How do you deal with a long airplane flight?

[cofooter]

Jet Lag:

Sydney Australia is 14 hours ahead of SoFlo. Our 17.5 hour plane lands at 7am Sydney time.

I have always had trouble adjusting to the time difference. It usually takes me 3 or 4 days until I feel normal.

Here is my strategy for the 17.5 hour flight.

I recently read this about Jet Lag. Whatever time zone you land in, try to stay awake until at least 9pm local time. My plan is to try to stay awake for the first 9 hours of the flight, so that the sleep I do get, is the same as Sydney. Then once off the flight, I just have to stay awake until 9pm.

When I think of the above, I cannot help but be reminded of the pic below. Below is what my wife and I are going to look like as we take a boat tour of Sydney Harbour, in order to kill time before we can check into hotel at 3pm.

View attachment 1411522

Get as much sunlight/exercise as you can when you get in and whatever you do, resist the urge to sleep/nap before your normal bedtime so you can get a good first night's sleep!!

 

[C-Ya]

What route are you flying that is 17.5 hrs in the air? Los Angeles-Singapore?

Houston to Sydney 17.5 (FLL to Houston is a mere 3 hours) With layover 25.5 total hours to destination. 2 days on calendar

On the way home…….. Sydney to San Francisco 15.5 hours. Followed by 6 hour flight to Fort Lauderdale. With layover, 30.5 hours to get home.

On the return…….. I leave on Friday. Spend 30 hours getting home. Arrive in FLL on Friday. That is a brutal time change! lol

 

[havasujeeper]

Our Italy trip is in 8 weeks. Reading this stuff, I'm glad I got business class.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

What time of day do you land in Sydney?

 

[Racey]

100% the upgrade, and 200% pick a GREAT airline.

I made the mistake of not upgrading on a trip home from NZ once, it was fucking miserable. 12 hours of my knees jammed into the seat ahead of me. Also the worst part about coach is there is such fewer attendants the service sucks. It's fucking terrible after meal service (which is dog shit anyway) to be stuck for an hour to get your meal tray cleared so you can get up to go take a leak. There is no way to cleanly deal with a couple meals to get you out to the aisle unless you carry your own garbage bag.

Also pick a GREAT airline. I also made the mistake one time of taking a United flight to NZ due to scheduling, even though the ticket was booked through AirNZ, it was a partner flight. I had the upgrade but united was not as nice, and their staff sucked ass.

After dinner i will smash a couple of stiff drinks, put some Arthur Lyman on the headphones and zonk out.

 

[C-Ya]

What time of day do you land in Sydney?

7am Sydney time.

Which is 5pm Florida time.

Again Lol, here is a what my wife and are going to look like, in front of the Sydney Opera House.

 

[Cobalt232]

I've found it easier on the body to fly westbound vs. eastbound. Asia/Pacific is better for jet lag for us. Going to Europe feels like I have a mild flu for a couple of days.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Long flights suck. Thought flying with just my crew on a C-17 would improve things. We were told airline style seating would be inserted, which it was. But, we could also go aft and lay down, on the deck, if we wished. So, some of us brought some foam rubber bed rolls. I made the big mistake of laying against the exterior wall. That exterior fuselage was freezing cold. About the best we could do was try to stay in the middle of that huge back cargo bay area, which was also pretty cold. So much for relaxing during the flight. Without a doubt, the best part of that long flight from CA, Pt Mugu, to the middle of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia, was the flight crew required over night lay over in Guam. We were put up in the Hilton at Tuman Bay. Those nights were great, no complaints at all.

All in all I probably prefer commercial flights. They’re long and uncomfortable. But, at least they get it done in a minimal amount of time. Those C-17 flights to the I.O. also included fuel stops in Hawaii and Indonesia. Getting off and stretching your legs was a good thing. But, again it extended the overall time of travel.

 

[SkyDirtWaterguy]

I wish I could add some advice and tips on long flights. Like others have said they suck. First class or lay flat is the best way to go but pricey. Being on an international fleet I know all too well the feeling of being tired. I’m constantly walking around in a perpetual haze of jet lagged delirium.

 

[C-Ya]

When I flew from Tahiti to Florida, I cannot remember how long the main flight was, but I did watch 4 movies. Eat two meals. And spent several hours trying to determine in which way I was going to get the wailing baby, 2 rows in front of me, to stop crying. I felt like Hannibal Lectur, as I went over the myriad of scenarios in my head.

I remember thinking to myself………

“Who in the F*** takes a newborn to Tahiti?”

”The kid is supposed to come after Honeymoon, not before”

”Was Disney World full?”

LOL

 

[Caydens Cat]

What airline has the pods?

Cathay

 

[76sanger]

Editables! Take lots of Editables before you fly! Good night!

 

[stephenkatsea]

Undoubtedly the best solution for comfort during long flights was told to us by the flight crew on one of those long C-17 flights. They said in the George W. Bush admin, VP-Dick Cheney loved to travel in a C-17. He would have his Airstream loaded and secured in the huge aircraft. They were able to provide full hook ups. That would be a great way to travel.

 

[BHC Vic]

I’ve never been on that long of a flight but I have no trouble sleeping on an airplane. I run one 4-6 hours of sleep I can sleep anywhere and fall asleep within minutes.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

Join the mile high club, then sleep the rest of the flight.

 

[Roosky01]

Editables! Take lots of Editables before you fly! Good night!

This made me chuckle...

 

[TPC]

Book first class way ahead of time.
Last months international flight someone puked in the FC seats so those were cleaned and covered unusable until they could be removed and sanitized.

Our First Class seats were broken so we got defaulted to economy that is seniority based on the time you booked. We did book early but not early enough.

Always try and get non-stop.

7 hour flight to Florida next week, no first class on these flights,, going to be miserable.

Best airlines are Aer Lingus and Singapore.

Southwest ain't the Airline it once was.

 

[JL95]

Join the mile high club, then sleep the rest of the flight.

Have you been in an airplane restroom lately? They turn you into Chris Farley instantly lol

 

[mbrown2]

Normally will download a bunch of movies I like....and or podcasts and they will normally knock me out....However, you need to calculate when and what time you are arriving. Having been on several flights like that to India or to Southeast Asia....I like to time my sleep on the plane to the destination.... So if I getting their at 8am....I am going to try and stay up on the flight the first 7-9 hours and then sleep the last last 7-8hrs....and get up at 8am local time and try and adjust.