How to Survive a Long Haul International Flight
I have flown hundreds of times, many of which were overseas. Anytime you fly internationally you will be looking at a pretty long flight. Over the years I have figured out what I think is the best way to handle a long flight. Read on to learn my tips on how to survive a long haul international flight.
First off, don’t take drugs or do anything that is illegal. Drugs can be very dangerous and keep in mind that there is no one to save you when you are flying over the Pacific Ocean on a long haul international flight. Doing anything illegal is unwise, seeing as how air travel is very strictly policed.
Entertainment
If you don’t own an iPad, go out and buy one. You can buy a used one on eBay for as little as $180. Load up some movies, books and games on that iPad.
Even the smallest storage option will give you enough space to store enough media to last through two 14-hour flights. The iPad is a traveler’s best friend; its does not add much weight or take up much physical space and it can single-handedly provide more information and entertainment than almost any other device.
Drink.
This does not necessarily mean alcohol. It is perfectly fine to drink alcohol on a plane as long as you don’t get too drunk or dehydrated. Alcohol will definitely dehydrate you.
I do drink when I travel and my rule of thumb to ensure I don’t get too dehydrated is to drink two waters for every beer or shot.
If you don’t drink booze then go ahead and drink soda or juice. They key is to drink a lot of whatever it is that you decide to drink. Drinking a lot of fluids will cause two things.
First off, you will have to urinate all the time and second you will have to get refills. Both of these issues will require you to get up and move around, thus distracting you and allowing you to stretch your legs.
Always get up and find your flight attendant rather than pressing the lazy man’s call button when you need a new beverage.
Be Friendly
In order to survive a long flight you must socialize. Realize that everyone on the plane is in the same boat as you (lol).
Every flight is guaranteed to have some friendly people that want to chat. Talking to someone or even better, several someones will kill time faster than anything else you can do.
If you somehow can’t find a passenger that will chat with you move on to the flight attendants. They have to be courteous to the passengers and usually have some good stories to tell. They are all very well traveled and I guarantee that each and every flight attendant has a story that they want to tell if only they were asked.
If you are on a long flight you will most likely be on a Boeing 777 or similar large plane. All of these big aircraft have a galley and bathroom area, usually at the rear of the plane.
Here you will always find some passengers stretching their legs and flight attendants catching up on their gossip. Head back their and make some new friends. (Remember you can only do this if the Capitan has turned off the fasten seat belt sign.)
How to Survive a Long Haul International Flight – Food
Almost all long haul international flights will have at least 1 meal service, most will have two. The meal service always helps to break up the flight but they are usually only at the beginning and end of the journey.
I recommend bringing some snacks or a togo meal from an airport restaurant to eat mid flight.
Anything you can do to break up the time and distract yourself should be taken, not to mention you very well may get hungry between meal times.
Remember, you can’t take your food with you past customs once you land so make sure to only take as much as you reasonably think you can eat.
Move Around
Walk around and stretch. I don’t care how foolish you think you look, this is absolutely essential if you want to know how to survive a long haul international flight.
It is perfectly accepted and even encouraged to get up and move about the cabin if the fasten seat belt sign is off.
Touch your toes, stretch your arms and legs, do a couple push-ups, do anything to get the blood flowing.
On Spring Airlines (discount Chinese carrier) they lead all of the passengers though an “exercise” routine while in-flight. It is vital to your health that you get up and move around from time to time.
Upgrade Your Seat
If you have any opportunity to upgrade to or purchase a First or Business Class Ticket, do it.
First class on a domestic flight is a waste of money. On a long haul international flight, business class is well worth it.
I fully understand that most people will not have the opportunity to fly in first or business class, but, if you ever do on an international flight, it will be the best airline experience you will ever have.
In Conclusion
These are my personal recommendation on how to survive a long haul international flight but there are several other ways that some people choose.
The most important things to remember are to stay hydrated, keep a positive attitude and bring plenty of entertainment.
For those of you asking the question, how to survive a long haul international flight, I recommend not only taking my tips but reading other travel blog posts and making a decision that will work best for you.
Thanks for reading my post on how to survive a long haul international flight.
Check out why I think my personal carry-on luggage choice, the Osprey Meridian 22 is the best carryon out there.
If you want someone else’s opinion on how to survive a long flight, check out this guide by CBS Denver: How to Survive a Long Flight
Leave a Reply