Share your realllllly long flight tips, please

Parent Cafe
41

<p>Over the years, I’ve become a fan of the 12 hour flights over the 7 to 8 hour European flights. On a 12 hour flight, if sufficiently stressed from getting ready to leave home, I doze, read, eat, sleep again, and wake up with a more than a modicum of rest. On the European flights, by the time they finish a meal, show a movie, then breakfast, they’re ready to land, and I’ve barely slept, yet it is morning. A special kind of torture. </p>

<p>Another fan of window seats here, as I still love looking out the window and watching the earth below, as well as giving a place to lean the head. During the few one or two forays into the aisle, I walk, do as much activity as not looking excessively eccentric will allow.</p>

<p>A small pillow or folded blanket can be put to good use, behind the lower back, or to sit on and change the angle of the sit. Change is helpful in alleviating stiffness. My feet occasionally swell, and I do ankle circles, toe clenches, etc. </p>

<p>Flying on an airline with individual screens and a wide choice of movies can be a pleasure, as is the sometimes ok food on non American airlines. I miss being plied with food and drink as in days of old, though those of you in first may be still enjoying it. Often I bring the unread sections of the NY Times, or whatever is very dense but toss able reading. Usually I’m working on stuffing a final few phrases into whatever language I’ll be encountering into my brain. </p>

<p>Perhaps conversation is out of style while flying, but I have really enjoyed interesting seatmates at times, and it seems that passes the time faster than anything. </p>

<p>Fauxmaven, great story! Hope you continued to feed him kidney pie!</p>

42

<p>I agree, glm, on the flights to Europe from the east coast. I almost never manage to sleep, or an hour at most. I have noticed that airlines from most, if not all, non-US countries, still manage to serve meals, sometimes good ones, even on short flights.</p>

<p>On a business class flight to Australia–what a luxury!-- My dear son, 14 months old, had his first taste of smoked fish–love at first bite!!</p>

43

<p>I’m a frequent international traveler. </p>

<p>Noise cancelling headphones - try the foldable Sennheiser ones, not the huge ones.</p>

<p>Eye shades, inflatable pillow, and earplugs, so you can sleep.</p>

<p>I prefer aisle seats. When alone, on a plane with 3-3-3 configuration (3 sections of 3 seats per row), get an aisle seat in the middle section. Odds are high that the other two people are traveling together, and the middle seat person will bug their travel companion and not you.</p>

<p>Melatonin can help with jet lag.</p>

<p>Bring some food and water, so you can eat on your own schedule.</p>

44

<p>I frequently fly internationally. My strategies include:</p>

<p>Compression socks - makes a big difference with leg cramps, restless legs and swelling. You can buy them without the foot part if you want to wear them with flip-flops or sandals. The footless compression socks are used by bikers and I had to order them out of a catalog. The footed ones can be had at most pharmacies.</p>

<p>Slip-on shoes - If I can, I wear my most comfortable flip-flips. If not, then any other slip-on shoes so I can take them off when I’m seated.</p>

<p>Walking - When not sleeping, I get up and walk once an hour. </p>

<p>A neck pillow - I find these easiest to sleep with because they keep your head from bobbing.</p>

<p>Xanax - I’ve been known to sleep an entire 12 hour flight with the help of xanax.</p>

<p>Toiletries - I think it really helps if you can freshen up a bit before landing. Toothbrush, washing the face, whatever will help you feel less grungy after the flight.</p>

45

<p>My reference to ‘flight bag’ is I bring a string backpack in my carryon and once through security, I load it up with the stuff I want easy access to. Eye covering, earplugs, iPod, reading material, toiletries, empty water bottle, etc. and keep that at my side during the flight. </p>

<p>I also prefer windows, even in business class, as you can lean against the wall and won’t be bumped by the cart.</p>

46

<p>No matter where you sit be sure you move around a few times during the flight. You do not want to develop blood clots in your legs due to stasis. It may be exercising your legs while seated or taking a cruise around the plane every so often. When we sleep in a bed we change positions every so often and our legs are not lower than our heart like they are while sitting.</p>

<p>addenda- just noticed toledo’s post #37. worth repeating, however.</p>

47

<p>Bring plenty to read. There is no more horrible feeling than having four more hours to go and having nothing left to read except SkyMall magazine.</p>

<p>Take a couple of aspirin early in the flight to reduce the risk of blood clots.</p>

48

<p>1-Take two regular aspirin 24 hours before you fly to prevent leg clots. </p>

<p>2-Bring some snacks to help you through the flight. </p>

<p>3-In case you don’t know…most of the headrests can now be pulled toward your ears for side of your head support while sleeping.</p>

<p>4-I will not travel overseas without my “all purpose Tempur Pedic pillow” from Brookstone. I use it for my head/neck and also to slide under the back of my lower thigh to relieve the pressure of sitting. It also works as a supportive neck pillow in the hotel. <a href=“http://www.brookstone.com/TEMPUR-PEDIC-ALL-PURPOSE-PILLOW_11366913_2[/url]”>http://www.brookstone.com/TEMPUR-PEDIC-ALL-PURPOSE-PILLOW_11366913_2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>5-I will not travel overseas without my “folding footrest” from Magellans. I am tall and this little gem works wonders on leg fatique. <a href=“http://www.magellans.com/store/In_Flight_Comfort___Foot_RestsIF477[/url]”>http://www.magellans.com/store/In_Flight_Comfort___Foot_RestsIF477&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>6-I have an uber thin travel blanket from Travel Smith. [Travel</a> Blanket by CoolMax](<a href=“http://www.travelsmith.com/coolmax-travel-blanket/travel-accessories/flight-comfort/12572]Travel”>http://www.travelsmith.com/coolmax-travel-blanket/travel-accessories/flight-comfort/12572)</p>

<p>7-for anyone who is tall, take the airline magazines out of the seat in front of you and toss them overhead. It sounds odd, but this extra 3/4 inch makes a HUGE difference in leg room.</p>

<p>8-If you wear glasses, bring an empty case so you can sleep without worrying about your glasses falling off and getting broken.</p>

<p>9-A thin Columbia polar fleece jacket can double as a blanket or rolled up for back support.</p>

<p>10- Here is leg stretch that really helps me. I do it a couple times mid flight.<br>
While standing on one leg, bring your other ankle up behind - grab it and really stretch your front thigh muscle. </p>

<p>I am not a backpack person, but my carry on is a multi colored floral Jansport backpack. My above listed “stuff” takes up about 1/3 of the pack. It is unique enough that anyone wandering away with it would be noticed (or wouldn’t want it). It has a ton of pockets for books, meds, personal items, etc.</p>

<p>Enjoy!</p>

49

<p>I just got back from Africa. Return trip involved 5 flights - two of them over 8 hours in length - and over 40 hours of travel time. </p>

<p>Thoughts:

  • Don’t wear your contacts. Bring glasses - easier on the eyes, easier to sleep.
  • I freeze on planes, and those flimsy, staticky blankets they give you on economy just don’t do it. I bring a wool throw and warm socks since I take off my shoes as soon as I get on board.
  • Give yourself refreshing min- facials. Feels great! I had St. Ives apricot scrub to wash my face - very refreshing and cleans well - and lots of moisturizer. For extra luxurious moisturizers, head to airport duty free shops: at many, you can use their tester tubes to moisturize with expensive creams you might otherwise avoid due to the high costs.
  • Bring some fresh fruit on the plane. A good orange, a crisp apple, a filling banana all taste so much better, so deliciously fresh, on airplanes.<br>
  • Try to sleep. Take melatonin if you need to. It will make arrival/1st day easier, it will make sleeping the next night easier.
  • Noise cancelling headphones are a blessing. I hook mine to mellow classical music and tune out the world. Helps getting decent rest, too.<br>
  • If you’re not a plane sleeper, bring different types of reading material to avoid boredom: from light fiction to attention-grabbing non-fiction. This also is a good time to get though that pile of New Yorkers you’ve been accumulating. And when you’re done with each magazine, you can leave it at the airport.<br>
  • I’m a knitter, and nothing feels better than to knit on a long flight. Certainly makes those dumb airplane movies more tolerable. I never had a problem bringing knitting needles onboard – until this return flight. Knitting isn’t a tradition in Africa, they treated the needles with suspicion, declared them sharp (they weren’t) and confiscated them. Major bummer. So knitters, beware of Nairobi.</p>
50

<p>One comment - I see a number of you recommending flip flops or taking off shoes when boarding… </p>

<p>I’d suggest not doing this until you are at altitude. Imagine if you need to evacuate the plane in a hurry - and don’t have any kind of foot protection. Just wait another 15 minutes and then switch to more comfortable footwear…</p>

51

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<p>Haha, so, so true!</p>

52

<p>Megaditto to scalum advice: get yourself in the time zone where you are headed before you leave.</p>

<p>I also take a sleeping med of some sort (OTC or other) to ensure I get some rest. As soon as I board the plane, I get settled in my seat (usually aisle) so I can walk around if needed. Then I take off my shoes and put on travelling socks. I get my inflatable pillow ready, pull out the eyemask, take my pill and get to sleep. Before the days of the iPod, etc, I would just put on the new age channel or some airlines actually have a white noise channel now. </p>

<p>Then I would wake about an hour or so before landing and have something to eat or drink and be ready for the new timezone.</p>

<p>Don’t stay up and read, or watch movies, etc. Even if you don’t go completely to sleep, it is important to get as much rest as possible.</p>

<p>Enjoy your trips!</p>

53

<p>Two words: business class.</p>

54

<p>Two more words: I wish.</p>

55

<p>Even long flights in Business Class need tips to keep one’s sanity! I’ve done Newark-Singapore and Hong Kong-Newark. Both are 18+ hours and are just way too long, I don’t care where you are sitting in the plane.</p>

56

<p>Xanax and one of those neck pillows and a window seat…good to go!</p>

57

<p>Fly business class with reclining seat/bed, foam ear plugs, eye mask, take sleeping pill. I take super late/early morning flight if available (e.g. 2am), so it’s very easy to fall asleep and I sleep through the whole thing!</p>