I think it’s fairly safe to say that nobody truly looks forward to a long haul flight, especially if you are like most of us and travel in economy, or at best, economy plus. Look forward to the destination and end result- yes, but the flight itself? Not so much.
But between holiday travel, visiting our friends and families, or travelling to faraway lands for a vacation, many of us are bound to have a long haul flight in our future. They don’t have to be quite so bad though and today I’d like to share a few of the things I do to make those flights just a little more bearable so I’ll arrive happy, instead of haggard.
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THE RIGHT SEAT … FOR YOU
In my opinion, there is no right or wrong seat on a plane, but there is a right seat for you. What is one person’s favourite seat another person will complain endlessly about. You need to find what works for you and that might not even be the same seat from one flight to another.
For example on overnight flights, I prefer a window seat so nobody will need me to move so they can get out of the seat and I can lean against the wall and try to sleep. If I’m not able to upgrade my seat to an economy plus (with my status on United Airlines), then I usually try to sit in the last row.
Some of you are now probably thinking I’m crazy for choosing the back row of all places but there is a method to my madness. I figure it gives me easy access to the bathroom (especially while the food trolley is out and blocking the aisle), close to the galley so I can stretch my legs and get a drink, no weaving back and forth and bumping people (or tripping over their feet!) in the middle of the night, plus nobody else seems to want to sit there so there is a chance the seat beside me will be empty, which has happened on many flights.
For day flights I prefer the aisle instead. Since I know I’m not going to sleep anyway I like to be free to come and go as I please and I don’t really mind if people on the inside need to get out several times. If I get an aisle seat in the group of three seats in the middle of the plane there is also a chance that the two people beside me are together and then the person in the middle will leave their seat from the aisle their companion is on. See, there is a method to my madness!
For those of you that aren’t quite on board yet with my seat choices a really good site to visit for getting reviews of the seats on all types of planes is Seat Guru. Just enter your flight or the type of plane you’ll be flying and it’ll show you a map with colour-coded seats to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are even some photos of the interiors of the planes so you can get a good feel for the plane prior to selecting your seat. Just remember to read the reviews, instead of solely relying on the coloured map of the plane, because only you know what you’re willing to accept or not in terms of comfort.
READ MORE: Check out our collection of travel tips to help with your travel planning.
DRESS FOR COMFORT
While some people seem to wear essentially their pyjamas on an airplane, I prefer to look somewhat put together yet still be comfortable. The key is dressing in layers, especially on overnight flights that tend to get quite chilly.
I prefer slacks instead of jeans with a t-shirt, cardigan, scarf, slip-on shoes, and an extra pair of cosy socks in my bag. If you dress in layers like this then you’ll be ready for whatever in-flight weather conditions come your way.
IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
To be prepared I’ve found the following works well.
My carry-on bag, which doubles as a footrest, is well stocked with a Kindle (with ebooks and audiobooks), a completely charged phone (for a few games or podcasts/movies I’ve downloaded), some noise-cancelling headphones, and the charges for all these devices. Many planes now have USB ports, electrical sockets, or both so you can keep your devices charged, but if not I also have an external battery to keep things going for the duration of the flight.
READ MORE: Check out our collection of travel tips to help with your travel planning.
SWEET DREAMS
Some things I’ve found helpful to add to your bag of sleep goodies include:
- A travel pillow that is firm enough to actually hold your head up
- An extra blanket that you can use in addition to, or in lieu of, the blanket they’ll provide
- A sleep mask which will keep out light and make your eyes feel heavy
- Noise-cancelling headphones with extra batteries in case they go dead mid-flight
FRESHEN UP
At the end of the day though, the thing with flying is what gets one person through a flight may not work for someone else. As I have flown more and more I’ve found what works and what doesn’t work for me and have come up with a carry-on bag that has just exactly what I need. No more, no less.
And if all else fails just try to remember, eventually the flight will end and you’ll be at your destination to start an exciting adventure, visit with your loved ones, or home after a wonderful holiday.
What are your best tips for making the best of long haul flights?
We’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments.
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RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP
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