Long – haul flights survive: 25 valuable tips – ideas for your holiday


Long-distance flight survive: 25 valuable tips & Ideas for a relaxed start to your holiday

On a long-haul flight for hours between strangers, being squeezed into a tight row of seats is no fun. In addition, it comes with me added that at the slightest shock I always think immediately that the plane crashes immediately, and scared me in the arm of my seat neighbor’s claw. But even if no turbulence makes life difficult for me in the air, there are many other things that can be extremely unpleasant on long-haul flights: the dry air, for example, that scrapes the nose and throat, or too cold set air conditioning.

In order to arrive relaxed at your holiday destination despite a long-haul flight, I have collected 25 very good tips and tricks for you to make long flights as pleasant as possible.

A long flight can also be enjoyable – with the right tips

Long flights survive: 25 valuable tips & >

The right seat for your long-haul flight

The seat is probably the most important criterion for whether a long flight is pleasant or tormenting. I always try to avoid being squeezed directly between two passengers. Therefore, I usually ask at check-in for long-haul flights to a gangway. So I can stretch out my legs and, above all, get up whenever I want. As much as I prefer to sit at the window on short flights (I love looking out of the window, and I like lolling my head against the window), on a long flight this is very impractical.

If possible, check in your long-haul flight beforehand

Almost all airlines now offer an online check-in. Whenever possible, I’ll reserve my favorite spot beforehand. Plus, this gives you the unique opportunity to grab your seats with more leg room. This is the case, for example, at the emergency exit, or at the front row immediately after the toilets and galley in the middle part of the aircraft.

For some airlines (certainly I know that for Emirates, for example) there are a few rows of seats with only 2 seats in the back of the plane instead of the side rows of three. When these are available, I always try to grab those. So I have only one person next to me instead of 2 strangers and more space on the aisle. Another advantage of the rear seats: You are close to the on-board kitchen and can get you super easy drinks and snacks in between!

Pay attention to the correct booking class when buying tickets

Admittedly, this point is not that important for my 160 cm height. But if you are quite tall, then you might want to have a seat with more legroom guaranteed. While there is always a bit of luck in online check-in (the faster one gets the best seat), you can book tickets for the so-called Premium Economy Class on many airlines. In addition to more space you often have additional amenities such as snacks, drinks or more choice in the entertainment program. Since these points are different from airline to airline, it is worthwhile to take a closer look before booking!

My advice: If you would like to prepare yourself for your flight, I recommend you take a look at the website of Seatguru. There you will not only find the best seats, which you can then select when checking in online, but also, for example, whether your aircraft has an entertainment system or a USB port for your smartphone.

Super important: the right seat in the machine

Long-distance flight clothing: onion principle and comfortable

For me, flying (except turbulence) is almost nothing worse than having to endure hours of too tight and constricting clothing during a long haul flight. I prefer to wear a loose cotton trousers as a pair of jeans. Also, I feel in a casual T-shirt in combination with a cuddly sweater much more comfortable than for example in a tight-fitting blouse.

In addition, you should prepare well for the climatic conditions on the plane. Often it is due to the activated air conditioning pretty cold, but sometimes uncomfortably warm. Just be prepared for both with your clothes! For this reason, I always take a sweater on board even when the outside temperature is high. Also, an extra pair of warm cuddly socks to pull over is a good idea if you are prone to cold feet quickly.

Your clothes on a long haul flight should be comfortable

Useful travel gadgets & Ideas for long-haul flights

A long-haul flight is one thing above all else: long! That’s why I always have every help and every tip, as I can pass the time faster, and make me feel more comfortable. On innumerable long flights, besides watching the latest films, if the airline‘s entertainment system is good, I’ve collected those ideas for you:

  • Noise-Canceling Headphones: Special headphones that virtually eliminate the sounds around you, such as the aircraft‘s deep hum, conversations with fellow travelers, or screaming babies. Incidentally helps a lot while sleeping in the machine. At Amazon, these headphones are rated very well and not too expensive. In the meantime, there are even many variants that are no longer as huge as, for example, these highly rated in-ear headphones.
  • External hard drive with movies & Series: If the entertainment system just crap your long-haul flight, or maybe even does not exist, you can take it easy on your favorite shows or movies. Just load it to an external hard drive before your flight (I have this external hard drive and have been very happy with it for more than 5 years) or directly to your laptop or iPad.
  • Download your favorite music and audiobooks that you’ve been wanting to listen to for a long time before you fly to your smartphone. Do you have nice playlists in Spotify? Then do not forget to download them before your flight. Only then can you listen to the songs offline on the plane!
  • Powerbank: Hard to believe, but not all planes are equipped with a USB port on long-haul flights. So take at least a fully loaded power bank with you so that you do not run out of juice halfway on your smartphone.
  • E-book reader or a good book: with something entertaining to read, time will definitely pass by.
  • Travel Guide: The outbound flight is perfect for getting you ready for your vacation destination. That’s the way I usually do it. Incidentally, most travel guides can also be downloaded in PDF format to your ebook reader, your smartphone or your laptop.

Do you have any more ideas? & Tricks regarding useful travel gadgets for flying? Then just leave a comment under this post. I then fill in your tips in the article!

Good noise-canceling headphones can save you sleep

Tips on eating and drinking on long flights

Maybe you have already observed on a flight that some of your fellow travelers get their food much earlier than you and everyone else. This is because special dishes, such as a vegetarian or vegan meal, or even the food that is specially cooked for food intolerance, such as gluten-free or lactose-free, are served before the standard meals. So, if you are hungry long before serving dinner, then such a special menu is a really good idea for you.

In fact, I have often heard that these menus are a bit better prepared for some airlines than the standard dishes. Just try it out, right? You can select your special menu when checking in online.

Special menus are always served before the standard dishes

Useful information & Tips on carry-on luggage

Nowadays, it is not so easy to keep track of hand luggage: What dimensions may your carry-on suitcase have, how heavy may it be and what can you take with you into the passenger cabin? In addition, some of these rules may be quite different for the individual airlines. In order to shed some light on this jungle of regulations, I have compiled a comprehensive guide on this topic for you:

My advice: I always find it super annoying when my little suitcase is finally safely stowed in my hand luggage compartment above my head, but then I constantly think of something that I desperately need. For this reason, it makes sense to give you some thought before boarding the plane and to pack the things that you will most likely need during the flight into a small bag. A good idea for this is, for example, a fanny pack.

Above all, think of these things:

  • A pen, your passport and your boarding pass (to fill in entry cards)
  • Lip balm, hand cream & Face Cream (the dry air on the plane can really bother your skin)
  • Smartphone, e-book reader, book or laptop including powerbank and USB charging cable
  • Ear plugs, eye mask and neck pillow (this neck pillow with memory foam is really great) for sleeping

What else do you like to have right next to you on a flight? Leave your ideas in the comments there, I’ll complete them in the post!

Neck Pillow Airplane: Essential for sleeping

Long-haul thrombosis

Put simply, thrombosis is a blood clot that is created by too little exercise, in combination with rigid sitting in too tight a space, and then later one of the veins in the lower leg gets clogged. In most cases, thromboses actually cause no problems and resolve themselves. Only an estimated 2 to 3 out of a million passengers on long-haul flights over 8 hours experience a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Nevertheless, it makes perfect sense to prevent a thrombosis with these measures:

  • Get up from your seat as often as possible, find a place with some freedom of movement (in the back of the plane near the galleys, you’ll find what you‘re looking for) and move your whole body through thoroughly. Focus especially on your legs and feet.
  • Even when reading or watching movies in your place you can do little gymnastic exercises. Keep your feet circling and rocking from toe to heel and back again.
  • Maybe you would like to get thrombosis stockings before your flight? These compression stockings demonstrably reduce the risk of thrombosis due to the constant pressure on the veins.
  • Drinking a lot (alcohol does not count) also prevents a possible thrombosis. It’s best to bring an extra bottle of water on board because, especially on night flights, drinks may not be served for hours at a time.

My advice: Pack an empty bottle into your carry-on bag at home, pass the security checks at the airport and then fill the bottle with either a tap or a possibly existing drinking water dispenser.

Thrombosis Stockings Flight: A kind of prevention

How long is currently the longest non-stop flight??

And now a bit of interesting knowledge at the end of the article. How long does the longest flight take? Would you know it out of the box? Here’s the answer: The longest non-stop scheduled flight is currently (as of April 2019) the connection from New York to Singapore by Singapore Airlines with almost 19 hours of flight time for the proud 16.700 kilometers distance.

Also very interesting to know: On this ultra-long haul flight there is no economy class, only business and premium economy seats. The reason? According to official statements of the airline, no passengers should have to sit in a cramped economy class for so long.

Do you also find long-haul flights cruel, or can you see them as a necessary part of your holiday and enjoy them to some extent? What tips do you have to make flying as comfortable as possible? And when is your next long-haul flight and where is it for you? I am looking forward to your comment here on my travel blog!

* This article contains some advertising links. I get a small commission if you book or pay for this service on Amazon. Thank you for your support from my travel blog!

Melanie

Hey, I’m Melanie. I love traveling and those very special goosebumps moments just about everything. In addition, I am addicted to vitamin sea, coconuts and the scent of fresh summer rain!

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