Taking that first air trip over six hours?
Here are tips to help you avoid being totally exhausted after the long flights taking you to your dream vacation.
There’s a trick or two involved in feeling good when you’re going west to east—
skip the alcohol–no matter how pretty
I was lucky enough to learn that on my first European adventure. So, sleep or don’t sleep on the plane, but when you land, stay upright until your usual bedtime. When I have succumbed to an upon-arrival or afternoon nap, it’s taken me days to acclimate. When I stick to the plan and keep active, limit the caffeine and alcohol and let my head hit the pillow at 10:00 p.m., I awaken the next day raring to go.
Flights to Hawaii (east to west) have been both overnighters or taken off in the early a.m. Basically, you gain time and if you again stay busy, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The more you fly, the more you observe others, applying and refining what works for you. Here you go!
1. Skip the alcohol, or have only one drink. Drinking too much alcohol will dehydrate you, drying your skin out and making you uncomfortable.
2. Be cordial to the unknown person beside you, but make it clear that you are going to read, sleep, or watch TV. Don’t start talking or you may be talking for the duration of the flight.
Plan on sleeping?
3. Plan on sleeping? Husband takes half an Ambien and he’s good to zonk. Me? I’ve tried everything, I simply can’t sleep on a plane. I read, write on my Mac (if there’s room), and junk out on movies.
4. Note about sleeping: if you are a snorer, try a Breathe Right strip (or something like it). Your seat mates will appreciate it.
5. Ear plugs, ear buds (don’t rely on the airline headsets—they aren’t the best) or noise canceling? Take your pick, but take one.
6. Formerly, I was a fan of a crescent-shaped neck pillow full of tiny beads, but my niece got me hooked on a Trtl Pillow—what comfort!
7. Drink a lot of water. Buy at least two bottles before you board and drink it! There will also be a cart in the rear galley with glasses of water available. Drinking a lot does a couple things: keeps you hydrated and causes you to get up and walk to the bathroom.
Speaking of getting out of your seat—do so!
8. Without disturbing your seat mates any more than you have to (don’t pull on the seat in front of you—someone is sitting there!), unhook that seat belt to walk up and down the aisles at least three or four times depending on the length of the flight. This will help your circulation and you’ll feel better. If you have any circulation issues, talk to your doctor about the pros/cons of compression stockings/socks.
Wear loose shoes.
9. Don’t take your shoes off or you may not get them back on. It’s normal to swell up a bit on a flight, so the looser the shoes (and clothing), the more comfortable you’ll be when you disembark and take that long walk to exit the airport.
Travel with disinfectant wipes.
10. I always travel with disinfectant wipes. The liquid stuff serves a good purpose, but the wipes are handy to clean off the trays and armrests. It’s bad enough I’m breathing everyone else’s air, I try to de-cootie whatever surface I can. Yes, call me Felix Unger.
11. The other small packet I take are hand-sanitizing wipes. Although the bathrooms remain surprisingly clean (thank you, flight attendants), I’m a freak about clean hands.
Take snacks.
12. Take snacks. Gummies, we prefer Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers. Because they are chewable, they help with the cabin pressure by making our ears pop. Sometimes I’ll take Reese’s Pieces or a cut up apple—depends on if I’m feeling bad or healthy!
Food.
13. Food. Argh, don’t carry on McDonald’s. Nothing has ever smelled so foul as Mickey D’s in a confined space! Ocean trips are the last flights where they feed you dinner and breakfast. I used to get vegetarian meals because I don’t eat meat. They have now defaulted to Indian food as the vegetarian option. Now, I love Indian food—curry, the whole bit—but serving it on a flight where you’re sitting for hours? Not such a good idea. They offer always chicken or pasta. I opt for the pasta and all is good and…
14. I always carry Tums. What a tummy saver! Whatever your antacid of choice is, don’t forget to pack it.
15. Breakfast varies by airline. It can be something pretty decent or a dried up roll with maybe a real egg on it.
Motion queasy?
16. Motion queasy or a nervous flyer? Bonine works—even a half—and I used to rely on wrist bands.
Carry On … and other luggage to deal with.
17. We check a bag because husband overpacks for every trip. The essentials are tucked in my backpack: toothbrush/paste, eyedrops, mascara, underwear. You get the idea. The things I have to have for an overnight.
Passports.
19. Make sure you each carry a copy of both. Email a copy to yourself and to a friend. You never know.
About your jewelry.
20. About your jewelry: leave the bling at home. Let me state it again: do not take your diamonds or flashy jewelry with you. You’ll attract pickpockets and other unwanted attention.
Whether or not you’re a fan of flying, you’re reading this because your dream destinations are enough to lure you onto the planes, withstand the delays, and overcome the difficulties. I hope these ideas help alleviate some of the stress of getting where you want to go.
Hi Rose, all great ideas. Except if I drank a lot of water I think I would be an enormous pain in the rear to my seats mates as squeeze Past to go to the bathroom. Lol. One thing I sheets take with me is cough drops. It never fails, I get a sore throat from that recycled air blowing on me.
I hear you about the water thing–there’s a fine balance to be achieved between hydration and being a pain!
Great on the cough drops–you are right on that air drying me out. They’ve been added to the Travel Checklist. I’ll have to upload a new version of that with all the great ideas I’ve been given.
All good tips. For fellow motion-sickness sufferers, in addition to the wristbands, I recommend Stugeron – available in almost every country but the United States.
Thanks for adding that one, Nadine!
Yes, great tips Rose and along with the suggested eye mask above, I’d add a pair of socks so you can remove shoes if you wish (and won’t disgust your neighbors with foot odor, have experienced that from a fellow traveler!!). It’s far more comfortable to me to be able to walk around the cabin in sock feet during a killer 10-12 hour flight (and more sanitary than barefoot). I also like to take a light wrap/pashmina/shawl for the times that the a.c. is overpowering or if you just want to block the light and forgot your eye mask!
You’re right about adding the wrap to the list, Jamie. I’ve seen people do the sock-thing, too. For me, that would depend on which shoes I’m wearing. Gotta’ make sure I can get my feet back into them when we land.
Ew, foot odor. That’s like smelling McDonalds for me!
I relate to you about not being able to sleep on flights. I usually take the red-eye and I still can’t sleep. As far as snoring, my husband has sleep apnea. It is chronic because, when his orthodontist was realigning his teeth as a kid, he pushed his upper palette into his windpipe. So when he sleeps it gets blocked and then he snores loudly and can even stop breathing. At home he has a C-PAP machine which is helping save his life, but he can’t plug it in on a plane. And while he tries not to fall asleep… Read more »
Erica, I want to add another note to this comment. As a writer, I always, always know people have backstories. We all do–it’s like the Billy Joel “Stranger” song. There’s always more going on. I completely forgot to think that this snoring chap could quite easily have been your husband! Not so fun for him at all. Apologies!
Many a traveler is going to thank you for these great tips. I can see it now – everyone fighting over the aisle seat LOL. I liked all the tips but I think the one that will be appreciated most by other travelers is ‘don’t pull on the seat in front of you’. I can just imagine how annoying that would be. I also like the one about sanitizing the area around you. It’s like using shopping cards. Using your description, whose cooties were left behind?
HA! That’s right, Lenie! It’s like when people slap their trays down and shove them back up–it’s like: Do you not realize there is a person in front of you?
Cooties—tiny children who touch everything. Ha ha. I truly think I’m channeling Felix Unger at times. I never used to worry so much about germs!
Those are some great tips. I’ve yet to fly that long yet, but it should happen next year!
You will, Jason! What do you think your destination will be?
Good tips for surviving long flights. I used to be able to sleep on flights, but find it much more difficult now. I am going to try eye pads on my next overseas flight.
I forgot about the eye pads, Donna. Thanks for mentioning them. I’ve tried them–I use them i hotels all the time–but I still can’t sleep on the darned plane!
These are wonderful tips Rose! Having spent 20 years as a road warrior – mostly traveling to other countries – I’ve had more than my share of long trips. I believe the record was 36 hours thanks to snow storms and diverted flights. Learning to adjust to the time difference is especially important. I never had a problem traveling east to Europe, but man those trips to Japan, Australia and New Zealand killed me every time!
I can’t imagine a trip as far as Japan, Australia & New Zealand! But coming back from Europe always messes me up for at least a week. I just can’t seem to adjust.
Thanks for these great tips! I never thought about bringing the nose strips. That’s awesome!
That fellow was so loud, Sabrina. It was hysterical!
Maybe someday I’ll be able to try these……
Yes! That’d be great fun for you and me!
Great tips! It is so hard to stay up that first day tho!
Yes, but I torture you so well, don’t I?
Great tips! Especially about the water. Personally, I think it’s a mistake to down wine or liquor to sleep! I do only aisle seats too, because of all that water! LOL
I hear you about the wine, Jacquie. It doesn’t do anything for me—I’m still awake and I still crave water!
So true, Annette. I used to love a window seat, too. Now I only opt for one if I’m flying with my husband and there are only two seats on that side of the plane!
Good tips even for NOT so long flights. Two years ago I took my first plane trip in almost 30 years! I booked window seats so I could take in the scenery. Now I fly several times a year and have learned to book aisle seats so I can get up to use the restroom without climbing over my seatmates. I’ll do my sightseeing once I’m on the ground, thank you very much.