From Tin Can to Touchdown: A Long Flight Survival Guide
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For years, I refused to add Australia to my bucket list because the thought of that many hours in a hurling tin can set my teeth on edge. Then Keith was slotted to speak at a conference in Brisbane. I love my husband and his manifold attractions, but I knew his ability to describe the place would prove unsatisfying, so I invited myself along. When I announced my intention, people came out of the woodwork to confess they’d always wanted to go to Australia, too, but didn’t because, you know.
Hurling tin can.
I enjoy feeling sociable in my dysfunctions, so I loved the instant camaraderie. At the same time, all this shared fear made me even more nervous. What had I signed up for?
It didn’t help that many well-meaning people informed me I needed to buy a business or first-class ticket. How many books do these people think I’m selling? There’s no way I could afford an extra $10,000 per ticket.
Then I lost my iPad which left me without my device for the flight.
Panic atop panic.
Deciding this called for strategy, I asked for ideas and suggestions from any and everyone—from massage therapists to veteran travelers to my weekly egg vendor. I made a list, checked it sixteen times, raised my chin, and did all the things.
What I found surprised me.
In the end, the flight felt completely the same as a flight to Italy even though it was more than twice as long. Part of it was those strategies I’ll get to, but honestly, I believe the breakthrough was acceptance. Once I stopped resisting the long-haul flight “I could never do that!” and instead shrugged and said, “I guess this is what we’re doing,” it became no problem.
It’s a lesson I learned on a women’s hiking trip to Colorado a few years ago. At one point, we hit a place where ice covered our path in one long sheet from the top of the mountain to a cliff below the path. I opened my mouth to utter regret that we’d have to forego getting to the top, but just then I noticed my friends marching across the ice. Not exactly marching, the angle and slipperiness demanded a hunched over position to approximate a mountain goat (and thus avoid sliding to certain death), but there they went. I shrugged to myself. “I guess this is what we’re doing.” And thank goodness too, because at the top of the mountain we caught sight of a marmot running up the hill to slide down the ice and then run back up the hill. Prompting marmots to become my favorite animal of all time.
Another day we scrambled up a hillside to a hot spring. Once in sight of the warm and (it must be said) murky waters, the ladies flung off their clothes. All of them. In full view of the highway below. Honestly, this was more terrifying than the ice flume. But I’d gotten a little more used to public nudity thanks to our mountain hut which boasted a sauna but no shower. So I shrugged, “I guess this is what we’re doing.” I was the first to strip down and slip into the warm water. Partly to get out sight of those unsuspecting cars below and partly because once I sign up, I sign up.
So while I advocate for each and every strategy on the list below, the best, most profound advice I can give you if you’re worried about a long haul flight is to stop resisting the flight and instead accept that you will be in a hurling tin can for so many hours they aren’t worth counting and you will be fine. Both things are true.
You are just doing this.
A Long Flight Survival Guide
Layers up. Partly because you need to accommodate a cabin that can swing from too stuffy to too brisk in a matter of minutes. But also because the season may be different where you land and long-haul flights often arrive in the morning, long before you can check-in. You want to be able to shed and add layers to keep comfortable over literal days.
Hydrate smart. Bring a water bottle that won’t leak from cabin pressure, is insulated to keep that water cold, and with the delivery device that you prefer (If I have to unscrew a cap, I’ll often just not drink, where my husband despises the kind of caps he likens to syrup bottle tops). Keep refilling that water bottle, which forces you up and walking around the cabin. This is a great time to do a few stretches. I like rotating my ankles in circles and stretching my quads and hamstrings. I look like an idiot. I don’t care.
Squeeze those legs. When people insisted I needed compression socks, I didn’t know what they were and kept imagining that old TV-show granny in beige hose rolled to below her knees. People told me that they keep the circulation moving in your legs to which I narrowed my eyes, unsure what that really meant or what sensory problem it would solve. But since I was resolved to do everything anybody told me, I ordered a pair with enough time before my flight that I could return them. I put them on. I ripped them off. They were horrible! It felt like shoving my legs into old plastic water bottles. So I did a bit more research and found this Wirecutter article about compression socks and decided to buy a pair from the list (the Sockwell). They didn’t feel horrible, so I wore them on the flight and found that this pain in my legs I’d always attributed to nerve pinching from being folded up was actually a vascular problem that went away with compression socks! Tip: Make sure you wear them as intended. Despite my image of the granny in the corner with her support hose bundled at the knee, I kept trying to pull my compression socks to above my knee. I’m not sure why it took me until the flight home to realize that was wrong and weird.
Pack everyday socks. Compression socks are worth the squeeze for the flight, but once you land, you’ll want your regular socks. Especially if, as I said in the first strategy, you land someplace warm and can’t check in. I wound up walking all over hot Brisbane in my compression socks and that felt sweaty and gross. Please learn from my mistake—let my discomfort be worth something.
Drink smart. I went back and forth on weather or not to drink alcohol on the long flight. Many people told me not to because it’s dehydrating. Many other people told me to drink because it’s a long flight, it might as well be enjoyable. I wound up splitting the difference. I ordered Bloody Marys and gin and tonics (did you know these taste particularly good on airplanes? Something about the altitude makes the umami flavors of tomato juice and the bitter and citrus of tonic water stand out.) For every cocktail I made sure to drink an equal amount of water. I don’t drink wine on planes because it’s almost always horrible. If pressed, I’ll have white because it’s chilled which dulls that horrible. These are my solutions, but you do you!
Fight the dryness. I brought lotion for my hands, face oil for my face, rewetting drops for my eyes, and my favorite lip balm.
Quick refreshes. Bring a toothbrush and toothpaste, maybe a little brush or comb, maybe a little cloth or packaged facial refresher to run over your face. It just feels good.
Hack your hours. After each meal service (roughly every three hours), take a nap so you are awake for the next meal service. That food cart becomes a little time touch point. I know sleep is hard on planes, which is why I ask my body to catnap, not reach the kind of nourishing sleep we all prefer. Bonus: the little catnaps allow me to land feeling refreshed enough to get through the day, but tired enough that I can go to sleep whenever it’s night where I am, even if that’s 1 in the afternoon at home. Which means jet lag is never a problem for me. Some people swear by the Timeshifter app, which gives you a plan of sleeping and waking in advance of your trip to prepare you for jet lag. My catnap rhythm works well enough for me, but if jet lag is a consistent problem for you, Timeshifter may be worth trying. After that nap, go to the bathroom whether or not you need to. This keeps you moving (don’t forget to take this opportunity to stretch!) and also puts you squarely back in your seat and ready for the next meal service.
Sleep without suffering. What helps me sleep on a plane is the proper travel pillow (I love my Trtl, but not everyone favors the feeling of a blanket around the neck. For me, it’s the only way to keep my head from dropping forward), an eye mask, a download of music for sleep (I use Brain FM, an app I purchased for the music for concentration as it helps with writing focus…a client I recommended it to once told me that it feels like an extra dose of Adderall. Turns out I love it as much for that sleep music I can use offline), and I medicate once on a long, haul flight with Diphenhydramine. Sometimes I’ll use Dramamine instead, as that does double duty. I don’t use melatonin on flights because though it helps me fall asleep, as soon as the person next to me shifts or a bell bongs, I’m wide awake. Please don’t take my word on this, and let your knowledge of your body be your guide on what will work for you. Note: Some people sleep better with their heads on the tray, elevated with a pillow or backpack or both. For myself, I’m better if my legs are a little raised, so I rest my feet on my backpack.
Tame the chaos. You’ll be in this seat for a long time, it’s easy to let things scatter which makes it harder when you want to fish out your AirPods. Invest in a bag with pockets so you can pull out your water bottle, your book, your phone, your lip balm easily and without pulling everything else out, too. I got my backpack from Peace Frogs, a travel outfitter here in Charlottesville. I especially love the slim zippered pocket that rests against my back as it feels safe and convenient for my passport and tickets.
Day one = chill. Get your sea legs under you. I firmly believe that a trick to get over jet lag is sunlight and walking. Day one is just for that, no mentally taxing agenda items. Wander, read restaurant menus, if you’ve landed in Australia, gawk at the crazy birds and lizards that make it feel like you’ve landed in the world’s largest zoo. That’s it—no guided tours, no museums, and don’t plan a fancy dinner. Day one is just for getting the lay of this new land.
Do you have tips for traveling across multiple oceans? Please leave a comment! And if you want more posts like these delivered monthly, sign up for The Grapevine, a newsletter with book reviews, travel tips, recipes, and wanderlust stories! As a welcome to the Grapevine, you’ll also receive a free e-copy of Santa Lucia, my bestselling novel set in Umbria. Just think, in just a few moments, you can escape to the beauty and mystery of Italy.
