Long haul flights are usually considered to be any flight over six hours.  Travelling between London and New Zealand, at the extreme end, is more like 26 hours plus a bit of hanging around at an airport halfway through.  It’s a long way, but there are ways of making the trip more enjoyable than your average endurance test.    

1. Bring good reading material. Even if you don’t consider yourself much of a reader, you will be glad to have an interesting book and some magazines on hand.   
2. Flick through the on-flight entertainment while it still worth the viewing effort.  Later in the flight you will be tempted to think that nothing is worth it.  Having flagged in your mind a couple of ‘good to see’ films, you can come back to them later.
3. Drink lots of water.  It is easy to get dehydrated while flying. Also, drinking lots of soft drinks can actually add to your sense of jet lag, so they should be avoided.
4. Have a little bag with in-flight essentials – reading glasses, a pen, book, tissues and moisturiser.  A bag with a string you can hook over the seat catch in front of you is handy. 
5. Wear flight socks.  They may not look particularly cool but your feet will thank you for it at the end of the flight. 
6. Wear loose clothing.  Fashionably tight jeans will not allow your body to swell with the pressure changes and will feel constricting and uncomfortable.
7. Wear shoes that are loose and can accommodate swollen feet and ankles at the end of the flight.
8. Take a travel pillow that will support your neck and head well.  
9. Exercise your feet and ankles during the flight and make sure you stretch regularly. Many of the in-flight magazines have suggestions on exercises you can do in your seat. You also will want to get up periodically and walk around.   
10. Don’t count the hours (or minutes).  Set your watch for the destination time and just settle in for a relaxing time.  After all, how often do you get to just sit around and relax for 10 or 11 hours?        

And most of all – try to sleep as much as possible and get out into the sunlight as soon as you can at the other end.  You’ll be surprised at how well you feel. Long haul flights are still a long haul, but by following these simple tips you will feel better when you arrive.              

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.