Long-haul Flight Tips

In case you didn't know, I live in Australia. I also went on a trip to Europe 

last year which involved 24 hours of travelling to get there. It took two flights of fourteen and ten hours with a stopover in between. After getting there and back, I can consider myself an expert in travelling on long plane flights and I would like to share with you some of my top tips on making it as smooth as possible. 

Carry-on Luggage

What do you pack in your suitcase and what do you pack in your carry on luggage? It is difficult when you have to pack to last for 14 hours, so here is what I did and found useful. I took a backpack full of the necessary things to get me through. This included a magazine and a book, headphones, my phone, iPad and chargers. I took basic toiletries such as my toothbrush and toothpaste, lip balm, face wash etc. These sorts of things are useful for freshening up between flights too. Also, some fluffy, bed socks and a beanie (more on that later). Just try not to over pack your carry on because you will still need to lug it around the airport with your other luggage.

Sleeping

Long haul flights usually involve changing timezones and there will probably be a time during your flight when the lights will go off and you will be encouraged to get some sleep. I understand that this can be difficult whilst in a seated position surrounded by strangers, so 
here are my tips.

Some people wear eye masks but I have found them kind of uncomfortable at times so I would recommend bringing a beanie instead. By simply pulling it over your eyes while you sleep, it gives a cosy sensation and blocks out light and muffles noise so that you can get some rest. Also, don't feel pressured or get frustrated when you cannot sleep because it is quite likely that you won't get much sleep, if any on a plane flight. In this case simply rest your eyes and relax. I downloaded a 30 minute meditation guide to listen to which helped me to rest and shut down for a while too. There are usually individual screens on long hauls flights which means that you can watch movies to fill in the time if you cannot sleep. I also found watching a movie and just pausing it to 'sleep' when I got tired also helped.

Food

With changing time zones, the meals you will receive whilst on a long haul flight can be quite strange but you have to take what they offer. Some of the food isn't very nice, but I would recommend eating what you can because otherwise you will get VERY hungry. The snacks they offer during the 'night' are usually exactly what you feel like so I would also suggest taking them when they are available. 

With your meals you will probably get some water but if you ask an air hostess, they can refill your whole drink bottle so you can have it whenever you need. Another tip would be to drink a lot. Your body is adjusting to its strange environment whilst flying and with time difference, you need to help it out by keeping hydrated.

Lastly, make sure you move your legs and stretch your back every so often and make trips to the bathroom even just to get up and move for a little bit. Don't have bags resting on top of your feet because it could leave bruising after some hours.

There you have it! I hope this will make any future long haul flights easier for you and you can agree with my tips if you have had experience in these sorts of flights yourself. Thanks for reading my post, please keep exploring my blog and come back next week for more.

~Inkpot Blogger