If you’re jetting off on a long haul flight there are some tips that might make it easier.
Growing up in New Zealand but having all of my extended family in England meant that I have spent a significant amount of time on planes – long-haul flights to be exact.
With an average flight time of 23 hours between the two countries, it’s about the longest flight you can get. It’s gruelling, even if you love flying but there are ways to make it a little easier.
When it comes to long haul flights, what you pack in your carry-on is crucial. There’s one item I would never undertake the journey without: a silk scarf.
It might sound like a useless touch of luxury, but it actually serves a very important purpose. As the air in planes is recycled and treated, it can be very drying on your skin. I find that placing the lightweight scarf over my mouth and nose can help to keep my skin from drying out and make my breathing easier – it’s also incredibly helpful for when you want to sleep. Just drape the scarf over your face and settle in.
The cover means the air I’m breathing is less dry, and my skin isn’t being dehydrated at as fast a pace.
The other item I would never fly long haul without is comfortable socks and slip on shoes. This might be controversial, but when I’m settling in for a 14-hour flight in economy, the first thing I do is take off my shoes, put them in my bag in the overhead locker and slip on some warm socks.
Planes are cold as a general rule, and if I’m going to be stuck on one for a full day I want to be as warm as possible. The cosy socks help me settle in – and the slip-on shoes that I keep under the seat in front of me mean that I don’t have to lace up my sneakers every time I want to go to the bathroom.
I would never, and you should never, go to the bathroom in a plane without shoes on. By and large, they are gross, and the chances of that wet spot on the floor just being water is slim.
The third item I will never fly without is my own headphones – preferably noise cancelling.
The headphones they give you to plug in to the TV in front of you usually aren’t of the highest quality, and if you’re anything like me you’re going to be watching a minimum of six films and whatever half season of Friends that all airlines seem to have.
Bringing your own headphones which can plug into the TV set means comfort – and if they’re noise cancelling then even better, because planes are extremely loud places. I am an anxious flyer, and being able to block out the constant hum of the plane helps to settle me.
When it comes to comfort on a lengthy flight, there are a couple of things I always do. I am close to 6ft tall, so I know that I’m going to be uncomfortable but I always ask at check in if there’s anything that can be done to assuage that.
The trick here is to be polite – and don’t get your hopes up. However, I have had success multiple times by simply asking the staff member at check if if there is any chance at all of being seated either at a bulkhead (the seats at the front of the plane with no seats in front of them) or even if there is a spare row that I can be seated at.
A smile and a bit of polite chat will take you far! And if there’s nothing that can be done to move you, don’t get upset or angry – it’s never the staff member’s fault.
If you are jammed in economy, make sure you get up when you can and stretch your legs – walking to the bathroom doesn’t count. Try bounding on the balls of your feet, touching your toes or walking up and down the aisle a couple of times to get the blood flowing and stop the swelling in your legs from the pressure change.
Flying long haul is rarely a bucket of laughs – but there are certain things you can do to make it a little easier. And remember, once those 23 hours are up, you’re on the other side of the world! It’s amazing, and so worth the struggle.
