3 Tips to survive a 24 hours flight!
When I first drafted a plan to visit the USA from Egypt, I always seemed to overlook how long it actually takes to get there. This week was my first time crossing the ocean on a long haul flight. Very long actually it was a day long. My flight took off on Either airways from Cairo to AbuDhabi then after a very quick 2 hours transit (I'm not joking it was barely enough) I got inside I giant flying tube and came out 16 hours later in sunny California.
It was an experience on its own.
Regardless from the fact that I now know I will always fly Etihad since they made it so easy for me, I still have a few tips to share with you on how to survive a long haul flight in an economy seat.
Tip 1: Planning is key
Planning for a trip is one thing but planning for the flight is another story. There are a few things to plan for, first and foremost the sleep. Travelling between two distant time zones means that you suddenly switch your biological clock, which causes jetlag, there are a few ways to handle jetlag, and one of them is to use the time on the plane wisely, I was lucky enough that my flying times started late at night Cairo time with landing in USA the following day at 2:00 pm, so I planned that I won't sleep on the first flight (Cairo to AbiDhabi) and instead sleep for the first 6 hours of the second flight and that meant that I woke up in the morning (USA time), no jet lag for me.
So now I have 6 hours down I needed to plan the remaining 10 hours. I had some work to finish, which I knew would take me around 3 hours. That left me with 7 hours. And for me, the in-flight entertainment provided plenty of options, and this is one of the reasons why I loved Etihad so much, if you choose another airline where you don't have that luxury, then make sure you stock up on movies, music and books to keep you company. Etihad also provide charging points through USB and power outlets, but make sure you charge your electronics ahead, or have enough juice in your powerbank.
Tip2: Pack just enough
Packing a carry on for the long flight can be a little tricky, you need to pack enough so that you have what you need, but not pack too much that it becomes overwhelming. Entertainment gadgets, a book or reading material, an eye mask and headphones as well as some napkins or whipes is essentially all I pack. I sometimes bring my own neck pillow and scarf if I know that the airlines won't provide it, but they were already provided on my most recent trip. I also brought a few snacks but landed with some of them.
Tip 3: Wear something appropriate
It was an experience on its own.
Regardless from the fact that I now know I will always fly Etihad since they made it so easy for me, I still have a few tips to share with you on how to survive a long haul flight in an economy seat.
Tip 1: Planning is key
Planning for a trip is one thing but planning for the flight is another story. There are a few things to plan for, first and foremost the sleep. Travelling between two distant time zones means that you suddenly switch your biological clock, which causes jetlag, there are a few ways to handle jetlag, and one of them is to use the time on the plane wisely, I was lucky enough that my flying times started late at night Cairo time with landing in USA the following day at 2:00 pm, so I planned that I won't sleep on the first flight (Cairo to AbiDhabi) and instead sleep for the first 6 hours of the second flight and that meant that I woke up in the morning (USA time), no jet lag for me.
So now I have 6 hours down I needed to plan the remaining 10 hours. I had some work to finish, which I knew would take me around 3 hours. That left me with 7 hours. And for me, the in-flight entertainment provided plenty of options, and this is one of the reasons why I loved Etihad so much, if you choose another airline where you don't have that luxury, then make sure you stock up on movies, music and books to keep you company. Etihad also provide charging points through USB and power outlets, but make sure you charge your electronics ahead, or have enough juice in your powerbank.
Tip2: Pack just enough
Packing a carry on for the long flight can be a little tricky, you need to pack enough so that you have what you need, but not pack too much that it becomes overwhelming. Entertainment gadgets, a book or reading material, an eye mask and headphones as well as some napkins or whipes is essentially all I pack. I sometimes bring my own neck pillow and scarf if I know that the airlines won't provide it, but they were already provided on my most recent trip. I also brought a few snacks but landed with some of them.
Tip 3: Wear something appropriate
Contrary to the advise I will normally give you to wear your heaviest clothes on the plane to avoid packing them, on a long flight you need to wear your lightest clothes, I would normally fly in leggings and a comfortable cotton blend t-shirt and pack a cardigan or a scarf in my carry-on. Tank tops are a great option for layering underneath a cardigan. In any case wear something to keep you comfortable but functional at the same time. Don't forget to wear shoes you can easily put on and take off and you can even invest in warm socks if you're the kind of person who suffers from cold feet in flights.
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