Most of us have the luxury of short-haul flights, where an hour or two can get us to our destination. But the time spent on long-haul flights is among the most stressful, and one of the quickest ways to ruin a holiday is to succumb to cabin fever.
What are Long-Haul Flights?
Long Haul Flights are by far the most uncomfortable type of flight, the worst. A long-haul flight is any flight that is longer than several hours but usually longer than 35-40 hours. For this, you will have to go through security clearance, boarding at least 3 times as compared to normal flights, and crossing several time zones. If you are a frequent flier and are used to traveling a lot, you might find long-haul flights boring, but it is not a result of the fact that it is uncomfortable. It is because you have to adjust to the time zones and different countries’ different rules.
So, how do you survive this kind of flight? We know it’s hard, but the following tips will help you survive long haul flights:
- Pick the seat that you’ll be comfortable sitting in for a few hours. Unless you are a frequent flier, choosing your seat on the airplane can be a daunting task. There are thousands of combinations of seats, standbys, and upgrades to choose from, so it can be difficult to choose. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that hard. Many of us have been there: sitting in the middle seat of the plane, confused about which seat would be the best. However, the answer is simple: the aisle seat. This is the seat where the flight attendants will come if you have any medical issues on the plane, and it’s the most likely seat to have extra legroom. This is also a good seat for kids or for those who need to use their electronic devices.
- Prepare your body for this long flight. Just in case you’re not convinced that a little exercise before a long flight will have you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon, consider this: if you’re stuck at the airport for long periods and not doing anything, how will you feel when your plane takes off? The first impression is still the last, so start on the right foot.
- Make sure you charge up your devices. Before you leave home, charge all your devices. It’s simple, it’s time-saving, and it’ll make the journey so much more enjoyable. Imagine arriving at your destination and finding your devices have become useless. That’s the last thing you need when you’re tired and jet-lagged.
- Wear comfy clothes. As you know, this is a hard job. If you want to get good sleep, you must dress yourself to a comfortable climate. At the same time, choosing the right clothes and shoes for a long flight is also a little tricky. You must care about your comfort, of course, but you also want to keep yourself fashionable.
- Bring your pillow and blanket. In the airline industry, the length of a flight is one of the most important factors in determining the cost of the flight. So, it’s important to know how to prepare for the long haul. There are many ways to achieve a good sleep on a long flight, but one of the best is to pack a pillow and blanket.
- Avoid getting dehydrated by drinking water frequently. If you’re a frequent traveler, you know: long flights suck. And when you’re flying from one place to another on a plane, you should pay attention to what you’re drinking. Drinks such as wine and beer contain a lot of alcohol, which can cause dehydration. This means that those beverages can make you sleepy, leading to a lack of rest and fatigue during the trip. So, the best thing you can do is to drink water so that you can stay hydrated and rest enough for the flight.
Long-haul flights are a fact of life as a long-term expat, but if you are determined to get off the plane feeling fresh, you need to know your tricks. Being prepared for a long-haul flight is a lot like being prepared for a hurricane. You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you handle it. So, with that in mind, take note of these tips for surviving a long-haul flight.