How to Plan for a Long-Haul Flight
Travel is a wonderful thing. It puts us in touch with new places, new cultures and new people; alternatively, reconnects us with loved ones and familiar environments. We often take travel for granted, and especially so if it takes the form of a simple walk to the shops – but longer journeys force you to take notice.
The long-haul flight is not an aspirational journey to make. Planes are famously stuffy environments (something that even new designs struggle with), and to willingly spend more than 10 hours on one is a bitter pill to swallow. But we do it in service of the magical, from family reunions to formative life experiences. If you have a journey of a lifetime to plan, how should you approach planning it?
Book Everything Early
This is a tip you will have no doubt heard before; it is also one that applies to pretty much any journey, holiday or adventure you take, let alone long-haul travel plans. Advance planning has multiple benefits for your journey, chief among them being adaptability. The earlier you know your travel itinerary, the better-equipped you are to account for potential delays.
It is also the case that the earlier you book travel, the cheaper your travel is likely to be. With train travel to the airport, early booking might allow to avail yourself of unique discounts for group bookings; meanwhile, advance air bookings allow you to miss the premium pricings of last-minute tickets.
Stump for Upgrades
These advance savings could create enough room in your budget to afford an upgrade to your travel arrangements – something which comes highly recommended for long-haul air travel. Economy class air travel is uncomfortable at the best of times, but if you are facing a multi-leg trip or 16-hour non-stop flight, this discomfort can be multiplied. For a little extra money, you can guarantee yourself a more comfortable seat and better amenities – minimising the negative impacts of the travel on the rest of your journey.
Prepare for Jet Lag
But no matter how luxurious your travel arrangements, jet lag is an unavoidable consequence of travelling long-distance. There are some things you can do to mitigate its impact, which we will outline shortly, but you should nonetheless prepare for a wonky couple of days on the other side of your travel.
Remaining well hydrated throughout your trip can help stave off some of the nastier side-effects of jet-lag. Eating food at regular intervals can keep you well nourished, and also serve to regulate your body cycles – but eating too much could disrupt things and impact the quality of your sleep. You might also benefit from having a preparatory nap during your flight – something which can help re-align your pattern with the new time zone, even if your body takes a few days more to adjust.
Give Yourself Work
You shouldn’t plan just for sleep, though. Sometimes it doesn’t come, which could potentially leave you with a full day’s worth of time on your hands. Bringing something with you to do, whether personal projects and planning or some additional work, can work wonders for keeping you occupied.
Hey there! My name is Wojtek and I am very happy that you came to my travel blog. I've been traveling the world for a few good years now and I still want more.
On my website I describe the adventures that have happened to me, you will also find here a collection of valuable tips for tourists and travelers. If you liked this article, be sure to leave a comment and read some more!
