8 Tips To Travel Better On Long Hour Flights
Whether you’re travelling for business or for leisure, eight hours in a stuffy aircraft cabin might sound like your worst nightmare if you don’t have the luxury of flying business class.
Flying long-haul can be a quite enjoyable with a little preparation. We have compiled a list of tips to help you get through your next long-haul flight and make sure that you’re raring to go once you land.
1. Pick your seat strategically.
One of the most essential long-haul flight tips is to think ahead and choose a good seat, whenever possible.
• If you want more leg room, opt for exit rows or if you like about to move about the plane more freely then ensure that you get an aisle seat.
• If you want to avoid crying children, stay away from the front of the plane as this is often where you’ll find special provision for babies on international flights.
• Choose a seat far away from the bathrooms – these are the loudest seats. Moreover, you’ll avoid the potential bad smell and people crowding around your seat.
The best way to go about is to handpick the exact seat you want as soon as the check-in opens. Consult SeatGuru.com or Seat Expert.com for best options.
2. Wear comfortable clothes and layer up
Save that little black dress or perfect fitting suit until you land. Try to wear loose comfy clothes and shoes on your flight.
Remember, sitting still and being blasted by a powerful aircon system can get chilly. Also, the ideal room temperature varies from person to person and the cabin temperature will fluctuate during your flight. You might be freezing, while the person a few rows away will find it too warm. Layers are the key, allowing you to adjust your temperature to ensure maximum comfort.
Even though a closed toed shoe is a warm and comfortable. Carry an alternative pair of flip flops and remember, our feet tend to swell up at high altitudes. Make sure that your footwear is not too snug to travel in a long-haul flight.
3. When it comes to food
You’ll get fed on a long-haul flight but travelling through time zones also means you may not be served food when you’re expecting or even what you’re expecting. Most airlines end up serving breakfast at dinner time and noodles or curry first thing in the morning.
If you’re carrying your own food, go for snacks that are rich in protein such as almonds, cheese and crackers or yoghurt. Avoid processed, sugary and fried foods, white bread as they can make you feel tired, unsettled and bloated during your journey.
4. And when it comes to drinks, stay hydrated.
The air in the cabin can often be very dry so it’s easy to become dehydrated. Bring a bottle of water on board if you can (it may need to be purchased at the airport and stay sealed until you’re on the plane because of liquid restrictions).
Drink plenty of water slowly and regularly and avoid too much tea, coffee and alcohol. Decaffeinated green tea is a good substitute for regular tea or coffee as it has been said to stave off the onset of jet lag.
5. Pack anti-bacterial wipes
Aeroplanes come in contact with a large number of people, minimize your danger of catching germs through the use of anti-bacterial wipes to wipe down your armrests, seatbelt, seat rear tray, etc. Picking up a somewhat sanitized place ought to help you unwind and rest a bit more easily, particularly on an extended flight.
6. Keep yourself entertained
Bringing headphones is self-explanatory and is extremely essential for a good night’s sleep. It could be useful if a baby is sitting next to you even more if your neighbour snores. Pop-in your noise-cancellation headphones to play soft meditating music to drown out the noise and put you to sleep.
If you love your technology like we do, you won’t be able to last a whole flight without playing your favourite games. Make sure that your phone, Kindle, iPad, etc. are all fully charged up before you leave and don’t forget to keep all your chargers with you in the cabin luggage so that you can keep all your gadgets powered up throughout the flight. Alternatively, bring an extra power bank in case your plane doesn’t have electrical outlets, so you have some extra juice to power you up again if you do run out of battery.
If you’re old-school, travel armed with magazines and books. Or if you’re travelling with someone, bring a deck of cards or a portable game.
7. Do not bring too many things on board:
Unless you are travelling in first-class, you won’t have much space. The smaller your bag is, the more space you’ll have for your feet.
There’s nothing more taxing than lifting a huge suitcase trying to somehow stuff it into one of the overhead bins, while everyone else looks on, frowning.
Ideally, one cabin bag and a smaller handbag or shoulder bag per person is more than enough to keep things travel-sized and to a minimum.
8. Do some in-flight exercises
Sitting still for an entire flight duration can be very uncomfortable and cause your muscles to stiffen up.
Stretching your legs is not only necessary for your own sanity on a long-haul flight, but it’s also extremely essential to avoid the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Keep the blood circulations flowing in your legs by indulging in some simple in-flight stretches.
It’s true that there really isn’t much space in an aircraft to walk around without causing any disturbance to your fellow passengers, but walking up and down the aisle once in a while is a much healthier option.