5 Tips for Stress Free Long Haul Flights
The world is becoming smaller by the day. Flying long haul to distant locations for business or pleasure is becoming increasingly more popular. There are more aircraft, more airports to fly to and more people ready to spend half a day or more in the air. It's quite simply easier and cheaper than it used to be fly long haul. Unfortunately, the experience of traveling to another side of the world can frequently be a stressful and exhausting affair, especially for the uninitiated or unprepared. This does not have to be the case. Just follow this guide to a stress free long haul flight and you can sit back and enjoy the entire experience!
Do Your Homework:
A little bit of homework will certainly enable you to discover the ideal airline for you. The world wide web is an excellent resource in this regard, but do not ignore you are local travel agent who may have a wealth of consumer experience with various airlines.
You may want to discover who's going to supply the maximum leg-room, what the quality of food is like and how reputable their customer support is.
Most airlines now offer some type of in-seat entertainment such as onscreen camera perspectives allowing you to see forwards from the nose of the aircraft or down over where you are flying. These systems are great way to kill a couple of hours of any flight.
Obviously the price is important and shopping around really pays off. Do not be afraid to go straight to the airline and check out any special deals they may have as well as utilizing high street and Web based agents.
Airport Period:
You will usually be expected to check in two hours in advance of your long haul flight although it always pays to arrive a bit earlier than this as most people will arrive at the queue around this time. You are better off spending 3 hours sat in the departure lounge with a fantastic book than standing at the check-in queue!
Obviously the earlier you are the better chance you have of booking a fantastic seat. Many airlines are now introducing services on their sites that allow you to book seats, purchase meals and allow you to check-in via automated state check-in systems; the best way to do it by far.
Love the flight:
On a 19 hour trip it's important to keep yourself occupied. The obvious solution is a fantastic book. I always start a book a couple of days before I fly that I am already'into it' before I get on the plane, making sure a pre-planned piece of escapism.
These days we are blessed with in-seat technology to keep us entertained, these will often include the latest blockbuster movies, video games and all kinds of TV shows and in flight information. I find, however, that the trusty book is the perfect way to kill some time.
The holy grail of long haul flight is being able to get some quality sleep. Air quality, light sources, sound and cramped upright seating is certainly not conducive to falling asleep. An inflatable travel pillow, for example is intended to deal with the dilemma of encouraging your neck whilst vertical but there are other things you can do. Ear plugs and an eye mask can help deal with light and sound so combine them with your travel cushion for some quality sleep.
When the food is not up to scratch, make certain you're prepared with some healthy snacks and a fantastic supply of water. It may be free but alcohol and coffee are extremely dehydrating and this is the last thing you want in an already arid environment. Adhere to the water and fruit juices.
Most importantly, enjoy the flight! Enjoy that time away in the cellular phones and the boss and the traffic and relax. You are 40,000 feet away from everything, make the most of it!
Stay healthy:
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a constant worry for long haul travelers. Although extremely rare, it's a very dangerous condition. The problem is avoided by ensuring that the blood circulation around your body is kept moving.
Do the exercises advised by the in-flight movie and magazines, take regular walks into the galley, the bathroom or just up and down the aisles and drink loads of water.
Avoid Jet Lag:
The best way to avoid, or decrease, jet-lag would be to start planning whilst on your trip. Set your watch to your destination time as soon as you can and do your best to sleep if it is night time where you are going, even if that means missing onboard meals.
Keep drinking that water so that you're not dehydrated when you land. When you get to your destination, do not hit the hay straight away. Try to stay awake until the day and you will give yourself the best chance to adjust quickly to your new time zone.