Long Haul Travel and Multi-hour Flights: Here's How to Do It

Mariah Loves Earth, See ya Malaysia, 2024

Thirteen hour flights, nine hour flights, 10 hour layovers, you name it and I've done it! After travelling across six countries and 19 cities for the last seven months I can guarantee that I have the suitable travel experience to give you the best tips for long flights. Below, I have assembled my top six recommendations so that you don't have to dread your 10+ hour flight!

       1. Choose Your Seats 

Normally, if I am flying someplace that takes less than four hours I don't care about seat selection. But when it comes to longer flights I can assure you that good seats will improve your experience drastically! Nothing is worse than being stuck in a window seat, with two strangers crammed next you to, when you need to use the washroom. 

On shorter flights, having the window seat is awesome! There is nothing quite like looking at the view 35,000 feet in the sky. Except, during long flights the window will likely be shut or darkened! The seats that you need to look for when you are making your selection are those that have extra leg room, are by the washrooms, emergency exit seats, and aisle seats. 

During long flights, you will want to stretch out and take a nap. Having extra leg room will allow you to do this with ease. Seats with extra leg room also cost less than you'd expect; depending on the length of the flight I have found that it cost between $25-$150 CAD. 

Another benefit of looking for extra leg room is that often times it's the seats in front of, or behind, the washrooms that have this extra space. It's great being next to the washroom because you don't have to keep an eye out for lines and you can get to a stall in a hurry. Some may think it would be a disturbance being next to the washroom, but flight attendants are great at asking those standing to return to their seats and the planes are quite well sound proofed. In addition, if you are in front of, or behind, a washroom then that means that either you don't have people behind you or in front of you! What could be better? 

If you are travelling alone I highly recommend seeking out the emergency exit seats. These seats always have extra leg room and I've found that frequently the adjacent seats are vacant so you might have a row to yourself. You just have to be prepared to follow instructions if an emergency situation does occur. 

As for the benefit of aisle seats...I think it's pretty straight forward. You have the benefit of getting to the washroom or standing in the aisle whenever you please without disturbing the person next to you. 

       2. Remember the Necessities

There are certain necessities that I consider a must when flying: sleep mask, earplugs, noise cancelling headphones, and lots of snacks.

If you are used to shorter flights, or daytime flights, you may not have considered bringing a sleep mask or earplugs. I highly recommend both of these! A sleep mask will really save you when you're trying to get those Zs while the cabin lights are on. As for earplugs, I like to wear them even when I'm not napping! Planes are noisy and earplugs can be great when you are looking to read a good book and not listen to a crying baby. 

For the same reason as I have recommended earplugs I recommend noise cancelling headphones. Even without crying babies, airplanes are loud! There is so much background noise it can even be difficult to listen to a movie if you don't like the volume at ear-splitting levels. 

Snacks...who doesn't love snacks? If you have 26 hours of flying, split up over three flights, you are definitely going to want snacks. Just think about it...

       3. Make Healthy Choices

Yes, yes, I know you hear this enough in daily life, but when you are flying I still recommend making healthy choices. I am sure a lot of you will want to take a sedative, down a bottle of red wine, and clonk out, but I can tell you that is a recipe for disaster! 

According to one study, by hematologists Dr. Gavish and Dr. Brenner (2010), the risk for a blot clot is between 3-12% for a long-haul flight! Depending upon your age, weight, biological sex, and medications you may be at a higher risk for thromboembolism. 

Generally what I've seen recommended, and what has worked for me, to avoid blood clots is the following: staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, avoiding caffeine, walking to use the washing at least once  every two hours, and doing leg exercises. 

All of these things will help you avoid blood clots, and they will likely help you adjust to your new time zone. In my experience, I have found that drinking alcohol and having caffeine negatively impacts my sleep and on airplanes I am all about the naps! 

       4. Schedule Based Upon Your Destination 

One thing that I've actually found to help decrease my jet lag is eating and sleeping according to the schedule of my destination. Of course it this does not fully eliminate the need for your circadian rhythm to adjust to a new cycle of light and dark, but it does make it a little bit easier. If you are not aware, your circadian rhythm is the timing cycle that controls all your bodily functions (i.e. when your sleepy, awake, hungry etc.).

According to John Hopkins Medicine (2023), there are environmental cues, zeitgebers, that help control your circadian rhythm. Some examples of zeitgebers are: meal time, exercise, naps, caffeine, daylight, etc. John Hopkins Medicine (2023) states that, "[s]ome research tells us that disrupting when you're feeding versus fasting or sleeping and waking will change your circadian rhythm." This means that when you are travelling if you start eating and sleeping according to the timezone in which you are arriving you will be able to adjust quicker to the time change than if you just wait until you arrive. 

       5. Dress in Layers

Airplanes are cold! At least I've found them to be, and trust me, that means a lot when I say it. I love the cold! For this reason I recommend dressing in layers. Normally I'll wear leggings, light pants, a hoodie, and a fleece layer. Dressing in layers will allow you to stay cozy while you try to sleep and it will also allow you to have more room in your suitcase. As my Dad says, "If you dress in layers and you get too hot you can always remove layers, but if you are too cold and you don't have extra clothes then too bad." 

       6. Entertainment!

If you are flying for 10+ hours you will want to stave off the boredom somehow. The "how" is by bringing lots of entertainment! Usually, long flights will have some form of entertainment provided such as movies or a gaming system, but they may not always be to your taste. 

What I recommend is prepping your mobile device, tablet, and carry-on bag with media that you enjoy. First, you'll want to determine how long your flight is, after you'll want to download enough TV shows, movies, podcasts, off-line games, books and music to fill that time. I recommend diverse forms of media because it's nice to have things to listen to, or paperback books to read, in case your eyes get tired of staring at a screen. I like to think of my flight as free-time to catch up on any series or books I've been too busy to watch. By the end of a 10+ hour flight you'll likely finish a whole season of a TV show. 

As for the type of content, I recommend that which is easy to digest and acts as brain candy. By the end of your flight you will be pretty exhausted and it's nice to engage with media that is easy to consume. With these entertainment tips you will surely find your flight pleasant. 

Citations 

Gavish I, Brenner B. Air travel and the risk of thromboembolism. Intern Emerg Med. 2011 

Apr;6(2):113-6. doi: 10.1007/s11739-010-0474-6. Epub 2010 Nov 6. PMID: 21057984.

John Hopkins Medicine. (2023, December 13). Does the time of day you eat matter?. Johns 

Hopkins Medicine.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/does-the-time-of-day-you-eat matter#:~:text=Some%20research%20tells%20us%20that,calories%20from%20sugars%20and%20fat.