Tips For International/Long Flights

Dress in layers. Noise canceling EarPods. Download a few movies to your device in case you get stuck somewhere (I always watch the inflight movies because then I don’t need to juggle a device if I drift off.) I also carry a powerbank. A lot of seats now have outlets, but they are under the seat and I always trip over the cord.

My attitude with long flight is to upgrade your seat when possible and to just grin and bear it.

We did a 14ish flight during the holidays.
Bring
-Noise cancelling earbuds/headphones
-Neck pillow
- eye mask
- download things to watch/read (even in the cheap seats we had video entertainment but it was nice to have personal preferences available)
- dress in layers
- melatonin if you use it and the inbound country allows it
- power bank, charging cords, wall plug as well as USB type plug

* Our airline provided a pillow and blanket, even for the cheap seats.

For the time change we found it best to adjust as soon as possible before the flight, but definitely during the flight. So if your flight leaves during your destination's night time board knowing that you want to get settled and sleep as soon as you can.

I have a smart watch and was able to change the display to world clock showing my destination's time. I did this about 2 weeks ahead of departure just to help me wrap my head around the time difference.

We flew a red eye (11pm ish) and our destination's time was the early morning. I slept for a few hours and then stayed awake for as long as I could since the flight was during my destination's day time hours.

We also tried to adjust our sleep schedule the days before we left but we were dealing with a huge time difference so there was only so much that was practical.

I wore nice lounge pants/joggers with pockets and brought a top to change into for our arrival. I also like to have some basic toiletries to freshen up before landing also helps to wake me up if needed.

We have done the 17-hour flight between Auckland and Dubai several times, and so are well used to long flights now.

I like to check out what entertainment is on the flight in advance - with some airlines I can log in to their app and set up a playlist that I can access on board, with others I just write out a list of the movies, tv, music etc I want. It means I will see the things I want to see, and I know whether there will be enough to keep me occupied the whole time. There usually is!

I have a small bag inside my carry-on where I put the things I will actually need during the flight. Often there’s a hook on the seat in front where I can hang the bag so don’t have to keep rummaging around in my carry-on, or it goes into the seat pocket in front of me.

I always take everything out of the seat pocket in front of me, and put it all in the overhead locker, so that I can use the seat pocket for my stuff.

I wear compression knee-high socks.

I get up and walk a couple of lengths of the plane a couple of times an hour.
I also do leg exercises best I can, while seated. Things like calf-raises, lifting my heels do I am on tip-toes while seated etc. This is very dependant on your height of course, or rather, the length of your legs. Even just tensing and releasing different muscle groups in turn can help.

I try to find the balance between drinking enough and too much. I want to minimise having to go to the toilet as much as possible, so I actually don’t drink much at all during the flight. I figure I can always get stuck in to the water at my destination.

I allow myself one glass of wine and 1 cup of coffee on those long flights - both are diuretics and increase the need to urinate, so a one-glass limit. I mostly drink water.

The big thing, I find, is with expectations.
If I tell myself that it will be terrible, and I won’t be able to sleep, and I will feel awful - guess what happens! I will feel bad and I won’t sleep.
Instead I frequently remind myself in the days leading up to the flight, and during the flight, that I will snooze quite a bit, that it won’t matter if they are short snoozes because I can watch a movie then have another snooze. Of course, needing to sleep on a shorter 9-hour flight might not be necessary, it depends on the time of day.

And I absolutely expect to enjoy the flight. All those hours with nothing I need to do, someone to bring me food and drink at regular intervals, all the movies and tv shows I could want, time to write as much as I want in my journal……. What’s not to like!

Oh, I forgot one more thing I do on long haul flights. After dinner is served, I take out my contacts and use my glasses. I then put in fresh contacts in the morning after they serve breakfast. Since I wear dailies, I don't have to worry about cleaning my contacts.

I also bring an eye mask to wear while I am sleeping.

If you have a show you regularly watch before bed (for example, for me it would be the Office, Parks and Rec, or the Golden Girls), try to watch an episode or two before you need to sleep on the plane according to the new time zone. I find it helps, as I am already used to falling asleep while they are playing at home. Sometimes these shows are available on the in-flight entertainment system, but if not, download a couple episodes on your phone (Peacock has both the Office and Parks and Rec, while Disney+ has the Golden Girls).

Be sure to go through all of your bags before packing and make sure you didn't leave any loose ammo or bullets in your bags or pockets.

Ambien. No matter how comfortable the seat, I cannot sleep on a plane without it. My doc will prescribe a few pills before I travel.

I always just wear my glasses on long flights and pack my contacts.

Oh and audio books. I struggle to read or watch anything on a plane. No idea why. I always make sure I have plenty downloaded in Audible. I usually take a simple crochet project as well to have something to do with my hands while I listen.

I take Airborne whenever I fly. I feel like I’m healthier on my trip and once I get back home.

Youd have to check the TSA website. I believe crochet hooks are fine as they arent pointy. Knitting needles, I think are supposed to be allowed, but it depends on the TSA agent ajd the day. That is a 2 year old recollection though