Staying Sane on Long Haul Flights

I didn't actually say WE stayed sane.

While it is possible to fly from Sydney, Australia to New York, USA in 20 hours (still a long haul), Tom and I managed to do it in more than 32. Yes, 32+ hours of transit.

Luckily, we are still together and like each other somewhat. Want to know how we survived? 

1.       Water. Drink at least twice as much water as you normally do, and say no to the alcohol unless you’re willing to drink three times as much water to counteract the dehydration it will bring.The air dries you out, and water will make you feel a little bit more human, and less mummified corpse. Lip balm helps with this too.

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This sequence of pictures made me really thirsty, anyone else? (credit to theilr, 2006)

2.       If you have two long haul flights and a decent stopover in between, consider getting basic lounge access. We had a fourteen hour flight, a four hour stopover, and then another fourteen hour flight before navigating USA customs and the subway. Don’t underestimate the moral boost a hot shower and some real food (not airline food!) can give you! 

We drank peppermint tea, ate some flat bread with boiled eggs, feta, hummus and tomatoes and had private hot showers with provided shower gel and shampoo. It was heaven. 

Make sure you pack a change of clothes in your day pack if you have more than carry-on:  it’s good practice anyway in case your luggage is lost!

3.    Listen to your body. Or Ipod. Do you want to watch a movie, or would you rather just sit there staring into space, or writing in your journal? Long transit days can be an opportunity to do whatever you want: you could be very productive or get nothing done, and that’s okay. Be nice to yourself. Though you may want to watch at least one movie to get your brother off your back.

4.       If you see a row of empty seats before take-off, QUICK! Throw a book or sweater over them. As soon as the seat belt sign goes off, get your lucky self to your bed for the rest of the trip! There’s nothing like the wonderful feeling of making a bed out of all the extra blankets and pillows and stretching out for a glorious nap. Sleeping also passes the time a lot quicker than blearily staring into space.  I should know, I did both.

MY pillows. Get your own.

5.       Be wary of talking to the person next to you. While some great conversations happen on planes, and I have gotten job offers that way, just be aware that you’re going to be next to that person the entire flight. Smile at them, hand them the peanuts and share the armrest. But please, for your own sanity, do not turn it into a full on social interaction. 

You cannot leave. 

I once had an eager man engage me in conversation at the gate, despite my obvious indications that I wasn't interested in talking. When we boarded the plane, I thought “Whew, finally I can relax.” Except that guess who was in the seat next to mine? In these situations, take out a book or earphones and politely tell the person that you just want to read/listen to music. In this case, he was asking me lots of personal questions and I just wasn't in the mood. 

A friend of mine had a guy she'd just met suggest they watch a movie together by pressing play at the same time. Don’t be afraid to assert yourself. If worst comes to worst, just imitate this cat.

6.       Bring healthy food. I have pretty much failed at this so far, partially due to my confusion about when you can bring your own food and water onto flights. But foods like bananas, nuts and apples are a lifesaver when you are sick of those weird TV dinner meals at random times. I once got served breakfast on a flight for three meals in a row. Not cool.

Customs and security would probably be totally fine with you bringing this in your carry on. It'd be, like, discrimination against fruit eaters if they stopped you. (photo credit to tedeytan 2008)

7.       It’s not over when you land. It sure is a relief when you get to your destination. But you still have to get through a few more obstacles, such as people being unfathomably slow at getting their bags out and bored customs officials. A few years ago, after a failed attempt at a routine fingerprint scan, I was asked by an annoyed official in a ‘damn, girlfriend’ tone whether I had a sweating problem. Since then, I don’t really get fazed by grumpy officials but I do play a game where I try to get a smile out of them.  Yes, I tend to lose that game but so what.

Good luck!

 Did I miss any of your favourite tips? Disagree? Let me know below!