How I survive long haul flights

I've been lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful holidays to far flung destinations, and I like to think I'm a pretty seasoned traveller when it comes to flying long haul. So I thought I'd share some tips for things that have helped me survive a long haul flight and emerge at the end ready for a new adventure, or prepared to get back into the swing of things at home!

Before flying

We try to pre-book seats or check in on time to choose seats together. I like an aisle seat, so I usually have the children next to me by the window. Bulkhead seats are nice for extra legroom, but I'm short and I'm personally not a fan - hand luggage has to go in the overhead compartment, the table and screen are awkwardly positioned, the toilet queue is right beside you, and it's where they keep the noisy babies! 

As soon as I sit in my seat I change my phone clock to the new timezone and sync my watch. I try to get myself in the mindset for the new time, so if it's suddenly evening I imagine being ready to go to sleep.

Finally when packing for peace of mind I always make everyone pop spare underwear and a clean top into hand luggage. You never know when you'll spill a drink down yourself, or whether your suitcase may end up in a different place. 

Daytime flights

I find long daytime flights the hardest. I keep the flight map up on the screen and sometimes it can just go so slowly! 

I download plenty of entertainment to my phone. I only found out recently that you can download videos from YouTube to watch offline! I choose light, easy to watch videos that normally I pass over for something more substantial. There's usually something that I want to watch on the entertainment system, maybe an old film that I've not watched in years or some episodes of a sitcom that I enjoy.

I take plenty of reading material. Mostly it's on my Kindle, but I always make sure to take at least one physical book in case of a Kindle mishap. I'll choose a book that I've been looking forward to reading (making sure that I've read the first few pages and know it's one I'm going to enjoy). A few days before we go away I have a good browse of the Prime Reading Library and free Kindle books to make sure that I've got plenty of options, and I have lots of old favourites in my Kindle library.

I like to take a notepad and pen too, useful if anyone needs to be entertained with some pen and paper games and it's somewhere to jot down random thoughts that come into my head when I'm bored and staring into space!

I pack plenty of snacks, and I try to include things that I don't eat often and are a bit of a treat. Minstrels are good because they don't melt if it's hot, and I like savoury snacks like the little packs from Graze. 

I also try to nap even on a daytime flight. It's not easy when people are going up and down the aisle or the children need something, but it does make the time pass more quickly.

Photo credit Suhyeon Choi via Unsplash

Night flights

For me night flights are all about sleeping, as much as possible. Whether it's because I want to make the most of our first day in a new location or so that I can arrive home and not need to fall straight into bed and make the jet lag worse.

I have an unusual neck pillow which is called a trtl pillow. I'm not sure it's much more comfortable than a classic neck pillow, but it packs down small in my hand luggage and it has a long fleecy scarf which I wrap around almost my whole face. I use it with a black sleep mask and ear plugs, and that combination really does help me to get some sleep.

Before a night flight we try to eat dinner at the airport. For a longer flight I'll wait for the meal on the plane, but for a shorter long haul flight I'll just make sure that the children are comfortable and then I'll tuck myself up for sleep straight away. I don't have an alcoholic drink, it's tempting because I know it would make me feel dozy, but I think I would wake up during the flight feeling worse.

Even if I can't sleep during the flight I try to avoid turning on the screen or a reading light. Luckily night flights on planes are set up for sleeping with disturbances kept to a minimum so I can usually at least doze. It's such a nice feeling to wake up from a sleep on the plane and check the map to see that you are nearly at your destination.

After landing

I make sure that I'm mentally in the new time zone immediately. Even if it feels like the middle of the night I try to stay awake as long as I can, and eat meals at the correct times - sunlight, fresh air and exercise can help to stay awake. If we've landed early morning and I know that I can't manage the whole day awake then I will have a nap early afternoon, but I'll set an alarm and force myself to get up and keep going!