make sure that you can handle it.

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

It is Australian folklore, of the awesome number of full-strength beers drunk by Aussie cricketers on their way to England.

Guys like Doug Walters, Rod Marsh and David Boon kept upping the ante. I think that the final tally for one man, on one trip, was 53 beers.

Granted the trip is about 21 hours, but still. My kidneys ache just at the thought of that.

Alcohol can affect you far more in the air than on the ground. This is due to the reduced pressure. It’s also why, otherwise perfectly polite adults, have a few drinks on the plane, then find that they are banned for life for bad behaviour.

Have one or two, sure. Jacqui and I always have a drink to celebrate the first leg of the journey. But then leave it at that.

Alcohol also dehydrates you. So, all the good work that you did with the water is now not working so well.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

There is a drone to aircraft engines. Certainly, modern aircraft have improved dramatically over the years, but there is still noise.

Over several hours, this noise can wear you down. It probably won’t seem obvious to you, but it just gets in.

Wearing some good quality noise cancelling headphones can really change your flight. You will come out at the other end feeling a lot fresher than if you hadn’t been wearing them.

Plan Distractions

If you’re like me and you travel a lot, then the entertainment channel on board is not that interesting. If you’ve already seen all the movies, what now.

Or it may just be that there’s nothing on it that interests you. Granted there is a pretty good selection, but not everything will appeal, and sometimes it just depends on your mood.

So, I tend to download some stuff onto my tablet. Maybe a few books, some YouTube videos, and some movies. Things that I know are interesting to me now. That way I’ve got a better chance of keeping myself amused during the flight.

Charge Your Devices

There could be nothing worse than your battery running out halfway through Deadpool. I’ve done it. It hurt me deeply. I should have recharged when I had the chance.

Obviously make sure your devices are fully charged before you board the flight. For some people though, a small power bank can keep them going right to the end. Even through the Deadpool credits, which you must watch, obviously.

Fight Jet Lag

In the first chapter, I mentioned planning your flight to arrive a few hours before bedtime. What you need to do now is regulate your sleep pattern to match your destination.

If you are getting in a few hours before bedtime, then do your best to stay awake through the flight. That way you’ll crash out as soon as you hit the bed and that should get you in sync.

If your flight lands just as the destination is waking up. Then try to sleep through the flight and stay awake throughout the first day.

Adjust Your Watch

As soon as you board the flight, set your watch to the destination time. This will help you acclimatize to the new time zone a bit better and help you to plan out your sleep pattern.

Buckle Over Your Blanket

If you are going to have a sleep while on board, make sure that your seatbelt is fastened and that the buckle is visible.

In the event of changing conditions, the crew may need to make sure everyone has their seatbelts on this is much easier for all if they can see yours immediately.

Consider An Eye Mask

If you are a light sleeper then consider getting an eye mask. Some airlines provide them for you. But, just to be safe, get your own.

Even with cabin lights dimmed and noise cancelling headphones on, there will still be people moving around the cabin which could cause broken sleep.

Buy Comfortable face Masks

None of us really knows how long face masks will need to be worn on flights. Covid-19 has changed so many things and as of 2021, the answers are not clear.

My advice is to buy yourself some comfortable face masks. The paper ones that are issued, are no fun to wear for any prolonged period. This is just another case of making yourself as comfortable as possible.

Sleep Medication

For some people sleep is elusive at the best of times. And, being cramped into an unnatural sleeping position doesn’t improve the situation.

If you visit tour doctor before the trip, they can recommend or prescribe some medication to help you sleep.

It should go without saying, that adding alcohol to these is a very bad idea.

Upgrade

If you have the money, the points, or the persuasive personality, then upgrade. I have flown all the classes, and economy is the worst. It takes me a couple of days to walk properly without pain, and my sleep patterns are shot for a couple of days.

To be fair, I’m 6 foot 3 inches tall, the wrong side of 50, and I’ve had knee surgery. So, I must expect a few hiccups when flying. Evolution shows us, that humans are getting taller every generation. And airline seats are getting smaller.

Premium Economy has the service as economy, but the seats are bigger and have more legroom. These are great and will change your flight completely.

Business Class is glorious, and you will never regret having a fully lay flat bed, with a proper pillow.

We got upgraded to First Class once. For an 8-hour flight. I just kept saying, “This is how Elton John travels.” And fair play to you Elton. If I had the money, I’d do the same.

So that’s it. A few suggestions to improve your in-flight experience, and get you to the other side in one piece.

If I’ve missed anything, drop me a line and I’ll throw it in.

Here are a few more resources for you to have a look at. Things to help you plan your trip, pack your bags, and negotiate your way through international travel.

24 Tips To Survive A Long-Haul Flight