Long flight tips?

On shorter T/A's - US east coast to UK, which we do fairly often, we've found it best to fly daytime- early morning to arrive late evening. Having gotten up early, it is easier to doze off and catch some nap time during the flight, then stay at a Heathrow hotel, getting a full night's sleep and waking up adjusted to UK time.

One more item I've not seen mentioned, although they are on the pricier side (not as pricy as business class, though!): noise-canceling earbuds. They fit inside your ears, rather than the big clunky headphones that fit over them, so you can use them for sleep. Basically, they reduce much of the aural stimulation that might keep you awake and they are relatively comfortable. I often wear them in and around the airport before a flight if I hope to sleep, as they reduce the sort of sensory stimulation that can agitate your system and keep it on alert. Bose makes a nice set, and they work for your in-flight movies as well.

FWIW, I know "long" is a relative term, but I consider anything over 5 hours to be long enough to take extra care for my body. I've done 12-hour flights as well, but I find my body responds the same way whether it is 5 or 12. So: noise canceling headphones, comfy clothes, slip-on shoes, an extra soft shawl, plain/warm water, and walking/stretching at regular intervals.

Enjoy!

I've really appreciated all the tips. Some I knew but I've picked up some good ones that I hadn't thought about. I never would have thought about changing into comfy clothes. And I hadn't really thought about lip balm although I did know about drinking water.

Thanks to all the helpful posters.

Those long overnight flights to Europe are miserable. Everyone says sleep...how? Last year when I flew to Romania, I got a rash underneath where my bra was from sweating and not being able to take it off for almost 24 hours. It was awful.

 

Roz

I would have taken it off, the girl just want to be free :) No one would have paid any attention to you without on.

I am with the crowd that 7 hours is NOT long. My next trip starts with 14.5 hour flight, with a 2 hour layover, then a 6 - 7 hour flight. :D

Slip on shoes (also a good idea for security). Take your shoes off AFTER TAKE OFF. Empty your pockets, put things into your bag. Compression socks can reduce the swelling of the lower legs and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (I buy mine from For Your Legs). Also, loose, comfortable clothing.

As other have said, business or premium economy can be a help, but can be very pricey, depending on which airline, and how far ahead you are booking. But one trick in economy is to book the window and aisle for a couple. The middle seats are the last ones assigned. So if you leave it open, you have some chance it will remain open. It not, one can move to the middle and the person assigned the middle will NOT complain. :D

Drink plenty of water. NOT alcohol. But not too much water, or will be up and down a lot.

I don't use a neck pillow, but if it works for you, use one.

Noise cancelling headsets are probably the best tech to invest it for traveling. A lot of travel fatigue is actually noise fatigue. And it helps with the sound quality when watching movies.

Good eye shades can help you sleep. And get to sleep earlier than they turn down the lights.

I am NOT a fan of melatonin. And do not use sleep aids on slights under 10 hours.

One trick I use is, once I board the airplane, I change my watch to the time zone of the destination. So US to Europe, instead of my watch saying 5PM and thinking it is early, my watch says midnight or 1AM and that is LATE. Seems stupid, but it helps get some rest on the flight.

Coming back, I watch movies or read, and maybe nap a bit.

Unless you are a very fast reader, you don't need more than one or two books. It is only 7 hours, and there is the time from eating.

One more item I've not seen mentioned, although they are on the pricier side (not as pricy as business class, though!): noise-canceling earbuds. They fit inside your ears, rather than the big clunky headphones that fit over them, so you can use them for sleep. Basically, they reduce much of the aural stimulation that might keep you awake and they are relatively comfortable. I often wear them in and around the airport before a flight if I hope to sleep, as they reduce the sort of sensory stimulation that can agitate your system and keep it on alert. Bose makes a nice set, and they work for your in-flight movies as well.

 

FWIW, I know "long" is a relative term, but I consider anything over 5 hours to be long enough to take extra care for my body. I've done 12-hour flights as well, but I find my body responds the same way whether it is 5 or 12. So: noise canceling headphones, comfy clothes, slip-on shoes, an extra soft shawl, plain/warm water, and walking/stretching at regular intervals.

 

Enjoy!

I prefer the headphone (currently on my 4th generation of Bose, I skipped the 25 series). Better reduction of outside noise.

Then for sleeping, I switch to a foam ear plug (33 NRR), typically a Howard Leight Max or a standard EAR.

And one caveat, noise cancelling works against continuous noise, not transient noise. So they can make things like a crying baby actually seem louder. :)

WRT airline miles.

1) Try to find the best fit, and try to travel within the alliance. There are 3 main ones, Sky Team (Delta, Air France, KLM, Korean Air), Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa, Alitalia, All Nippon), and One World (American, British Airways, Quantas). You can pick your airline within the alliance (pick the one you are most likely to fly for long trips), and earn miles on that airline within that alliance.

2) Get the airline credit card. You can earn miles from that.

3) Use your miles for upgrades, not for free tickets. The miles will go further.

OP, I feel you. We are used to flights of no more than 2 hours (Florida, NYC, Chicago), so 7 hours seems like an eternity. In addition, I am not sure I have ever been able to sleep sitting up. Ever. Whether it's a 5-hour flight or an overnight bus ride chaperoning a school trip, I am awake pretty much the whole time, and it can be agony.

I have asked for advice from a co-worker who is a constant traveler, and she recommends getting a Turtl neck support, rather than one of those bulky neck pillows. We are flying to Seattle (about 5 hours) soon and I look forward to trying it out, along with a hood and a sleep mask. Luckily we are flying 1st class, but not in seats that lie flat.

And one caveat, noise cancelling works against continuous noise, not transient noise. So they can make things like a crying baby actually seem louder. :)

True. Good point, SRF! They seem to amplify needlessly loud talkers as well :(

On long flights when constrained in a small space, I am well over six foot tall, I find it a good idea to stand up and walk about. I look to where the toilets are and even though I do not need to go there I head off and get in a queue. As people join the queue, I let them in ahead of me. This means I can stand up longer, then decide to switch to the toilet the other side, more walking. On the way back to my seat on a wide body jet I go down the wrong isle cross over at the end then walk back up the correct isle.

If you stand around the queue at the back this is sometimes near the galley and you can, if they are not too busy, chat to the cabin staff and sometimes enquire about a drink, coffee or whatever. On transatlantic flights you often meet like minded people like me just standing at the back having a chat.

Regards John

I'm short with short legs. When flying economy, I always have something to prop my feet on and to create a better sleeping position. Most of the time I just use my carry-on.

Carry a change of clothes to freshen up immediately on arrival and wash up.Toothbrush/toothpaste. Great also if your luggage gets lost. Warm socks. Sports bra vs underwire. Loose comfortable clothing.

If flying overnight, see if your hotel will possibly let you check in early. At the least, take your luggage there and check it in while you sightsee.

Don't overeat! Stick to water and lots of it. I don't drink anything but bottled as there's no telling where it was loaded onto the airplane.

But one trick in economy is to book the window and aisle for a couple. The middle seats are the last ones assigned. So if you leave it open, you have some chance it will remain open. It not, one can move to the middle and the person assigned the middle will NOT complain.

In my experience, what works better is to book "aisles across"

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Do planes still fly that are not full? I'd book a window so I can lean on the wall to sleep.

Do planes still fly that are not full? I'd book a window so I can lean on the wall to sleep.

They are rare. That said, we flew home from Kona to SFO last week (the second United flight out that day) and there were less than 40 people on board!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Preload your tablet or smartphone with some good audiobooks, movies, or TV shows. And, please, for gawd sakes, bring some headphones. I don't want to be listening to your film on my flight to Costa Rica.

I download podcasts to listen on my phone, and use headphones.

Audible books work as well.

You might choose a night flight and ask your doc for a script for sleeping pills. They work wonders for me.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Don't forget to pack snacks too. The days of complimentary meals are long gone. If you don't bring food from home, buy something in the AP before you board. Slightly cheaper but much tastier.

Don't drink too much. Alcohol dehydrates you.

Do planes still fly that are not full? I'd book a window so I can lean on the wall to sleep.

Not often, but it can happen. My last long flight from Shanghai to Detroit, I was in the window with the middle seat empty.

A lot depends on when in the week you travel. Mid week tends to be better. Most tourists travel from weekend to weekend. Most business travelers are beginning or end of week.

It can also make a HUGE difference in fare. Years ago, I was in the far east, and my work ticket was quite cheap. So I checked online and with the proper days, the fares were cheap. So my wife and parents met me in Hong Kong for a week. Midweek to midweek, from the East Coast, $3200 round trip business class. The same time frame, from weekend to weekend, those same seats would have cost over $12,000 each.

You might choose a night flight and ask your doc for a script for sleeping pills. They work wonders for me.

Be careful.

A 7 hour flight means maybe 5 hours sleeping. And some sleep aids have many more side effects if you are not able to get a full 7 - 9 hours of sleep after taking them.

Don't forget to pack snacks too. The days of complimentary meals are long gone. If you don't bring food from home, buy something in the AP before you board. Slightly cheaper but much tastier.

 

Don't drink too much. Alcohol dehydrates you.

International flights still feed you in economy.

A meal after takeoff, and a snack before landing.

Hubby and I always book a window or aisle for him, and a middle for me. He is a bit on the larger side and I'm tiny with short legs. As soon as we board, we put up the arm rest. It gives him a bit more room, and I can use him to curl up against. We travel a lot and my go-to travel wear are slip ons or flip flops (easy to slip off and on once you are in your seat), leggings, sports bra and some sort of soft shirt. I always bring either a wrap or hoodie, depending on how "cute" I want to be. I always carry an item to put under my seat that I can prop my feet on. In it is usually an empty water bottle to fill up as I need it, my kindle, noise cancelling head phones and i-pod. (I also have a soft travel blanket that I never leave home without! I use it to rest my head against, or shelter from the AC). I always carry a travel hairbrush with a hair tie, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant and bath or facial wipes, and some basic makeup niceties and YES, YES, YES to the hand cream and chapstick. I have a separate makeup style bag with a change of undies, socks and maybe even an extra tank top. I may never need these things, but getting stranded at an airport once due to delays was enough that I never travel without them! I have found that freshening up in the bathroom on the airplane, or in an airport can make a world of difference in how you feel when you arrive at your destination!

Don't forget to pack snacks too. The days of complimentary meals are long gone. If you don't bring food from home, buy something in the AP before you board. Slightly cheaper but much tastier.

 

Don't drink too much. Alcohol dehydrates you.

Unless flying a long-haul LLC like Norwegian or WOW all the airlines provide meals, snacks and drinks. Most U.S. to Europe flights have dinner and a light breakfast in economy.

Be careful.

 

A 7 hour flight means maybe 5 hours sleeping. And some sleep aids have many more side effects if you are not able to get a full 7 - 9 hours of sleep after taking them.

Agreed. I would not take anything you have not taken many times before either.

For me, I will take 25-50mg of Benadryl. It will get me drowsy enough (usually) to get to sleep, but its not going to keep me asleep. But its also not going to have any long lasting side effects hours later the next day nor have issues if I don't get much sleep.

But I would not even recommend Benadryl unless you have taken it a few times before on the ground.

How to sleep in an economy seat:

sleeping pill

plus:

https://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Travel-Pillow-Sleep-Aid/dp/B074F3D296/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

Put the airline's blanket over you and this pillow on your tray table and use the airline's pillow behind your back to pack yourself into as comfortable and supported a position as possible and you can sleep reasonably well.

Be careful.

 

 

 

A 7 hour flight means maybe 5 hours sleeping. And some sleep aids have many more side effects if you are not able to get a full 7 - 9 hours of sleep after taking them.

Quick story...

Had just boarded plane at EWR heading to Lisbon when captain announces mechanical issue that will require our all deplaning for an undetermined amount of time. Across from us in waiting area is a gentleman making a frantic call and we hear him say with distress: "But, I just took an Ambien!"

Sent from my iPhone using Forums