Long Haul Flights – How to master them!

Long-haul flights at times can be stressful experiences. Strict timetables, worrying about baggage weight limits, long queues, praying the retainer bar you have in your mouth doesn’t set off the metal detector, over-priced food and water, and once you get through all of that, the potential to be sat beside a crying infant for multiple hours. Welcome to air travel, please fasten your seat belt, it’s going to be a turbulent ride.

Since their inception, airplanes and air travel as a whole have received their fair share of hate and disdain from jet-lagged travellers. Certain bags got left behind in Heathrow, the three-hour delay made us late for our connecting flight, and the worst of all there is no more chicken curry left and you have to opt for the questionable-at-best chilli con carne.

Now more than ever, there is greater choice for airlines to pick from, cheaper tickets to choose and greater destinations to select so surely the overall experience has improved, correct? Well, that’s up to you.

The Airport

It all starts at the airport. Always give yourself plenty of time and if you can afford to, try keeping your carry-on luggage to just your personal bag that you can put under the seat and front of you and is always close by!

I cannot recommend enough the ease of travelling without a bag; there is no bag to put through the x-ray in the airport and no need to struggle putting your bag in the overhead luggage compartment.

Luckily for us modern travellers most major airports around the world have completely transformed themselves and offer more options in dining and shopping to travellers; some even offer spa clinics and massages.

Depending on where you are you won’t have access to massages or spas in your airport and travelling long haul can often leave you smelling less than fresh; that no amount of duty-free perfume will get rid of.

For short haul or non-stop flights I usually just suck it up and roll the dice with a dash of duty free test aftershave however; on a recent trip to Honolulu from Dublin and with a three hour layover I definitely couldn’t have survived without my wash kit. My total travel time was over 20 hours and it is definitely fair to say that I am a neat freak so long haul was definitely a challenge.

Having my wash kit was the best investment for me. This thing is literally a rejuvenator for the soul! A 10 minute trip to the bathroom and a change of tshirt later I felt a weight that often comes with long haul flights simply wash away. The one I usually go for is this one, and it is an old reliable for me when I travel.

The Flights

The next and major part of travelling is the flight itself. I recently returned from a family trip to Hawaii. It was simply amazing and you can read all about it here!

To get to Hawaii though, I had to fly 11 hours from Dublin to San Francisco, wait for three hours, and then fly another six hours to Honolulu.

A lot of people would run away screaming to the idea of spending that long on an airplane but I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t (besides the fact it is one of the most stunning places on earth

Choice of airline and their aircraft is a huge factor in determining your experience when it comes to long-haul flights. Flying to San Francisco I had the most enjoyable flight as I was lucky enough to secure an exit row seat for free.

Aer Lingus, the airline I flew with, normally charge €55 for this seat

but for any flight over 8 hours it is a small investment in your own comfort. I could stretch out the entire way and it was 11 hours of bliss.

It was all the space of business class but for just anextra €55. I also flew with Delta to New York during the summer. Flights were dearer at the time than Aer Lingus but you get nice extras like a hot towel, nicer food than Aer Lingus and a more advanced and overall better entertainment system.

My connecting flight to Honolulu was with United. My flight time was just under 6 hours and it was hell. Their choice of plane for the flight was too small, the food was bland and the entertainment was pay-per-view television. I would have gladly done a 17 hour flight fromDublin to Honolulu directly if it was possible, rather than get my connecting flight with United.

The complete ying-yang of experiences made me happy that I had my backpack full of my go-to travel essentials. Just like I travel long-haul with my trusty wash bag, I don’t go anywhere without my travel kit full of everything I need to travel in peace.

Those two flights were polar opposites of each other in terms of comfort and my stress levels and it is a case in point about howdoing your research and being prepared can determine how stressful flying can be for you.

Let’s get real…

Money can be tight, but when it comes to paying €500 for a flight ticket, an extra €50 or so can go a long way to making it the relaxing experience it should be. Always look at the other options available to you. Determine which type of aircraft normally fly the route and use this information to make your choice.

Being 37,000 feet in the air gives each of us a break away from our responsibilities. To look down on the world from that height is a privilege that only a certain slice of humanity to this date have witnessed.

So do yourself a favour and prepare for your journey. Your holiday begins at the airport so be the master of your own destiny and make it the enjoyable experience it should be. There still is the chance you may end up sitting beside a crying infant however; in which case, I wish you all the luck in the world.