What To Do Before Getting On A Long Haul Flight

Getting on a long haul flight or the idea of it can strike fear in the hearts of all kinds of people. Will your legs be cramped up the whole way? Will you be able to get any sleep? Will you be sat next to a screaming child or an adult with a BO problem? Worry no more! Here’s what you should do before getting on a long haul flight – tips from people who have personally done it (ie us)

Choose Your Airline Carefully

Different airlines will have different features and processes when it comes to long haul flights. Some will be more comfortable and suited to you than others. Compare a few and do your research on the best ones if you want to have the most comfortable flight. Some will have more room, some will have complimentary products like toothbrushes and food. Whichever airline you pick, if you’re going somewhere like America you need to remember to apply for an ESTA if you live in Europe and need to go to the USA. If you are from outside the USA, check your visa requirements – I am a Philippine passport holder so would definitely need to apply (and get approved) for a visa before I even step in the country.

Other things to consider: budget airlines. We have given reviews to Spirit and Allegiant Airlines here in the USA that you can use if you are considering flying these ultra low cost airlines.

Think About Your Connections Properly

If you’re getting on a connecting flight, make sure you think about this properly. Just because a travel site presented it to you doesn’t mean you’ll be able to make it. Will you have time to grab your bag, get off the flight, get through security, and do everything else you need to do? Make sure you give yourself enough time. It might even be worth staying longer – we have used this to our advantage in Frankfurt, where we had an 8-hour layover. We landed at around 8AM and ended up leaving at 4PM, which is plenty of time to explore the city. I also did this in Vienna, when I had four hours to kill before Peter and his brother arrived – I got to see a little bit of the city (4 hours is definitely not a lot of time), and managed to meet up Peter and his brother and off we went to Bratislava. We’re also planning to do another stopover in Hong Kong for 2017 so a bit excited for that!

Pick Your Outfit With Comfort In Mind

You should definitely dress with comfort in mind over style when you’re on a long haul flight. It’s nice to be stylish, but you’ll regret uncomfortable shoes and other clothing. People say wearing black is a good idea, as you can easily hide any marks that you get over the course of the flight. Frankly, the color of what you’re wearing doesn’t matter – all that matters is layering, which is what I currently do – a cardigan and a shawl is all you need to keep yourself warm in a cold airplane (of course, warm hugs are a plus).

Take Things To Keep You Occupied

With our smart phones and tablets, we always have something to keep us occupied. Some flights within the US don’t really have entertainment options (ie TVs in the back of your seat), so you’ll definitely need to bring something with you to keep you occupied: be it your laptop so you can work on a few things, a smart phone, a tablet, or various reading materials like magazines or books. You can also opt to listen to audio books or your music as well. This will make better use of your time while you are out traveling and anticipating your destination.

Stay Hydrated

Long haul flights tend to dehydrate passengers. Take a small hand cream with you to ease up the dryness in your hands, as well as potentially a moisturizer for your face. Make sure you always drink water, so you can be hydrated – you can either pick up a bottle of water at the airport shop before you board the plane and after you pass through security. If you’re a cheapskate like us and you’re not flying a budget airline, always ask for a cup or a bottle of water whenever a flight attendant asks you if you need anything to drink. The air is a bit thinner and more pressurized in the airplane so even without you knowing it, you could get dehydrated on a flight!

Invest In Compression Gear

Compression gear will keep the blood flowing around your body and stop you from developing any problems. You should also get up and take a short walk when possible or do some exercises while sitting down like moving your feet, legs, and arms around a bit. Staying in your seat the whole time will likely be very uncomfortable anyway – so you definitely have to move around and keep that blood circulating.

And there you have it – follow these tips before you get on your flight and you’ll hopefully feel much better about long-haul flights and survive a long flight.