After reading this article from The Traveler Zone website last week, I was inspired to write my own guide on how to survive a long haul international flight. I've been flying to and from Hong Kong since I was 15 months old and only in recent years have they managed to get that flight time down to 14 hours, so I feel I qualify as an expert on the subject.
Everyone seems to have different methods and ideas on how to make long flights more humane... have a drink to help you sleep, don't have a drink lest it make your jet lag worse; sit in the emergency row for more leg room, don't sit in the emergency rows because they're next to the washroom... We all know upgrades are an obvious answer but speaking as your average thrifty traveller, I already paid enough for this plane ticket, I am not paying any more! So let's just work with the cards we've been dealt...
Flight time can certainly be taxing on our bodies, but flight comfort plays a part as well. A 15 hour flight to Hong Kong on an Air Canada or Continental craft with newer seats and more leg room is sometimes only minimally worse than the time I flew on an old Zoom Airlines (remember them?) plane for 7 hours to London; I remember zero leg room and chairs so 'retro' there were ashtrays built into the arm rests!... Still, one shouldn't underestimate the discomforts 15 hours of being trapped on a small craft can bring, so it's important to do what you can to improve the situation.
Find Physical Comfort
It's true, unless you're in Business or First Class, this may well be a pipe dream. I'm 5'7" with a bad knee and poor circulation, half my carry-on contents are an assortment of pills and accessories designed to alleviate pain and soreness. I favour my inflatable neck pillow (depending on how much I inflate it, it provides a customizable amount of cushioning) or memory foam pillow for my lower back usually. I'm also the sort who takes off my shoes on the plane (feet swelling in my shoes doesn't sound comfy to me) so I bring an extra pair of socks to keep my feet warm (slippers work too). It's not all about slumping into your chair properly though, human beings need to move and stretch their muscles. So after the food carts have gone by but before they dim the cabin lights, you might want to consider doing a little stretching in the aisles or pace back and forth for 5 mins. The area outside of the washrooms are usually a little roomier, I like to get in my stretches there.
Maximize SleepWith some physical comfort should come a bit of sleep. On a long flight I figure if I can manage to sleep at least 5 or 6 hours of it away, that's already half the flight in the bag (let's face it, the bottom line is how to effectively kill all that time). The cabin crew helps out by dimming lights between meals etc. but sometimes your body isn't quite functioning on their schedule, or even worse, the screaming child behind you isn't on the same schedule. You can usually request blankets and really flat pillows from the cabin crew, in addition I keep an eye mask handy. I fall asleep better to soft music so hello ipod! If you sleep better in silence, bring earplugs. Put it all together (minus any babies in the vicinity) and you should have enough sensory deprivation to get you to sleep.
Minimize Boredom
A person can only sleep for so long I guess, especially while crammed like a sardine into an airplane seat. The rest of the flight is spent puzzling over how to pass the time. You'll hopefully have thought ahead and brought a book, laptop, Nintendo DS, journal, sudoku, crocheting, cat's cradle, whatever... The personal entertainment consoles on the newer planes aren't bad either, I've caught my share of good movies on those 4 inch screens (though I may be the only person crazy enough to watch a CGI epic like Thor for the first time on an airplane screen)
Optimistic as I try to be that the above can get me through a long haul flight, I know better than to leave home without an arsenal of painkillers, muscle relaxants, and sleep-aids. It's best to have the tried and true handy, but in a pinch anything will do so long as you use as directed. I like Robax Platinum best, my back ceases to feel a thing for 4 hours, and something in those pills knocks me out every time. I've also tried Advil Nighttime, which doesn't quite soothe the muscles as well but has a proper sleep-aid (make sure only to use when you're able to get a full night's sleep, I took it halfway through an 8 hour flight and the effects had not worn off yet by the time I landed). If you're in favour of a natural remedy, melatonin works as well (I find I need 6-8mg for it to be effective and will need at least 6 hours of sleep).
There are people who are able to step off a long haul flight fresh and alert, strutting off to customs in a designer leather jacket and high heeled boots. That's never going to be me, but I'll do what I can to look and act human.
