How to Survive a Long Flight
I asked for your best advice on how to cope with the long flight and the ensuing jet lag. We’ve covered downloading some podcasts (or TV shows / movies), bringing in a book, and making sure to get up and move around from time to time. You’ll also want to stay hydrated, bring snacks with you, and remember to charge all of your electronics ahead of time. Do you have your own journey? Check out some of these guidelines:
First, realize that you are waiting for – offers TheLaughinKipper :
Earplugs, drugs, self-pity, and deep feelings of hatred for humanity in general (until drugs start to work).
Then I get to my destination and everything is just great.
Buktart stresses the importance of wearing the right clothes:
I recommend compression socks for long flights. I usually carry a small, medium-sized backpack or purse with the following: book, tablet, phone, charger, chapstick, ear plugs, headphones, snacks, water bottle, pepto chewable tablets, ibuprofen, gluex, hand sanitizer. I always wear a scarf of some sort, usually an endless scarf, that can be used as a hood or face mask because (a) I like to cover up a bit if I sleep, and (b) other people are nasty. And I remind myself that no matter how bored I am on this plane, I would be more bored at work!
Use airtime, says k atie_keys , and consider a white noise machine:
I try to sleep as much as possible. Instead of earplugs, I like headphones and listen to my Sleep Machine app – I like the combination of the train and the purr of a cat on the plane, it’s the right combination to cancel out a lot of other noises. Even if I can’t sleep, the rhythm helps me shut down.
I also enjoy working on fiction, because airports and airplanes are weird threshold spaces that seem to be separate from reality, and this helps me get to the right space.
I also keep chapstick in my pocket or bra because my lips dry out no matter how much I drink.
Choose your seat carefully. EBDBBNB loves the passage …
Aisle seats. Always under the aisle. It may be because I am awake, but I’d rather get up for someone than wake up someone who may not be able to wake up. It also avoids residual claustrophobia, and if your neighbor is … big … then you can lean into the passage.
… but City Mac’s Greased Up Beefcakes (what a name!) swears with a window seat and a neck pillow …
I make books and Benadryl for the most part. I put books, comics, magazines, whatever on my tablet, then wait until I feel sleepy, and then fall asleep by that window.
A good travel pillow is the key to your success. It’s also good to know which plane you’re on to get one of those premium seats where the window is positioned just for sleeping, otherwise if the windows are off-center it could ruin your comfort.
… and BugeHalls says to just get this update:
Upgrade to Business Class! And do it when you check in at the airport – it will save you a lot of money. Trust me, the extra space is worth it!
Mr. E and Beater Z would like to remind you that every man or woman is for himself:
Earplugs and sleep mask, even if your plane is not being used as a kindergarten while in flight. Headphones. Sleep on a tray if that’s more comfortable. Kindle and downloaded Netflix to pass the time. Maybe a phrasebook or travel guide if you’re going somewhere completely new. Slightly insidious advice … move people’s seats forward while they’re in the bathroom, especially for those who think their seat should be fully reclined before we even take off. They usually don’t even notice.
And don’t drink too much coffee before your flight, as Martin reminds us:
Pro tip: If you are obligated to grab a coffee and you have an early flight … and you get to Starbucks near the gate (or wherever you choose coffee), buy the SMALLEST drink you get. … Otherwise, you will have to pee at least twice in flight! 😉
Thanks for the advice! Let me know if we forgot anything important in the comments.