How to Survive a LONG HAUL FLIGHT from a Frequent Flyer

Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel. Let's face it, long haul flights are not very comfortable. So this video I'm going to give you all of my tips to make that flight a bit more comfortable and how to help you adjust to your new time zone. I do also have an Amazon travel must haves video for long haul flight. Let's get into it. All right, the first thing you need to do is just mentally prepare for your long haul flight. If it's, I think I'm going to say over five hours, now we're talking long haul and that can be also within the United States. So like LA to New York, that's a long flight. Just going to be in a better mind frame that you're going on a long haul flight. You may be crossing a few different time zones and just getting your body and mind ready for it, I think is a great first step. And on top of just mentally preparing that you're going to be going on a long haul flight, you can start peeping at your new time zone. If you're changing time zones is when you get on the plane, go to your iPhone and automatically set your phone clock to the new time zone. That way when you're checking your phone throughout the flight, you know what time it is where you're landing. And at first it's very jarring. It's like, Oh my gosh, it is 4am. Why am I up right now? And it just helps get your mind ready for that new time zone. Another thing that you can do before long haul flight is consider doing some light exercise day before a stretching session, yoga, a light walk, just kind of get your body moving. It's because you are going to be sitting in one position for many hours. So I think if you have the opportunity, definitely take the time to move your body, stretch. I would avoid though doing like really excessive exercise unless you do it on a regular basis. Like nothing is worse than being like completely sore on a long haul flight. Number three is picking your seat strategically. Now this isn't just like some two hour flight. We are talking long haul and if you have the option, I know this varies between airlines. Some of them may be an extra charge, but if the charge isn't too much than you're willing to spend, I really, really suggest having a seat assignment. Some airlines, they don't even like give you a seat assignment until check in. And if that's you, you are going to be bound for a seat in the back and it's not going to be fun. Now it gets even more strategic than that. Obviously, no one wants to sit in the middle seat. If you're a middle seat lover, leave a comment down below because I would like to know why. Okay. But if you plan on sleeping during the flight, definitely pick a window seat. That way you can kind of lean on the seat. No one's going to bother you. If you have to use the bathroom though, you're going to have to ask two other people to either get up. So if you are a sleeper, if you don't want to be moved, if you don't have to go in the bathroom a lot, I would pick a window seat. If you're like me, I'm the type of person that needs to be able to get up when I want to get up. So I am an aisle seat girl. And if you are stuck in the middle, just, you know, that's where the mentally preparing comes in. You know, I have another trick. This is like my pro tip. If you are traveling in a group of two, like me and Al, we always travel together. So when I book my seats, I book him on a window and I book myself in an aisle and I leave the middle seat open normally because no one wants to sit in the middle seat. No one books that middle seat unless it's filled at check-in, which happens quite often, especially now because travel seems like every flight is full that I've been on recently, but I think it's a better bet. You may have a middle seat open. It has worked out for us in the past. So it's a gamble. If you are willing to take a gamble, I recommend why not try it? And also if you can avoid picking a seat near the bathroom, that's where people hang out. If they have to use the bathroom, they usually just stand there. And for me, I think it's kind of distracting. All right. My next tip is be early for your long haul flight. Nothing was more stressful than either missing a long haul flight because rebooking that is a bit more challenging because most long haul flights, no matter where you're flying, they don't have many options. If you have a layover, you're going to maybe delay your trip a day or two days. I know it's boring if you arrive at the airport. There's nothing to do. The food really isn't that good, but I think it's better than being stressed out. You never know how long you're really going to need at the airport. Last long haul flight, I was flying from Paris to New York and they always say arrive three hours early for an international and we needed every minute of those three hours. The line to check our bags wasn't long, but if you're checking bags, you need to account for that line. You need to account for security. And if you're flying internationally back to the US, they don't have like TSA pre. So everyone is in the same line. So that took like an hour and you're also leaving the country. So you have to go through custom. That line took an hour and a half after we got to the customs line. Our plane was already boarding and we were early for the airport. Allow yourself extra time just in case those things happen. Once you get on the plane, it's time to get cozy. So wherever you're seating, this is going to be your new home for the next five, six, 10 plus hours. So make it your own, make it comfortable, make sure all of your essentials that you want to use throughout the plane are right, right next to you or on the seat in front of you. Get your headphones out, get your blanket on because if it's international, they do give you a blanket. If you're not flying an international flight, I don't think they give you blankets. So I love this travel blanket from Amazon. It's super cozy. You could bring your own blanket, take off your shoes, but please wear socks, please. And better yet, wear compression socks and just get comfortable because this is going to be your little place for the next couple of hours down the seats with the antibacterial wipes. Get comfortable. The next tip is to make sure you have all of your essentials, but to sum it up quickly, I like to bring these clear containers. These are from Amazon and I keep my essentials in here because they're clear. So on the plane they usually dim the light sometimes and you can actually see what's inside. I would highly recommend bringing some eye drops. I would bring deodorant, lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste. I also have an electronics bag as well, so I have everything that I'm going to need on my plane right in front of me. And if you've been enjoying this video so far, please give it a thumbs up. That helps YouTube recommend it to other travelers like yourself so we can all endure a long haul flight together. Next tip is to stay hydrated. I know they say drink water, drink water, but for real, drink some water. So whenever they come by with a beverage cart, always get a glass of water. I highly recommend just bringing your own water bottle so you know if you're thirsty, you have something that you brought on. You could also bring some liquid IV that helps with some electrolytes, keep your hydration levels up. My favorite flavor is passion fruit and tropical punch. They're so good. And let's talk about that wine cart. If you're flying international, they do serve wine on the plane and they do not mind refilling your cup. And if you want to keep your hydration levels up, I highly recommend just skipping the wine cart altogether. I know it's hard and I am not one to judge. I love drinking wine, but if you're serious about keeping hydrated, the wine isn't really going to help you out. I would honestly just limit it to just one glass if you're going to go for the wine. The one thing about airplanes is that it's extremely loud. To survive a long haul flight, you're going to need earplugs or noise cancelling headphones. Noise cancelling headphones are honestly just a savior because all that noise is just blocked out. Conversations are blocked out. Now, if you don't have noise cancelling headphones, you have to bring some earplugs, 100%. I don't know how I would do a long flight without earplugs or noise cancelling headphones. I don't even go on like a two hour flight without it. Also, if you're listening to a podcast or watching a TV, the volume is at the perfect level. If you don't have noise cancelling, you have to crank up the volume like to full volume and you still can't hear anything. So the noise cancelling headphones are just essential for a long haul flight. And to stay more comfortable, I would definitely recommend bringing a neck pillow. I love this one from Amazon. It's an adjustable neck pillow and you can kind of form it to any weird position. So it's super comfortable to wear around your neck. It has like the foam in it is a bit more like sturdy. But also if you just want to hold it, if you just want to like cushion yourself against the seat, I just love this pillow. For any long haul flight, it's always best to be prepared and I would charge all of your electronics the day before or just before you get on the flight. So that means your cell phone, Kindle, let's say you're using an iPad, a computer, keep all those charged. You don't want to rely on the in-seat power outlets because sometimes they don't work and you don't want to wait it out to charge your devices to realize you cannot charge it. And because sometimes those in-seat power outlets may not work, I would have a portable power bank. That way you can charge your phone, the laptop, iPad, just in case those don't work. And another tip is to bring your own entertainment. If it's an international flight, you can bet there's going to be a TV in front of you. But if you're flying long haul within the United States, like LA to New York, there may not be a TV on your plane. So if that's the case, I would recommend bringing your own entertainment, whether that being podcasts, TV shows that you downloaded, and then also you can bring some non-electronical entertainment. You could bring a book, you could bring a card game if you want to play with like your friend that you're traveling with or your partner, crossword puzzles, Sudoku. You can bring like little game books as well just to keep yourself entertained just in case there is a TV in front of you. Now, before you go on a long haul flight and if you want to listen to podcasts, you have to pre-download them before you get on the plane. And I would do it at home where the Wi-Fi is good. I've been on a plane and tried to download a podcast before takeoff. And because the Wi-Fi service is horrible on a plane, it doesn't download in time before the plane takes off and I have no podcast. And to double check downloading podcasts, put your phone in airplane mode and play the podcast. And if it works, you're good to go because you're going to be on airplane mode on the plane. And if it works on airplane mode, you know for a fact that it's going to be working when you're on your flight. Speaking of in-flight entertainment and watching TV, I would avoid too much screen time on a long haul flight. I know it's tempting to like binge an entire series on a plane. I recently was watching The Morning Show on my last flight and it's so good. And they only had four episodes anyway to watch. And if you are flying like a red eye international kind of flight, definitely don't watch too much TV because you're supposed to be sleeping. One of the really good things about a long haul flight is that you are off of Wi-Fi. You are basically disconnected from the world. So if you need that time to like work on things, it's like the perfect opportunity because you're not going to get emails, you're not going to get text messages. You can kind of just like really focus on anything that you're working on. What are things that you always wanted to do but never are able to get done at home? Like bring it on the plane. Like if you want to do a face mask, do a face mask. I usually do like under eye masks. They're really nice. Bring a pen and paper and journal. If you want to research something and you have the Wi-Fi, like go do it. Like this is the time to kind of do those things that you never are able to do. Next tip is to wear your favorite comfortable clothing. Like it's essential to be comfortable, right? I would avoid jeans on a long haul flight and I would avoid fabric that's not breathable. And by the way, I found the most comfortable airplane pant. I will leave it on the screen right here. They are from Amazon. They're so comfortable. They're extremely lightweight, so they aren't overheating. And one of the things I forgot to mention in my Amazon travel must have this video is that when you're finding airplane pant, looking into the ankle band. So I know a lot of like pants have like an elastic ankle band. Now if they're too tight, once you sit down, that ankle band rides up on your calf and it actually can really hurt. So honestly, avoid those ankle band, like little elastic thing around your ankle. Trust me, I've actually worn a pair of pants that had an ankle band and it bothered me the entire flight. And thankfully the flight wasn't too long, but avoid those. That's why I like these Amazon pants because they're very flowy around the ankles. And if you are worried about your feet getting cold, I do recommend bringing some compression socks and also bring layers. I know for me, I get really warm and sweaty when I board the plane. I feel like it's not as cold, but once you're up in the air, it does seem to cool down a lot. Definitely just bring some layers so you can adjust to whatever the cabin temperature is. My next tip is just listen to your body. Flying through different time zones is really taxing on yourself. And if you feel like sleeping, sleep. And if that means you're sleeping at a weird time to where you're landing, just do it because if your body needs something, I don't recommend you forcing yourself to stay awake. Whatever your body feels like doing, do it. If you sleep throughout the whole flight, I mean, amazing. I feel like our bodies react more to no sleep than having too much sleep. Oversleep one day, I feel like it's not going to be as damaging as really not sleeping at all. The day before a long haul flight, be sure you get a great night's sleep. Just because like for me, I can't really get a good sleep on the plane. So if I had a bad night's sleep in my own bed and then have no sleep on a plane, I'm going to be like not in a good mood. Prep your body the day before, have an amazing sleep, go to bed early, hydrated, take a long shower and just like have a really great night's sleep. So once you get on that plane, if you aren't able to fall asleep, at least you had a really good night's sleep the day before. And then here are some of my tips to try to fall asleep on the airplane. For me, it's hard, but I actually implemented this on my last flight and it really did help me out. If you are flying a red eye flight that could be from the West Coast to the East Coast within the United States or from the United States to Europe, the first thing that you need to do when you get on that plane is try to psych yourself down to go to sleep. So take off your makeup, brush your teeth, kind of do your skincare routine. Usually on an international flight, they do feed you right as soon as you get on the plane. Eat the food, they'll take it away and that's your moment to fall asleep. Even though you may not be tired, put an eye mask on, put your headphones or earplugs in, put your blanket on and start closing your eyes. If you can just kind of get your body into that sleeping mode, at least trying to get some sleep helped me out on my last flight. You could also take some melatonin and make sure you have all the most comfortable clothing. And then once you land, how do you adjust that time zone faster? I mean, the first day is always just like the weirdest feeling because you're just like super tired. It's daytime, the sun's out and your body is just so confused. When you get to a new time zone, try to eat in the same schedule as a regular meal. So if it's dinnertime, eat at dinnertime and then try to stay awake until like your regular bedtime wherever you try to stay up until 10 so that you can sleep and kind of have an eight hour sleep schedule. Because if you fall asleep at 6 and you wake up eight hours later, you're going to be waking up at 2 a.m. and your body's probably going to be fine because it had eight hours of sleep and now you're up at 2 a.m. So try to stay awake as long as possible. It's so hard. But if you are going to a place with sun, try to get outside, get that sun on your body so your body can know that you're in like a new time zone. Usually when I do that, by the second day, I'm good, like I'm ready on the time zone. So it's kind of just like adjusting that first night's sleep and you should be ready to go. And last but not least, bring your own snacks on the airplane. International flights, they do feed you, but you could have a longer flight within the continental U.S. from, let's say, the East Coast to L.A., but they don't feed you anything. Even if the flight is like five hours, like I find that so wild, like how do they get away with it? You have to bring your own snacks to get you through. I love bringing these little chomps. These are beef jerky sticks. And I find energy bars like the ones that are like normally sweet, they literally do nothing for me. I eat one and I'm starving. So these kind of definitely cure my hunger a bit more than those. But I also like to bring a long haul, but like my own peanut butter jelly sandwich. Those are great because they don't have to be refrigerated the whole time. You can bring string cheese, yogurt, but you have to eat it again like before takeoff just because you don't want to be like sitting around too long. Those are more like my healthy snacks. I also like to bring trailme, nut allergies are a thing. If someone does have a nut allergy on the plane, they usually do announce it. Let me know if you do have a nut allergy and what your experience is with that, but I never had my own situation where I couldn't eat my own trail mix and pretzels are also pretty good snack. You can also bring your own snacks for an international flight, but I do find the food that they do feed you is pretty filling. So there you go. Those are all of my long haul flight tips for a better long haul flight. I hope you enjoyed this video and let me know down below where your next long haul flight is. I'd love to know where you're flying to and where you're flying from. I also do have some other Amazon travel must haves videos if you are traveling anywhere soon with that. I hope you guys have an awesome day and I will see you in the next one. Bye. Transcribed by https://otter.ai