I’m a survivor! 10 tips to help you survive an extra long flight.
How to survive loooong flights.
We all have visions of far away places, but until they invent hover cars and teleportation (hurry the hell up science!! Tf...) we still have to take long ass flights.
We dread them,
but we also can’t wait until they happen because it means exploring new places, seeing new things, and relaxing on vacation.
As I gear up to head to South Africa, the number one concern the people coming with me have is surviving the exxxxtra long flight there and back.
I wanted to create a quick post full of info to help make your 8+ hour flight fly by.
So, of course I asked the omnipotent, all knowing, undefeated internet to help give me the best tips to share wit all my friends.
So here are 10 tips to help you survive a flight.
1. Snacks!
My mom always gets on me about having snacks every time I travel because you never know what can happen, which is honestly so true. I have heard so many horror stories about people being trapped on a plane or in the airport, so having a lil chex mix is always a great idea.
Airplane food is notoriously bad in most people's opinion (I personally am super simple and easy to please) regardless of the airline. So if you are a picky eater, or if you want some comfort for food, its a great idea to pack your faves. or come with a whole meal.
2. Entertain yourself!
Movies, good books, Netflix, fave TV. shows, games, etc.
I personally am a fan of passing my time watching movies because I hardly ever go to the movies and its a great way to catch up on popular TV shows. I usually end up counting down the time in shows like "If I watch 3 more episodes of The Office we'll be there!" so don't forget to download some entertainment.
bring books/magazines if you're a reader, puzzles like sudoku, some new music can keep you busy, whatever you like to do.
3. Sleep!
With the help of sleep aids is probably the number one thing people advised. I honestly don't take things beyond melatonin gummy's and wine.
The most common ones people recommended were Melatonin, Benadryl, Xanax, Dramamine, and NyQuil.
Now listen:
*Mally is NOT a doctor, she is just equally as smart as one. However, bish consult your own medical professional before taking anything*
Lots of people also recommended staying up the night before so you are exhausted.
4. Dress comfortably!
I know you might be trying to find your husband in the airport but don't push your cuteness to the extreme. I always dress for comfort on the plane and save the cuteness for the actual trip. You want to make sure that you wear something soft like yoga pants, a couple layers in case you get hot or cold, some socks for your feet, the right undies (a comfy bra, underwires and sexy push ups tend to expire, and I personally don't want a thong in my ass for over 8 hours). Just make sure you can move and not have to worry about a whole bunch a rearranging.
5. Move around/ stretch on the plane.
It's always a good idea to get up and do some walking around and stretching.
It can be difficult if you're in the window seat, but if the other people in your row get up to go to the bathroom etc, thats your time sis!
Do some basic, simple stretches near the bathroom and it'll make you feel 10x better.
6. Drinks!
Alcohol and staying hydrated are great ideas.
First, flying makes you dehydrated which can cause discomfort and swelling so make sure you're drinking plenty of water before and during the flight.
7. Comfort contraptions
People live by their amazing neck pillow or their leg hammock, so a lot of the advice I received was about using the contraptions you need for comfort.
Most of the ones people mentioned were compression socks, a great neck pillow, leg hammock, a blanket, of course great headphones, and eye masks.
Basically anything that can add to your comfort is a great idea to bring.
8. Upgrade! If you got the schmoney...
Of course we all want to be in first class, its very easy to get comfy when your seat turns into a bed, but unfortunately those seats cost a lot. If you bought an economy seat, its always a good idea to shoot your shot for first class. Be super nice to the lovely people at the ticket counter, ask if there is space available, see if you can use points to upgrade or if you can pay to jump up a class.
There are a couple other things you can do to get more space beyond that, one is to volunteer for the exit row to get extra leg room.
Empty row= goals
9. Be Productive
I don't know about you, but my to do list is ALWAYS full and the way my anxiety is set up, I feel way better about myself when I can check a few things off of my list. Use your free time on the plane to be productive, get some homework done, spend some time actively thinking about business ideas, write a blog post, etc.
Like I said before, I usually work better from a list. You can write it out old fashion style in a planner or get a checklist app, but either way you will feel great on your trip and will be able to relax better knowing your shit is together.
10. Go with the flow of the plane.
Someone once told me the way they combat jet lag is as soon as they step on the plane they adjust themselves to local time, this actually works pretty well.
Kay @theAwkwardTraveller also had some great advice:
Essentially go with the flow. When you get on the plane for a long flight they will try to help you adjust to the time. Meaning if its an overnight flight (you are expected to arrive the next am) they will act like its night time by maybe serving dinner and then dimming the lights so you can sleep, then waking you up and serving breakfast with coffee. If you go with the flow and follow that schedule when you arrive you should be in line with the new time zone.
Hope this post helps you make it there! If I'm missing a tip don't forget to leave it in the comments below.
