Best practices for long flights.
A British Airways 747-400 lands in Las Vegas (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Long-haul flights can be a killer for the mind. You’re sitting in your seat for upwards of six hours at a time, and if you’re squished in between two other people, you’re probably not going to have a relaxing time at all!
That makes staying sane a little on the tricky side. You need to have time and space to yourself, but when you’re crammed into a plane with loads of other passengers and limited room, there’s not really anywhere you can go or anything you can do.
It’s why so many people save up for the business class tickets when they’re going to be in the air for a long time! More legroom and a bit more privacy go a long way!
But no matter where you’re going to be sitting on your next long-haul adventure, we’ve got a few things you can try to help maintain your sense of equilibrium and touch down with all your brain cells on the other side.
(Photo: Pexels Image – CC0 Licence)
Long-haul flights are not the place to wear your best outfits. You need to be dressed in clothing that’s comfortable to wear and you’re not going to feel stuffed into or constricted by.
Nothing too tight, and try to forego accessories like belts, but don’t feel you have to go too loose either. Whatever clothing you feel the most comfortable in, wear it onto the plane, even if that means you’ve got loungewear on.
Some flyers may also want to take compression socks onto the plane with them as well.
If you’ve got an internet signal while you’re up in the air, you’re going to have a much better time of things! Flight mode is good for anyone who wants to switch off when they’re traveling, but for anyone who has long hours on the plane ahead, that lack of signal might just be the final straw.
So even if it’s pricey, pay for access to the in-flight Wi-Fi. Once you’re logged on and can access your favorite sites, apps, and games, you’re not going to run out of ways to stay entertained.
You can play a few rounds of spider solitaire first, then switch to check what’s been uploaded to YouTube, then spend some time in that idle farming app you’ve been playing for at least ten years now.
And even better, you’ll be able to stay up to date and in the loop on social media too. You can even message a friend to vent about the experience and they’ll be able to answer you.
Noise-canceling headphones mean you can literally block the rest of the plane out. You can pop them in or over your ears, turn on the thing you want to watch or listen to, and forget that you’re even surrounded by other passengers.
This way you can get some peace and quiet without having to section yourself away from anyone else. Bye-bye to the sound of the passenger in the seat behind snoring their head off!
Of course, if you want to stay updated on what the cabin crew are saying, you’ll have to pop an ear out, but otherwise you can get blissfully caught up in what you’re focusing on. Honestly, never approach an airport without a pair of these in your carry-on.
If you’re in an aisle seat, you can get up and wander around at your leisure. That can make long-haul flights all the more bearable simply because you get to stretch your legs.
Get up out of your seat as and when you like – of course, if it’s night time you need to be respectful about the noise level – and take some time to pace.
If parts of your body have been going numb since you’ve been sitting, a little exercise like this every couple of hours will really help. It’s also quite good for the brain, as it provides a small change of scenery and helps the blood to flow all the way around the body.
If you want to make sure you’re feeling A-OK the next time you’re booked in for a hefty few hours in the air, use these four tips. They’re not magical, and your mileage may vary with all of them, but they can make a difference to how enjoyable the flight feels overall.
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