What do you do on a long flight?

[repeater]

We're kinda breaking the trip up, but can't do much about crossing the Atlantic! We'll fly from the coast to Iceland, 2.5 hour layover, then a weekend in Stockholm before flying into Venice, where we'll have 2 days before the cruise.

 

That's a tip I should share: we saved so much over flying directly, that the weekend at a 4 star hotel is paid for! Flying from Sweden to Vencie was very cheap.

 

And we have aisle seats, so I can drink enough! Seems every time I decide to stay hydrated, the guy in the aisle seat falls asleep, or the Fasten Seatbelt sign goes on. This gives me the illusion of control.

 

Thanks for all the ideas!

Edited August 10, 2014 by repeater

[milolii]

Which airline did you chose? Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[sdmike]

Lots of great suggestions. I always take a lot of things to do just in case there is no wifi or in-seat entertainment. This includes ipad games and movies, some magazines, and plenty of music (and my Bose QC15 headphones).

 

What I try to do is get myself into local time mode as fast as possible. If I'm arriving in Europe in the morning, I try to get some sleep along the way so I've at least had a few hours of napping before I "start my day" in Europe. As stated before, don't get there and nap. Power through it or you'll continue to pay the price. A good night's sleep the day before will help, as will staying hydrated. One issue with flying east like that is it shortens the amount of darkness you have. It can make sleeping difficult.

[genealogyfan]

I have two batteries - one that lasts extra time then the one that came with it. If there is no entertainment system or it doesn't work - doesn't bother me I have my DVDs all set

[kerryincork]

I was in an angled flat bed, it's at about a 30 deg angle. I didn't slip anywhere, they have a little flap thing that comes up at the bottom you rest your feet against. I would say to be sure to wear comfortable clothes. I made the mistake of wearing very stylish and tight jeans so I couldn't get comfortable and sleep :eek:. Next time i'm going to bring a change of clothes i can put on when I get on the plane:) Also if flying business class with mutiply lay overs:) be sure to use the arrivals lounge as depending on carriers you might not be able to use the departure lounge.

[bbryan5]

Drink.

Edited August 10, 2014 by bbryan5

[sdmike]

I have two batteries - one that lasts extra time then the one that came with it. If there is no entertainment system or it doesn't work - doesn't bother me I have my DVDs all set

 

Yeah, an extra battery is a must. I take one of these with me for the ipad and iphone

 

http://www.amazon.com/10000mAh-Dual-Port-Compact-External-Portable/dp/B009USAJCC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407704221

[GeezerCouple]

I was in an angled flat bed, it's at about a 30 deg angle. I didn't slip anywhere, they have a little flap thing that comes up at the bottom you rest your feet against. I would say to be sure to wear comfortable clothes. I made the mistake of wearing very stylish and tight jeans so I couldn't get comfortable and sleep :eek:. Next time i'm going to bring a change of clothes i can put on when I get on the plane:) Also if flying business class with mutiply lay overs:) be sure to use the arrivals lounge as depending on carriers you might not be able to use the departure lounge.

 

Thanks very much about the "angled" flat bed "seats".

 

We couldn't imagine having a problem with "constantly slipping down", but figured maybe we were just naive.

 

But the beds were truly *flat*?

That matters especially for those who like to lie in some position other than on their backs.

 

We are just hoping that when we next have a chance to book flat bed on a long flight that we really can sleep, and arrive rested.

(The one time we had flat bed air reservations, we had to cancel due to a medical emergency. Yes, we had insurance, as those were mighty expensive tickets, in addition to the cruise. So we haven't yet given those flat bed seats a "try". We haven't yet booked other air travel with that long of a flight time.)

 

As for comfy clothing... on the one overseas flight we've done in business/first class (our honeymoon), there was a well dressed man in proper business suit and tie, etc. He took a small bag to the lav, and emerged a few minutes later in.... pajamas!

He announced to those nearby that he traveled too many nights not to get a "good night's sleep on planes", and he proceeded to put on an eye mask, and apparently that was it for the night for him.

These were not even flat bed seats.

(I cannot really imagine anyone traipsing down the plane aisle in a nightie :eek:)

 

Thanks.

 

GeezerCouple

[Okmyx]

But the beds were truly *flat*?

 

 

Many planes still have the old style business class seats that are angled. All newer business class have fully flat seats and many (for instance, American Air) are updating their planes with new seats. It will depend on your carrier and which exact plane they use on the flight.

 

When I book business overseas I always verify which plane will service the route on the day of flight so that I mitigate the chance that I will have an angled seat. However, while the fully flat seats are the best, there are some exceptions. I was on Alitalia Rome-LAX a couple years ago and the angled old school business class seat was one of the most comfortable seats I've had in years...it's wider than many of the new business class flat seats, and was just great.

 

And, there are other factors to consider when choosing an airline for business class. To my surprise, Delta and Alitalia had the best food options when I flew business and Air France and others were...not good. Same with service.

[skiwee]

As a nurse with fairly intimate experience with Xanax ... You are very lucky you didn't get addicted to it. Terrible med unless you have anxiety issues.

 

 

 

I get motion sickness, so I just take 50 mg of Meclizine and have a couple glasses of wine. No probs at all.:)

 

 

I take a Xanax for every flight and there is no way to become addicted in that short period of time unless you fly every day. Taking one pill to and one pill 7 days later doesn't scare me into thinking I will become addicted.y doctor had recommended them to me for this purpose and it really works great.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[carribean soul]

Try 33 hrs one way from Sydney Australia to new york it's a killer :) but well worth it. My suggestion is read, watch the tv, sleep, eat. And keep your fluids up. :)

 

33 hours one way did you have air to air refueling??:D:D

[TheBrowns]

No we did have a stop over in la for about a hr

[sverigecruiser]

As for comfy clothing... on the one overseas flight we've done in business/first class (our honeymoon), there was a well dressed man in proper business suit and tie, etc. He took a small bag to the lav, and emerged a few minutes later in.... pajamas!

 

Is that really strange? Doesn't lots of airlines even provide a pyjamas when flying in first?

[carribean soul]

No we did have a stop over in la for about a hr[/quote

just curious how come it took 33 hours for syd to ny. the longest flights I've seen even w two stops are 22-25 hours

Edited August 11, 2014 by carribean soul

[TheBrowns]

Cbr (40 mins) syd (14 - 15 hrs )lax (6hr)JFK with about 3 hrs between each flight. No stop overs. We do it multiple times a year as a family and hubby on his own.

[TheBrowns]

But 17 hrs SYD to DFW plus CBR to SYD plus transit. Total 24 hours was a killer too we did that when the A380 was first brought out

[carribean soul]

sounds rough but the 380 must be something!

[dubberjas]

I got to say I am getting a laugh out of this thread. Friends think im crazy doing a brisbane to miami flight for a cruise all I say I leave at 10am get in at 7pm same day so its only 9 hours not worrying about the other 12 lost in timezones lol

[medicalma'am]

I am leaving for Europe on Tuesday so I will read the driving manual for Germany and take the test! There are about a zillion signs to study. I printed them all out. Maybe that will put me to sleep. :p Really I hope to be able to sleep. I am trying to adjust my internal clock now. :o

[TheBrowns]

I got to say I am getting a laugh out of this thread. Friends think im crazy doing a brisbane to miami flight for a cruise all I say I leave at 10am get in at 7pm same day so its only 9 hours not worrying about the other 12 lost in timezones lol

 

 

We do it once a year. And will only cruise out of fl although we gave looked at Miami.

We will never cruise out of Australia it's too expensive and it's a way to catch up with our american friends.

[repeater]

I got to say I am getting a laugh out of this thread. Friends think im crazy doing a brisbane to miami flight for a cruise all I say I leave at 10am get in at 7pm same day so its only 9 hours not worrying about the other 12 lost in timezones lol

 

 

 

Coming home will be much easier...our flight lands 40 minutes after we leave ...if you don't count the time zones!

 

We booked Icelandair, because it was so much cheaper...we saved so much, that we are doing a weekend in a 4 star in Stockholm, plus tour, and still costs less than had we flown directly to Venice! It's worth comparing prices!

 

I bought a 3 pack of USB flash chargers, to recharge as we go, so the electronics will hold out. I'm writing another book, but somehow dictating into my Dragon voice recognition software on a plane for hours on end seems like it may not win me any friends. Wonder if it's too late to learn how to knit?

[GeezerCouple]

Is that really strange? Doesn't lots of airlines even provide a pyjamas when flying in first?

 

Well, I guess I could have been more descriptive.

 

Let's just say... these pj's were definitely not meant to be worn in public!

 

Think old-fashioned one-piece long johns (but no feet, like for toddlers :) ), thin jersey...

 

A good (if different) case of "TMI" :eek:

[Too Much Information]

 

He made it all "worse" by his loud pronouncement about his need to get sleep because he travels so much.

Many of us might not otherwise have even looked up.

 

GeezerCouple

[culinarc]

I got to say I am getting a laugh out of this thread. Friends think im crazy doing a brisbane to miami flight for a cruise all I say I leave at 10am get in at 7pm same day so its only 9 hours not worrying about the other 12 lost in timezones lol

 

When I was in the military I went to Australia (Perth/Fremantle) for about 14 days and absolutely loved it. Beautiful place, nice people. My wife wants to go there and I am ready to go again. When we do I'm sure we will try to do 14-18 days, (probably east coast this time) and some of those days could very well be spent on a cruise. It doesn't sound crazy to me. Travel and have fun!

[Sue Do'nym]

I am a lightweight when it comes to drugs and I was never able to sleep on international flights...until last year-trip to Paris. Had a big meal before boarding the international flight which included 2 glasses of wine. As soon as I boarded I took Simply Sleep-non prescription sleep aid and proceeded to attempt to sleep. Did not think I was asleep and tried to get up...could not...spent the rest of the flight sleeping. Woke refreshed and in France. Perfect way to spend a flight. For flights when you do not want to sleep I like downloading movies from iTunes onto my ipad. No wireless required and rentals can be inexpensive. Lots of classics for 99 cents. Have a great trip!

[sverigecruiser]

Well, I guess I could have been more descriptive.

 

Let's just say... these pj's were definitely not meant to be worn in public!

 

Think old-fashioned one-piece long johns (but no feet, like for toddlers :) ), thin jersey...

 

A good (if different) case of "TMI" :eek:

[Too Much Information]

 

He made it all "worse" by his loud pronouncement about his need to get sleep because he travels so much.

Many of us might not otherwise have even looked up.

 

GeezerCouple

 

Then I understand...!