Long Haul Flight Tips

Long Haul Flight Tips

So...Recently I made an Informative Powerpoint on for a class on what you should do when you fly on LONG flights in Economy and these are some of the tips that I put together for the powerpoint. I hope you ENJOY and that this is helpful for you on your next flight :) 

Pre-Flight Preparation

• Play with the dates and airport codes and locations
• I live in the Washington DC area and that means I can fly out of IAD (Dulles International Airport), BWI (Baltimore-Washington International Airport), & DCA (Ronald Reagan Airport)...BUT Since I live in Washington there is also a WAS airport code that covers all of the airpots but all of those code will bring up different flight prices even tho WAS covers all it can even have different flights especially when doing award travel. 
• If you have the flexibility try different dates, as well as try to book to fly in the middle of the week for cheapest prices 
• Don’t always pick the cheapest …its better to pay a hundred more than have to spend 12 more hours commuting. When I was going to Beijing, last trip they wanted me to fly from IAD to London Gatwick and have a 5 hour layover and get to London Heathrow…that would have just been a huge headache. Thats over an hr in commuting and and at least another hour going through customs. 
• Watch your Layover times
• You have to watch layover times if you are coming back or going to a foreign country. When I came home from Beijing I was in line to go through customs for an hour, if I had a connecting flight it would have been impossible to catch it if the layover was shorter than 2 hours
• Pick a good seat
• Picking a good seat is different for everyone
  …since I usually fly united I can tell you at least purchase Economy Plus…on a flight to Beijing that’s about $150 each way but those 5 extra inches are soooo valuable they are the difference between being able to open your laptop or not.
• Also this is more personal but pick an Aisle seat…I am always hydrating myself on long flights so I get up to go the restroom…often…especially because I’ll think about it, so that forces me to try even if I don’t need to. I remember being stuck in a window seat one time…OMG I think my seat mates hated me because of how often I got up and after that I vowed never to sit in the window again unless it was a super short flight…but maybe you are the type of person who never gets up during a flight and really wants to see the view for the 30minutes that there is view, more Aisle seats for me

• SeatGuru is great for picking out seats and more specifically seeing which seats are awful, SeatGuru is also good for telling you where the outlets are on the plane, as well as if there are any movie players in your area, and where the bathrooms and galleys are. 

•  If you are pro Aisle like me try and get seated in the middle set of seats because if your asleep the people in the middle can always exit the other side and leave you alone. It is also good because sometimes some airlines like United will only have movie players through the plane and the middle set of seats is the only group with the big screen 
• FOOD
• For long flights you can request a meal this is a must if you have special dietary request such as Vegan, Kosher, or even children's. You must do this before the flight like at least a week before you can usually do it online but if not make sure you make a call to the airline to make sure you get your requested food.
•  It is nice because you do get your food before everyone else and you don't have to worry about them running out of an option. I personally order the Children's meal because I am a picky eater, but that doesn't always mean the food is good, just that its generally plainer than the meal everyone else gets on the plane. I usually ALWAYS hate the breakfast for kids, even the adult breakfast is usually foul...the eggs are just yuck...Sometimes for the kids breakfast they give me these apple cinnamon filled pancakes and they aren't horrible..but I can never stomach more than 1 and the potatoes are bleh...I wouldn't count on enjoying your breakfast in Economy...The Lunch/Dinner and Snack are usually pretty okay tho.
• I have also generally found the food is somewhat based on where you are coming and going to on international flights...for example on my last flight home from beijing they had a chinese dinner and an american dinner...although you could get either americans usually got the chicken and potatos I cant remember the Chinese dinner but, many Chinese on the plane did get it. The snack was Cup of Noodles, I guess they felt both guests would like it. 
• Check your Passport and for Visa's 
• Make sure your passport is valid most countries will not allow you to enter a country if your passport is expiring in the next 6 months, since most passports are for 10years this usually isnt a problem 
• If you do not have a passport you will need to apply according to the Department of State who issues passports the routine process time is 4-6 weeks with expidited of 2-3 weeks, however they do have ways to get them faster but it will take a lot of your time and money. For more information go to travel.state.gov. 
• The state department website also lists what visa’s you need to go to certain countries. When I got to Beijing I need to pay $130 and wait about a week to get my visa but if you lived out of DC it would take substantially longer, I am lucky to live in DC since all of the embassys are here and I can just visit embassy to get a visa but for those who live far from embassies must make sure you give yourself ample time to acquire a visa.
• When should you head to the airport
• Most of the time nothing is going to go wrong but if it does most people generally stick to the 2 hour rule of thumb
• You have to be careful though because airlines have baggage cutoffs for United its 45mins before takeoff, but if there is a long line to get to the counter that could take 30mins then another 30 at least going through security you really need to pad your schedule. 
• For Example: Right after the attempted bombing on the flights in the UK, I flew the next morning and the airport was cautious and you couldn't’t get anywhere they ended up having to hold the plane because so many people were trying to get through. 
• Also, I’ve also been to LAX and have it take the 2 hours to go through security you just never know. But now that security procedures are very streamline and most pople know what to do you can usually cut it closer. The question is are you willing to risk missing your flight? 
• Here is a fun youtube video to get you through security



What to bring on your flight

• Pack as light as Possible & Lock Compartments
• Pack as light as possible I recommend just bringing a backpack, I have a hurly backpack that has compartments for everything and this is important on long flights and don’t forget to get LOCKS I get regular travel locks with a key…all the same key then I usually attach the key to something on my body this makes you feel more secure when you decide to sleep on the plane, don’t want your passport to go missing, and if it’s a key its easier to open in the dark then trying to put in a combination and trust me you will be in the dark, even if its light outside they want people to have the ability to sleep, and watch movies.
• If you must bring a carry-on piece of luggage make sure that you are within the airline regulations, as well as any other airlines that you are flying on in other countries. For example United.com  states that your carry on baggage cannot be bigger than 14 inches x 9 inches x 22 inches but the weight is generally unrestricted on US Carriers so best to pack books there. However when I was flying on Quantas airlines within australia they also added the restriction that it could not weight over 10lbs and when I was in Uluru, Australia I got a horrible customer service agent who made me repack my luggage multiple times…it literally made me want to cry she was such a stickler. So to save your piece of mind, prepare ahead of time. 
• Pack Medications in Carry-ON
• Always make sure you bring all necessary medications, I usually bring one Ziploc with toiletries such as moisturizer, Chapstick, contact lens solution, and my necessary meds to go through security but make sure you have you medical labels if you are bringing pills, My inhaler and EPI-Pen don't need to have med labels but my Ambian has to be labeled to me in my name with a description of the pill in order to get through security. 
• WATER! 
• Water is a must on long flights, occasionally you cannot bring water on a plane for example when I was flying to DC from Beijing, I was not allowed to being any beverages on the plane, they had an additional security check when boarding the airplane for liquids, but in most cases especially when leaving the US you can grab a beverage and bring it on the plane. Staying hydrated is important for your blood flow while on these long flights. 
• SNACKS!
• The TSA no longer screens food, you can bring a sandwich but I recommend granola bars, or some other snack just incase the inflight food is so foul that you wont be starving on your flight. 
• Neck Roll Pillow
• Neck Rolls save your neck on these long flight, on long flights they will have enough blankets and super flat pillows for everyone on these long flights since most people will try and sleep, so NEVER bring a blanket...If you are in economy it is imperative to have a neck roll because you don't usually sleep sitting you can get neck aches leaning your neck from side to side...I leave mine on even when Im watching movies to give myself neck support on long flights. 
• ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!!!!
• Entertainment in very valubable on long flights you should bring you ipad, or laptop loaded up with blockbuster movies and noise cancelling headphones. 
• I personally think you should bring many different platforms of entertainment on the plane. You will need something to entertain you while you are taking off and landing and when they are long flights these times are also longer….a magazine wont be enough…I recommend a book or at least 2+ Magazines.
• On my 13+ Hour flights I bring my laptop, iPad, 2 iPods, and Nintendo DS, I make sure all are charged well. 
• I also bring many different sets of headphones along with my noise cancelling ones I bring my apple in ear headphones because regular headphones don’t usually block out enough sound, the ones the airlines provide in economy as worthless, and if 1 pair of headphones breaks I have backup.
•  If you are lucky enough to be on a plane with movie players, it will make you so much happier, I recommend trying to make sure when booking to choose a flight with personal movie players…with United that’s picking a Boeing 777 over a Boeing 747.  USE SeatGuru when booking to see what each plane has...movie players are worth their weight in gold on long haul flights especially if you have young children...they can watch disney and you can watch the newest movie...not having to share...

What to wear to fly

• I usually wear a sweatsuit such as a Juicy Sweatsuit or an Adidas Sweatsuit if your a male.... Your body expands when you fly, as well as you generally want to sleep on a flight so comfort is key! 
• LAYER UP 
• Just because its warm where you are doesn't mean it will be on the plane
• Layering up is great because 
• #1 you dont have to pack the jacket in your luggage space
• #2 it gets really really cold on planes and 
• #3 you can always use some layers as a pillow. 
• Shoes 
• You should wear tennis shoes on a plane somthing with rubber treading just in case there is an emergancy Rubber soled shoes are key...while you are on the plane 
• I reccomend some cheap slippers you can throw away when your done because your not going to want to wear your tennis shoes for 13+ hours and your going to need to walk around and use the bathroom but your not going to want to put those shoes back in your backpack after they have touch the ground of an airplane restroom. 
• DO NOT wear perfume
• ...that is just disrespectful of everyone in your area it would be especially harmful for those who are allergic to the smell and have to sneeze for 13+ hours 
• This also applies to scented lotions

When to board the plane 

• There is one question key to knowing when to board a plane...
• HOW MUCH LUGGAGE!!!
• If you are flying on a 6+ hour flight you will most likeley be boarding a plan with anywhere from 400-500 seats depending on how they are arranged on that plane. Thats 
• Thats 499 possible other passengers!
• I usually bring a backpack, but people bring more on board especially since they have imposed high luggage costs
• If you do have roller luggage...get on the plane AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, this should allow you to get your luggage in an overhead compartment because there is NEVER enough room anymore...they will check your roller for free if they run out of room BUT if you have valuables, and breakables in your roller luggage checking wont be an option for you
• If you just have a backpack and don't mind sharing your floorspace get on the plane as late as possible loading can take around 45mins if everyone has to board the plane...thats 45mins of sitting on the plane longer than you need to!

Thanks for the time you spent reading this and be sure to send me a message if you have any questions or comments and I will respond promptly! HAPPY FLYING!

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