Issue No. 8 - Holiday in Focus: In for the long haul; surviving long flights.

It strikes me that those of us who like to travel, enjoy the journey as much as the arrival, and nowhere is this more apparent than when we choose to fly long haul.  Where the great and good might choose to fly Business Class or First Class most of us mere mortals make do with a standard flight.  That doesn’t mean to say that without a little bit of planning, you can’t make your flight a lot more bearable, here are my ten top tips for surviving long haul flights with your sanity intact.

Drink lots of water

I know, you hear it all the time, but this is a real must.  I recommend at least 1 glass of water or juice for every hour you spend in the air.  Don’t count coffee or tea (unless it’s a fruit tea) as these will dehydrate you.  If you do this, you will avoid travel headaches and digestive problems (you know what I mean…), you will reduce the feeling of tiredness and jet lag and keep your skin from looking dull and lifeless.  Failing to drink enough water may also lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVTs), so there are really good medical reasons for staying hydrated.

Wear something comfortable

It’s all very well wanting to look stylish when you arrive at your swanky resort but if

you spend 10 hours freezing to death on the flight, you will soon be coveting your neighbour’s chunky cardigan.  My advice is to wear loose fitting clothes that are unlikely to crease easily (no need to look like a dish-rag when you arrive!)  It might be that you leave England in the snow, travel on a flight which is a cool 10 Degrees C° and arrive in the tropics, if this is the case, layers are good as they will allow you to put on and take off clothing dependent on the temperature.  Also wear dark colours, there is nothing worse than dropping coffee down white trousers and then having to walk through customs.  Thankfully this has never happened to me but I have seen it.

Keep occupied

Unless you are that rare breed of person who falls asleep before the plane takes off and only wakes up to eat and drink at meal times, then you are going to need something to pass the time, in-flight entertainment can vary hugely on long haul flights so it is as well not to rely on it.  A ten hour flight is a long time without anything to do.  An e-reader will avoid finishing a book mid-flight without having something else to start.  Laptops or Tablets can be loaded with the favourite films or games to keep you occupied and uploaded music can drown out that screaming baby sitting two rows behind you.

Avoid alcohol

I know, you’re on your holidays but alcohol really will dehydrate you and can reduce your tolerance of other people.  Not to mention, alcohol won’t taste great at altitude (something about our taste buds at altitude I think).  I’m not saying not to have one to launch your holiday, but much more than that is likely to leave you feeling ropey.

Get comfy

Make sure you have your travel blanket and cushion, eye mask and ear plugs to block out unnecessary noise and light.

Make sure you take some mints with you

After 10 hours on a flight, our breath may not be as minty fresh as we would like it to be.  Moreover, not will your neighbour’s: a friendly offering of a mint, may well save being knocked out by someone else’s halitosis!

Take lip salve, eye drops (or spray) and tissues

Air conditioning on flights can be ferocious and this will dry out eyes, lips and sinuses and turn you lips and eyes sore and set you’re your nose running by the time you take off.  Be prepared, and have these things to hand, perhaps in a little plastic bag in your seat pocket and you’ll be glad you brought them along.

Be polite to the people you are sitting next to

If you are going to be in their company for 10 hours or more, you’ll not want to upset them.  I try to at least offer to get them a drink, if I am going to the galley for one for myself, I like to offer sweets occasionally if  I have them and I try to make small talk for a short period if the opportunity presents itself.  There is nothing wrong with being friendly, just make sure you have an exit strategy in case your neighbour turns out to be able to talk the hind legs off a donkey.

Stretch you legs occasionally

Apart from helping to reduce the risk of DVTs, it will also help get the blood circulating

around other parts of your body especially bits that you might be sitting on!) There is sometimes a walkway at the back of the plane for a bit, but you may need to move out the way for staff occasionally.

Make sure you have everything you need before you sit down

There is nothing worse than having to constantly go to the overhead lockers for things you need.  This can disturb other travellers and may lead to something falling out onto other people.  I once saw a bottle of whiskey drop onto someone’s head – ouch!

 Well, you're now equipped with everything you need for your long haul flight, have fun and enjoy your travels.

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out some of the great items on LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.