Traveling on overseas flights can be overwhelming. You can often arrive exhausted, bloated and frustrated. The problem is that perhaps you have to rush straight to a business meeting or your vacation time is limited and you want to see as much as possible starting right away.
Here are some travel tips for surviving long flights that will help make it a more enjoyable (or at least tolerable) experience and hopefully arrive more refreshed and ready to go.
Tricks and Tips for Flying Overseas
Tips Before You Fly:
- Pack essential items in your carry on: Useful items to have in your carry-on include disinfectant wipes for cleaning the arms of your seat and tray table; wipes for cleaning your hands and refreshing your face; a small pack of tissues, as the changes in plane temperature can make your nose run; eye drops; chap stick and a travel size tube of hand lotion will also help with the dryness. Drinking lots of water will also help with dry skin. Of course also pack any prescription medication, over the counter pain reliever, eye glasses and toiletries. Chewing gum may also help with the effects of air pressure on your ears and sinuses.
- Book the right seat: It goes without saying that if you have the opportunity to upgrade to business, first class, premium economy or even an exit row in coach you will be more comfortable. If you anticipate being able to fall asleep and want minimal interruptions, try to get the window seat so you disturb someone else when you need to stretch or go to the bathroom, rather than having them disturb you. Window is also preferable because if you have an aisle seat people will tend to touch and pull the back on your seat to walk more steadily to get to the restroom. On the other hand if you know you won’t get much sleep, then an isle seat will allow you to get up and stretch more often. A great site to use to research airline seats is SeatGuru.com as they have maps for every type of plane and will provide information on the best and worst seats, as well as important tips, for example is a seat doesn’t recline, which isn’t always obvious on airline owned websites. If you are not on a sold out flight, try asking to be moved to another seat about 20 minutes before departure.
- Clothes: Pack a baggy t-shirt or lose fitting shirt to wear while you are trying to sleep. Have a pair of socks to wear for comfort while sleeping…it will not only keep your feet warm, but help with circulation. They are not as comfortable, but if you are concerned with swelling, wearing knee hi compression socks for a few hours may help. Also, be sure to wear very comfortable shoes, as your feet will swell. We have seen people wear tight boots and not be able to close them when they arrive to their destination.
- Snacks: You will be served at least one snack and a meal depending on the length of your flight, but please carry some breakfast or power bars, as it can be a long time from the light breakfast until you eat your next meal. You also never know when you are going to experience flight delays, and it is expensive, and sometimes difficult to find healthy food options at some airports. Trail mix, cheese (such as Babybel or string cheese,) apples, baby carrots & air popped popcorn are all easy items to pack in a ziplock or plastic container, and are healthier options than airplane food. Power bars are a great option. Consider packing lemons, cherries & bananas. Sucking on a lemon or adding it to your water or tea, will help ensure you do not get bloated on your flight, as lemon acts as a natural diuretic for the body. Lemon also help build up your immune system. Tumeric also boosts your immune system so consider tumeric tea or pills prior & during your travels. Bananas have a lot of potassium magnesium which will help your muscles not cramp up and cherries are a good source of Melatonin which will help you reset your clock to the time change. Ginger & Goji berries are said to help with sleep as well. As it turns out, ginger also helps with digestion and motion sickness.
- Bring things to do: a good book, magazine, an I-pod, Soduko, crossword puzzles…they all help pass the time.
- Earphones: Bring your own noise cancelling head phones if you want to listen to the music, watch movies or sleep…the ear phones provided by the airline do not block out sound as well.
- Change your schedule: If you can, a few days before you leave on your trip, try to start shifting your eating and sleeping times to those closer than the place you are traveling to. Even a gradual change by an hour or two will help the transition.
Tips During Your Flight:
- Hydrate: Your body is not used to the altitude and cabin pressure which can cause several things including bloating, dry skin, scratchy eyes, itchy nose…all symptoms of dryness. Water will help relieve all of these as well as prevent dehydration. Be sure to buy a large bottle of water at a vendor near your departure gate to keep hydrated. Yes there are bottles of water available onboard, but they are small and often take a long time to get them from flight attendants. It is recommended to drink 8 ounces for every hour of your flight. If you avoid water on flights because of the small and sometimes smelly bathrooms, still drink some water every hour, and just make sure and drink extra water prior to your flight. As a matter of fact it’s a good idea to have plenty of water the day before your flight and when you land as well. While we are on the subject of water, let’s address alcohol. Most articles advise against having alcoholic drinks. Our opinion? Go ahead. Have a cocktail before dinner. It will relax you so you can fall asleep easier. Just keep it to one so you don’t get dehydrated. Also avoid having large amounts of caffeine while flying.
- Sleep: If you tend to have trouble sleeping, bring a sleeping pill or perhaps Benadryl, as it is hard to fall asleep, particularly when flying coach. Do not take anything like Ambien without consulting your doctor, or if you will have a connecting flight. While waiting to board a flight, passengers have fallen asleep and missed their connection. Also please note, do not experiment and take something you have never had before. Another option is to try to take a few naps rather than forcing yourself to sleep at a particular time. Consider purchasing a travel pillow that wraps around your neck for better support. Still take the pillow provided by the airline, as you can use it for your lower back or to put on the arm rest to lean on. Eye masks and ear plugs can also be helpful.
- Exercise: Try to get up and walk every couple of hours. We realize that can be easier said than done, with people and carts going up and down the isles, but stand up and stretch, or if you are stuck in your seat do things like calf raises, arm circles, neck rolls, shoulder raises, ankle circles and knee lifts, which will all help with your circulation and therefore less bloating and swelling.
We’d love to hear some of your helpful travel tips for flying overseas.
