- Stay hydrated! Flying tends to dehydrate you, so drink lots of water!
- Don’t drink a lot of alcohol as this tends to dehydrate you even more
- Don’t eat anything that you normally would not eat. Now is not the time to try sushi if it is your first experience.
- Don’t eat too much. You don’t want to endure a 13 hour flight feeling bloated and uncomfortable.
Airline menus
- Almost all airlines will provide you with a first meal of chicken, fish or beef with some vegetables, and a small dessert.
- Snack time—usually about 4 hours before you land, may consist of finger sandwiches or cup of noodle soup
- Last meal—about 2 hours before landing can be anything from breakfast (eggs or crepes) to a sandwich.
What to physically do for 12-13-14 hours
- Read
- Watch movies
- Catch some sleep
- Eat
- Go for a (short) walk
- Stand up and stretch a little
- Freshen up, brush your teeth, wash your face
- Drink water
- Reflect and maybe write about your destination
- Chat up the flight attendant –or your neighbour—about things to do at the destination (what’s the best bar, the best restaurant, where can I get amazing photos etc.)
Pretty soon it will be morning and time for the last meal before arrival. Time to freshen up again; start collecting your belongings and put them back into your carry-on
- The Flight attendant will hand out the immigration card for you to fill out
- Land, Disembark, Go through Immigration, Collect your bags, Go through Customs—and there you are!
Secrets of the Experts
1) Limited washrooms mean you need to maximize your timing: Good times to use the washroom and avoid the line ups
§ After you board the plane
§ When the flight attendants wheel the serving cart past your seat and you have 10 rows of people in front of you that need to be served before your food arrives
§ A few minutes before the end of any of the in-flight movies
§ A few minutes after you finish your meal, before the trays are collected—pile your tray on top of your travelling companion’s tray and use the washroom
§ As soon as the aisle is clear after the final snack is served.
2) Bring your own entertainment system. Many people will bring an ipod (or similar). Don’t forget to bring a back-up battery in case your battery runs out. Other people download movies on their ipod or bring a small laptop with an ear phone, to watch their own movies. And still others bring a laptop to do some work.
3) Personal reflection: Make a list of things you have wanted to think about. With your laptop or your pen and paper in hand—use your time to be creative, or to complete something you have been meaning to do for a while. Always wanted to get your resume in order? Always wanted to write a book? Here is a great opportunity.
4) Learn a language. There is so much you can download on your ipod or personal music device. One program, called Earworms, is a great way to learn some words in the language of the destination you are about to visit. The nice thing is that there will be people on the flight returning to their home country and if you feel like chatting, you can get some practice (and some correction) on how to pronounce certain words
5) Research your destination. Get out the map and the Guide book and do some trip planning.
6) Make friends with at least one flight attendant. Not every passenger treats them nicely—so you can! Make a friend and then get a smile whenever that person walks by your seat.
7) Above all, remember that ‘getting there’ is part of the joy of travel. If you want to have one of those ‘National Geographic Magazine’ experiences, then you have to go outside of your usual travel zone. You will most likely say to yourself, once you land at your destination, “That was not so bad, after all.
Challenge the ordinary. Step out of your self-imposed travel zone and explore the world. You have nothing to lose except your old travel habits!
Do you have an experience with a long haul flight you'd like to share? Email media@citc.ca
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