{"id":30503,"date":"2019-04-30T12:45:17","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T03:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/?p=30503"},"modified":"2022-11-07T15:46:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T05:16:04","slug":"tips-surviving-long-haul-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/tips-surviving-long-haul-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Tips for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there\u2019s such thing as a \u2018travel bug\u2019, it bit me young. Long before my first overseas trip, actually. Short trips interstate introduced me to a new way of living\u2026 and of being.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s said that \u2018getting there is half of the journey\u2019. In my, now, 12 years of overseas travel, I\u2019ve accumulated a collection of both hilarious and stressful, memories of getting to places. Like missing my flight to India, which brings me to my first tip.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/p>\n

Before you get on your next long haul flight, read these tips.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Check what arrival documents the country expects to see<\/h2>\n

I arrived at the mandatory three hours before my flight to India, only having realised we didn\u2019t book an onward flight. They couldn\u2019t check us in, so we frantically tried to book a flight, any flight. But, of course, the internet wasn\u2019t working, and we didn\u2019t do it in time. It was extremely stressful and we lost $300.<\/p>\n

In terms of what documents a country requires, it differs. Do your research and check whether you need a visa, an onward flight, and anything else. It\u2019ll save you a chaotic, run-to-the-gate moment.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/p>\n

Make sure you know whether you need an onward flight.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Think about sleep times when you\u2019re booking a flight<\/h2>\n

While it’s difficult to do if you\u2019re crossing a couple of time zones, consider your sleep when you\u2019re choosing a flight. For example, if you\u2019re flying to Asia, I prefer to leave early in the morning, to arrive late at night. That way, I don\u2019t lose a night of sleep and I can doze off on the flight if my body needs it. Use Skyscanner’s<\/a> time adjusting function to find flights that work for the time you prefer.<\/p>\n

Familiarise yourself with the length of the flight and decide the hours you\u2019ll sleep. Coordinate it with your arrival time, and work your way backwards. E.g. I\u2019ll watch movies for the last half.<\/p>\n

\"Pillow,<\/p>\n

Consider time zones when booking a flight to make sleep easier.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Avoid alcohol, use Melatonin instead<\/h2>\n

Sleep has always been rather tricky for me while flying. I suggest paying extra to book the window seat, so you\u2019ve got something to lean up against. There\u2019s nothing worse than a middle seat, shoulder-to-shoulder, for hours. Oh, and take your shoes off. Make yourself at home as much as possible.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s tempting, don\u2019t drink alcohol on flights. It dehydrates your body and water isn\u2019t always easy to get, especially on budget airlines. Buy a couple of big bottles of water before you board and carry Melatonin, a natural sleep aid.<\/p>\n

\"Water<\/p>\n

Make yourself at home when you get to your seat.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Watch what you eat<\/h2>\n

I typically write off transit time, when it comes to eating healthy. I walked off many flights, bloated and unwell. While plane food has come a long way, it\u2019s still not the healthiest. A cup of apple juice will wash a bread roll down well \u2013 two foods I never usually have, but seem to always eat on planes. Be conscious of the foods that don\u2019t quite sit right with your body. For me, it\u2019s sugar and carbs.<\/p>\n

Most often, you don\u2019t know what food they serve until you get on the flight. Bring some healthy snacks and leave the ice cream and hard bread rolls to the side, and say \u2018no thank you\u2019 to the juice lady.<\/p>\n

\"Menu<\/p>\n

Avoid alcohol and any other foods that don’t sit well in your stomach.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Plan your arrival details<\/h2>\n

Particularly, in my early days of travel, I used to worry a lot about my safety upon arrival. While flying to Cairo, Egypt, I couldn\u2019t relax on the flight, as I replayed the sequence of events I needed to follow, once I landed. I was most concerned when I was just \u2018winging it.\u2019 Again, it\u2019s half the fun. But travel smart, especially in third-world countries, as a young female solo traveller.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re overly anxious or cautious, you\u2019re better off organising a private transfer to wait for you at arrivals.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Plan out your arrival details, to eliminate anxieties.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Don’t forget your In-flight essentials<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t worry so much about how you look. Bring a few wipes in your bag to freshen up, mid-flight. Take the minimal approach to your carry-on. You don\u2019t want to have a second bag under your seat on a 15-hour flight.<\/p>\n

As for other in-flight essentials, I don\u2019t travel without:<\/p>\n