Even for enthusiastic travelers, sitting in a plane cabin for over eight hours while listening to the perpetual roar of the airplane engines can be a pretty hectic experience. If you’ve always done short flights, the prospect of flying for over 22 hours to reach your holiday destination can be quite intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Travel vloggers take long-haul flights nearly every month and do just fine. So what’s the trick? Find out below
1. Book Your Tickets Early
The last thing you want is to end up in the middle seat on a long-haul flight. Therefore, don’t wait until your vacation is only a day away to book your tickets. Book them as soon as or a few weeks after you make up your mind on visiting a destination that will require a long-haul flight. Doing this will help you score a much comfy seat. This is especially important if you are traveling during the peak season.
2. Upgrade Your Flight
A short three-hour flight tends to tire one out. So you can imagine what more than eight hours of sitting in a tube soaring through the sky, thousands of feet away from civilization can do. That said, choose comfort by upgrading your flight. If you are already worried about the cost, then don’t worry as there are plenty of ways to score the best flight deals without breaking your budget.
For instance, if the airline regularly offers flights to your destination, then use those air miles to upgrade your seat. Even if they don’t get you a first-class seat, a step up to business class is much better than the flying economy. Alternatively, you could avoid spending big on your flight and save on your holiday by joining an exclusive membership club like Xperient.
3. Consider Emergency Seating
If you cannot upgrade your flight, then all hope is not lost as you can still make your long-haul flight a breeze. Another way to do so is by taking the emergency exit seating. These seats usually have a more spacious seating area, hence more legroom for your comfort. To get one, ask the check-in attendant whether they can make them your choice.
4. Pack Comfort Essentials in Your Carry-On
As you already know, you need to be more comfortable during a long-haul flight. If you can’t afford a business or first-class ticket, then do yourself a favor and make yourself as comfortable as possible. That said, pack a light blanket and a comfortable travel pillow. Also, if you are traveling during the peak season, the chances of sitting next to a young mom or dad with a kid who won’t stop crying are pretty high. Pack noise-canceling headphones to block out noise.
5. Tire Yourself Out and Prepare Some Entertainment
The secret to surviving a long-haul flight is sleeping and waking up with only a few hours left to your destination. Therefore, do things that will tire you out before you board. For instance, if you work out, hit the gym one hour before you start preparing yourself to leave the house. If you are gaming or a movie fan, stay up the night before so you can be sleepy the next day. On top of that, prepare some entertainment to keep you busy when you wake up.
A long-haul flight by is stressful. It’s even more hectic if the person next to you wants to talk to you the entire way. But you can make it seamless by following the tips above.
