While wailing babies, airsick people, and noisy families are the worst of your problems on flights, you know the ordeal will be over in a couple of hours when you touch down on the tarmac and make your way to the exit. But what do you do on a 12-hour long flight where your worst nightmare can be dehydration, stiff muscles, jet lag, and irritable bowels? It just got a whole lot scarier, didn’t it? Stay cool, amigo, because we got your back! Here are a few ways you can make the most of your journey on long haul flights without stressing out about making it through the voyage in one piece!
1. Get yourself an upgrade
Using all those air miles that you thought you’d never be able to use. You are now going to thank your lucky stars because long flights can get really uncomfortable, and where you sit makes a huge difference, every time. Get yourself a window seat to enjoy a snooze that is undisturbed by food and beverage carts or people walking up and down the aisle.
2. Dress for ultimate comfort
Your fashion sense and style statements can definitely wait for when you’re back on solid ground because on the flight you’re going to need all the comfort clothing you can manage. Ditch tight jeans, short skirts, and any other constricting clothing, and switch to loose tees, stretchy pants, scarves, sweaters, and hoodies that can be used to curl up in, whenever you feel like it.
3. Take control of your jet lag
A lot of airlines offer in-flight alcohol and people often make use of the same to knock them out for a couple of hours; this isn’t advisable, as alcohol is a dehydrating agent and a depressant, and it can make you crankier than you already are on a long flight. Calculate the time difference between time zones, and set alarms to remind yourself to hit the sack.
4. Keep the blood flowing in your muscles
Sitting in a designated place for long hours can cause extreme discomfort to your limbs, and cut off the blood circulation altogether, bringing on the pins and needles the next time you decide to shift positions. Walk up and down the aisle every couple of hours to stretch your limbs, and make good use of the long strolls to the washroom. You can also be seated and periodically rotate your feet in a circular motion every 15-30 minutes and stretch to keep your muscles moving.
5. Get a whole lot of entertainment onboard
All those movies you’ve never had the time to watch with a hectic work schedule, those books that were abandoned halfway because you couldn’t keep your attention from drifting from the pages, and those TV shows you know you’d love to binge-watch are going to easily keep you hooked for hours on end. Use the opportunity and you should have absolutely no trouble counting down the hours to landing back on the ground.
6. Invest in sleeping aids
May it be noise-cancelling headphones, eye masks, earplugs, or your favourite travel pillow – grab them all and settle in comfortably to cocoon yourself as much as possible when between noisy babies, loud passengers, and all other noises that can potentially make your irritable even before you’ve had a chance to acclimatise to the environment around you.
7. Nourishment and hydration
Drink tons of water and keep yourself hydrated as much you can. Yes, it’s going to be annoying to get up and visit the loo so often, but your body will thank you for keeping it functioning as normally as possible because flying in a metal tube for more than 10-12 hours can take a severe toll without you even realizing it. Also, munch on light snacks to keep yourself adequately nourished, but don’t go overboard with the food, as you definitely don’t want to feel bloated and in constant discomfort.
Here’s wishing you a pleasant journey and a fantastic flight!
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