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I may be taking a trip from Los Angeles to Colombo, Sri Lanka, next year. Unfortunately, I'll be stuck in coach seating for the duration of the trip (unless there is a gate upgrade...I know, fat chance). Anyway, the trip will take about 27 hours between the two legs and the interval in the airport between.
How do you survive such a long flight? The longest I've ever been on a plane was from Kansas City to Guam which was about 18 hours, but I was in business class. And that was about 30 years ago.
Also for me the first thing I would do is get information about the airline and the airplane that you will be flying. Getting an idea of what your flight will be like will help you to plan what you need in order to be as comfortable as possible. Also make sure you identify what is important to you, for example I want to make sure that I don't get bored so having many entertainment options is important to me so I will scope out what is available on my flight as soon as I can. If you are a picky eater you may want to check out what food will be available so that you can plan accordingly. When you are in a position to pick you seat you may want to check out seatguru.com to get a better idea of where you want to sit, you may want to take things like proximity to the galley or the bathrooms into consideration.
How to survive? Eh, you just do. Get up and walk around, drink plenty of water, try to sleep, bring books, watch movies....it's not a pleasant experience but you'll survive. How long is the layover? I'd definitely try for the shortest one.
How to survive? Eh, you just do. Get up and walk around, drink plenty of water, try to sleep, bring books, watch movies....it's not a pleasant experience but you'll survive. How long is the layover? I'd definitely try for the shortest one.
Not always a great idea. For one thing, any delay on your originating flight could severely screw up your chances of making the connecting flight, and depending on the frequency of flights between those two points, could mean spending the night in the airport.
And sometimes I just appreciate having a few hours that I'm not trapped in a plane.
Not always a great idea. For one thing, any delay on your originating flight could severely screw up your chances of making the connecting flight, and depending on the frequency of flights between those two points, could mean spending the night in the airport.
And sometimes I just appreciate having a few hours that I'm not trapped in a plane.
I've actually driven 3-5 hours in a car just to avoid having a layover (I used to drive from Raleigh, NC to Dulles and have driven from St Louis to O'Hare). Having a non-stop international flight is awesome. I figured that I'd rather spend an extra 3-5hr in a car than dealing with an additional flight, plus waiting time in an airport.
I'd usually drive up the day before, spend a night in the hotel, then leave the next day. Upon my return, I'd spend a night in a hotel, then drive back home the next day. Some hotels will let you park your car there which saves airport parking money.
Sleep and movies and iPad. Additionally, and as someone already mentioned, make sure to stay well hydrated! Some may be surprised at how draining (in that sense) flights can be . . . it doesn't help that they typically only offer you a few small glasses of liquid.
Sleep. Take ear plugs and an eye mask, and an inflatable neck cushion if you need one. If you have a window seat, IMO that's the best place to be... you don't have to get up to let some else out of their seat to get to the washroom.
Noise-cancelling headphones are a piece of long haul flight survival gear that might well be worth your time to purchase. Music is also a nice distraction.
There are some comical tutorial videos online, that give beauty regimen tips for long haul flights. If you get bored easily and don't mind other people watching you, you could try that. Give yourself a facial, put on a beauty mask, spritz your face with Evian water to stay hydrated throughout the flight, etc...
Sleep. Take ear plugs and an eye mask, and an inflatable neck cushion if you need one. If you have a window seat, IMO that's the best place to be... you don't have to get up to let some else out of their seat to get to the washroom.
Noise-cancelling headphones are a piece of long haul flight survival gear that might well be worth your time to purchase. Music is also a nice distraction.
There are some comical tutorial videos online, that give beauty regimen tips for long haul flights. If you get bored easily and don't mind other people watching you, you could try that. Give yourself a facial, put on a beauty mask, spritz your face with Evian water to stay hydrated throughout the flight, etc...
I love this answer! I was going to say sleep, but I would have to take some over-the-counter meds with me to put me out
I always stay up before my long haul flights, and right before I get on I take Bonine motion sickness pill. By the time I have my first meal, I am so tired I sleep, and for rest of flight I have no problems dozing on and off for hours.
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