How I survive 12 hour flights(eftegarie.com)
eftegarie.com
How I survive 12 hour flights
https://eftegarie.com/how-i-survive-12-hour-flights/
42 comments
I’ve done this so many times I can’t count it. Most domestic flights I’m on that go longer than 2 hours I’ll have a Big Mac with me.
Can someone explain why this is so bothersome to other people? Is it cuz you’re hungry and want to have one too but can’t?
Can someone explain why this is so bothersome to other people? Is it cuz you’re hungry and want to have one too but can’t?
The burger and fries are quite smelly, compared to say a cold beef sandwich. It's a bit anti social therefore I think.
I once ate a warm tuna salad thing on a train on the UK and heard a few people make comments about the smell. I ate it quickly and went to the vestibule to dispose of the packaging.
I once ate a warm tuna salad thing on a train on the UK and heard a few people make comments about the smell. I ate it quickly and went to the vestibule to dispose of the packaging.
Strange I don’t think a BigMac is smelly at all and would never have guessed that’s the issue!
Sardines? Sure. Blue cheese, yep. Big Mac...?
Sardines? Sure. Blue cheese, yep. Big Mac...?
I’m so surprised to read this. My only interpretation is that your sense of smell might be diminished. Your Big Mac can be smelt from around 3-4 rows away in both directions. It’s really unpleasant to sit there for a period of time smelling that, but people aren’t going to say that to a complete stranger.
Ok sorry to keep pressing on this but I must understand it. Does it smell “bad” or just “strong”?
There are certain things that smell strong to me but not bad at all and sure the smell may be a bit tiring after a while. For example perfume or certain foods etc. There are other things, including food, that are both and can be unpleasant. Of course the obvious bodily ones but also fermented cabbage, some cheeses, old fruit etc can be unpleasant.
But I wouldn’t call the smell of a bigmac unpleasant. Or a steak and chips for that matter or spaghetti bolognese. If you were eating that on a plane it would be actually pleasant for me. I’d prob feel like eating the same and have a smile thinking “who’s the lucky devil tucking into that spag bol?!”
There are certain things that smell strong to me but not bad at all and sure the smell may be a bit tiring after a while. For example perfume or certain foods etc. There are other things, including food, that are both and can be unpleasant. Of course the obvious bodily ones but also fermented cabbage, some cheeses, old fruit etc can be unpleasant.
But I wouldn’t call the smell of a bigmac unpleasant. Or a steak and chips for that matter or spaghetti bolognese. If you were eating that on a plane it would be actually pleasant for me. I’d prob feel like eating the same and have a smile thinking “who’s the lucky devil tucking into that spag bol?!”
I used to do a regular 15h flight (MEL-LAX or LAX-MEL, I forget which was the longer one).
I'd add:
Get on board tired. Stay up late a few nights before you leave, get up early, do a bunch of exercise, whatever it takes. Be ready to sleep.
Book a window seat. You've got a decent chance of having only two people in the 3 seats for a start, which means extra leg room, and a blanket/pillow/headphones/etc dumping area on the spare seat. But most importantly, you don't get woken up when someone else needs to get up. The downside is you get to be the person disturbing the others, but ... that's better than being disturbed.
Follow the pattern of the flight. There'll be a "night" portion of the flight, when it's dark and you don't get fed. That's the best time to sleep, so take advantage of it.
Wear a hoodie. And get a pillow and a blanket. If you're on an airline that doesn't do them, consider bringing your own. You will likely need the blanket at night, because the plane will be cold, especially in the window seat.
Wear an eye mask. Yes, it's dorky, but so what? It really cuts out the disturbance from the person in front with their reading light or video on all "night".
Wear noise-cancelling earbuds with nothing playing to sleep. I find the background roar of the engines makes it difficult to sleep well, but the noise-cancelling drops it to a level that's heaps better.
Get up and walk around when you can. You can do a decent lap around the economy section of a B747/A380. Flex your ankles as you walk, bouncing up and down. Do some stretching down near the rear escape slide doors. You'll still get swollen feet and ankles, but nowhere near as bad.
Bring a book. It doesn't need working WiFi, battery, etc. If you ever get a seat with a broken entertainment system, you'll appreciate having the fallback once your phone battery is dead, laptop is drained, and the in-flight magazine is read cover to cover.
Don't watch the map. It'll just feel like it takes longer. After you've had the final meal, you've got about 2h left. Final descent takes about 30 mins of that, so you've only got about 90 minutes of frustration between finishing the meal and making actual tangible progress towards your destination. The remainder of the flight is an alternative universe, outside of time and space. Disconnect, and just go with it. Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad.
I'd add:
Get on board tired. Stay up late a few nights before you leave, get up early, do a bunch of exercise, whatever it takes. Be ready to sleep.
Book a window seat. You've got a decent chance of having only two people in the 3 seats for a start, which means extra leg room, and a blanket/pillow/headphones/etc dumping area on the spare seat. But most importantly, you don't get woken up when someone else needs to get up. The downside is you get to be the person disturbing the others, but ... that's better than being disturbed.
Follow the pattern of the flight. There'll be a "night" portion of the flight, when it's dark and you don't get fed. That's the best time to sleep, so take advantage of it.
Wear a hoodie. And get a pillow and a blanket. If you're on an airline that doesn't do them, consider bringing your own. You will likely need the blanket at night, because the plane will be cold, especially in the window seat.
Wear an eye mask. Yes, it's dorky, but so what? It really cuts out the disturbance from the person in front with their reading light or video on all "night".
Wear noise-cancelling earbuds with nothing playing to sleep. I find the background roar of the engines makes it difficult to sleep well, but the noise-cancelling drops it to a level that's heaps better.
Get up and walk around when you can. You can do a decent lap around the economy section of a B747/A380. Flex your ankles as you walk, bouncing up and down. Do some stretching down near the rear escape slide doors. You'll still get swollen feet and ankles, but nowhere near as bad.
Bring a book. It doesn't need working WiFi, battery, etc. If you ever get a seat with a broken entertainment system, you'll appreciate having the fallback once your phone battery is dead, laptop is drained, and the in-flight magazine is read cover to cover.
Don't watch the map. It'll just feel like it takes longer. After you've had the final meal, you've got about 2h left. Final descent takes about 30 mins of that, so you've only got about 90 minutes of frustration between finishing the meal and making actual tangible progress towards your destination. The remainder of the flight is an alternative universe, outside of time and space. Disconnect, and just go with it. Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad.
I have only done the Au-US flight a few times but it is an absolute killer. One time I had the strongest, suggariest coffee I could get the the airport Starbucks to rid myself of my spare change and the resulting crash knocked me out for 10h of the flight. It was amazing.
Diabetic spike-and-crash will do that to you.
That can be life-threatening, even if you’re not an actual diabetic.
Crash low levels of blood sugar can easily kill you.
That can be life-threatening, even if you’re not an actual diabetic.
Crash low levels of blood sugar can easily kill you.
> After you've had the final meal, you've got about 2h left.
spooky
spooky
I used to fly all the time and yeah that list is legit.
Noise cancelling headphones, batteries, cables and OFFLINE stuff is a must. It’s so boring, the only thing I dread more than the 12+++ hours from Hong Kong to Miami is the return trip. With connections it can easily be 20+ hours. I found breaking the trip up between continents helped with the jet lag so much better. Planes suck for sleeping.
Noise cancelling headphones, batteries, cables and OFFLINE stuff is a must. It’s so boring, the only thing I dread more than the 12+++ hours from Hong Kong to Miami is the return trip. With connections it can easily be 20+ hours. I found breaking the trip up between continents helped with the jet lag so much better. Planes suck for sleeping.
Mostly good advice. Having done Australia-UK five times last year (pre-COVID) I can speak with some experience:
- Noise-cancelling earphones are a must. I have some expensive cordless Bose headphones that can be worn for hours, even when there's nothing playing. They really make a difference (background roar is more tiring than you realise).
- If you're in economy, don't put anything in the footwell - you will need that space to stretch out. Also, economy headrests have little 'wings' that you can pull out and that you can lean your head against.
- Dress as if you're spending a long day outdoors. For me that's comfortable hiking pants, thin layers, fleece jacket. Wear slip-on shoes that expand, because your feet will swell after hours of sitting. Breast pockets are good to keep boarding passes and passports handy.
- Go into lizard mode. Just accept that it's twelve or fourteen hours and there's nothing you can do about it. This too shall pass.
- Most modern airliners have USB ports at every seat. Bring cables to charge your gadgets.
- Noise-cancelling earphones are a must. I have some expensive cordless Bose headphones that can be worn for hours, even when there's nothing playing. They really make a difference (background roar is more tiring than you realise).
- If you're in economy, don't put anything in the footwell - you will need that space to stretch out. Also, economy headrests have little 'wings' that you can pull out and that you can lean your head against.
- Dress as if you're spending a long day outdoors. For me that's comfortable hiking pants, thin layers, fleece jacket. Wear slip-on shoes that expand, because your feet will swell after hours of sitting. Breast pockets are good to keep boarding passes and passports handy.
- Go into lizard mode. Just accept that it's twelve or fourteen hours and there's nothing you can do about it. This too shall pass.
- Most modern airliners have USB ports at every seat. Bring cables to charge your gadgets.
For years I tried staying up all night so I would sleep the whole flight. Massive mistake. It still takes me 6 days to recover from jet lag, all I did was make sure I got sick on top of it. Some flights I slept 11 of 12 hours, others barely 3 hours, at the end of the day the flights I slept through were not measurably better, they all suck equally.
I've heard your mucus membranes dry out and lead to a way higher chance of picking up a virus. And so you ahould bring a squirt bottle of nasal water. I haven't done this enough times to judge the efficacy but I used to get sick every long haul flight without fail.
A friend of a friend died of a blood clot. Always take an aspirin before your flight for safety.
I've heard your mucus membranes dry out and lead to a way higher chance of picking up a virus. And so you ahould bring a squirt bottle of nasal water. I haven't done this enough times to judge the efficacy but I used to get sick every long haul flight without fail.
A friend of a friend died of a blood clot. Always take an aspirin before your flight for safety.
My eyes were opened when I saw someone ask for a cup noodle outside of the meal/snack time. It never occurred to me you could do that. I still feel weird asking and have only done it once.
I travel on the Amsterdam to Kenya flight (about 8 hours) every two months... when there isn't a global pandemic. Here are my tips that I didn't see here:
* Use seatguru to pick a good seat. Some seats look great but are very cramped or have no window at all.
* Eat way less than they serve you, I find dramatically less jetlag with having less food.
* Drink carefully, alcohol can really effect you at altitude/travel and disrupt sleep.
* I adjust my seat angle progressively over the flight. I find different parts of my back are stressed by different angles.
* Wear layers that let you adjust to very different temperatures. On the same route, KLM is going to keep the plane a very different temperature from Kenya Airways.
* Consider: Wearing a comfortable version of business casual. If you look like you travel more, you are generally treated better.
* Consider: Using a credit card with good travel insurance.
* Consider: Buying/finding lounge access if you have a > 2 hour layover at an airport.
* Consider: Taking a Benadryl/other gentle sleep medicine
* Consider: Talking to a Dr. about getting anti anxiety medicine for flight if you're a nervous flyer.
* Consider: Dash or another similar tool for offline docs if you need to do work on the plane.
* I'd enroll in AirHelp to automate getting cash back from delayed flights.
* Consider: An iPad is much easier to use because of the form factor than laptops in economy seats, it might be worth it.
* Decide early if you're going carry on only or will carry a checked bag. If you have a checked bag, try and make your carry on bag as light as possible.
* If you have sleep problems, very low doses of melatonin are helpful for resetting sleep patterns. If you have a prescription and local laws allow, Ritalin/Adderall help some people.
* Get a good power adapter for wherever you're traveling with no moving parts.
* If you're going somewhere with electronics availability challenges, bring a second adapter.
* Anker makes incredible battery packs that will reduce your stress. If you're trying to take an Uber without a phone, that's hard.
* Consider: Try to wear comfortable yet professional/nicer shoes. Loafers are a good choice.
* Use seatguru to pick a good seat. Some seats look great but are very cramped or have no window at all.
* Eat way less than they serve you, I find dramatically less jetlag with having less food.
* Drink carefully, alcohol can really effect you at altitude/travel and disrupt sleep.
* I adjust my seat angle progressively over the flight. I find different parts of my back are stressed by different angles.
* Wear layers that let you adjust to very different temperatures. On the same route, KLM is going to keep the plane a very different temperature from Kenya Airways.
* Consider: Wearing a comfortable version of business casual. If you look like you travel more, you are generally treated better.
* Consider: Using a credit card with good travel insurance.
* Consider: Buying/finding lounge access if you have a > 2 hour layover at an airport.
* Consider: Taking a Benadryl/other gentle sleep medicine
* Consider: Talking to a Dr. about getting anti anxiety medicine for flight if you're a nervous flyer.
* Consider: Dash or another similar tool for offline docs if you need to do work on the plane.
* I'd enroll in AirHelp to automate getting cash back from delayed flights.
* Consider: An iPad is much easier to use because of the form factor than laptops in economy seats, it might be worth it.
* Decide early if you're going carry on only or will carry a checked bag. If you have a checked bag, try and make your carry on bag as light as possible.
* If you have sleep problems, very low doses of melatonin are helpful for resetting sleep patterns. If you have a prescription and local laws allow, Ritalin/Adderall help some people.
* Get a good power adapter for wherever you're traveling with no moving parts.
* If you're going somewhere with electronics availability challenges, bring a second adapter.
* Anker makes incredible battery packs that will reduce your stress. If you're trying to take an Uber without a phone, that's hard.
* Consider: Try to wear comfortable yet professional/nicer shoes. Loafers are a good choice.
* Bring a pair of socks only for the flight, and throw them away afterwards (Uniqlo has decent ones that aren't too pricy). The bathroom floors get so sticky after 10 hours.
* Boeing 777s have the loudest jet engines you can encounter. Choose an A380, 787, or A340 flight if you can manage. If you must ride a 777, the front of the cabin is a little quieter.
* If you are seated next to somebody who needs a little more space, try to politely and subtlety ask an air hostess if another seat is available. Both you and the passenger whom you were seated next to will both have a better flight experience.
* Quite a few airlines will let you choose your meals online if you have dietary preferences. Make sure to check the airline website page in your reservations section.
* Try to grab a few Ursa Major face wipes off of Amazon to freshen up mid- and post-flight. Burts Bees wipes are great too, but a little bulky.
* Boeing 777s have the loudest jet engines you can encounter. Choose an A380, 787, or A340 flight if you can manage. If you must ride a 777, the front of the cabin is a little quieter.
* If you are seated next to somebody who needs a little more space, try to politely and subtlety ask an air hostess if another seat is available. Both you and the passenger whom you were seated next to will both have a better flight experience.
* Quite a few airlines will let you choose your meals online if you have dietary preferences. Make sure to check the airline website page in your reservations section.
* Try to grab a few Ursa Major face wipes off of Amazon to freshen up mid- and post-flight. Burts Bees wipes are great too, but a little bulky.
"* Bring a pair of socks only for the flight, and throw them away afterwards (Uniqlo has decent ones that aren't too pricy). The bathroom floors get so sticky after 10 hours."
Or just put your shoes back on to walk to the bathroom
Or just put your shoes back on to walk to the bathroom
Noise canceling headphone make my ears feel like they want to bleed if I wear them too long. I use foam ear plugs when I'm sleeping.
Xanex is awesome though only for really long flights. We've all heard of Ambien on planes stories though this is another option for most people.
Keep hydrated with water, planes really dry you out. Peeing is good because blood cots from long flights are a real thing.
Please wear socks if your going to take your shoes off.
Definitely dress in layers.
Portable battery is worth its weight as is a charger which works most of the time.
Instant ramen in a styrofoam cup for domestic flights (they feed you on international flights). Slim jim, beef jerky, nuts, potato chips are other favorites of mine for domestic flights even if I don't eat these often on a normal day.
Xanex is awesome though only for really long flights. We've all heard of Ambien on planes stories though this is another option for most people.
Keep hydrated with water, planes really dry you out. Peeing is good because blood cots from long flights are a real thing.
Please wear socks if your going to take your shoes off.
Definitely dress in layers.
Portable battery is worth its weight as is a charger which works most of the time.
Instant ramen in a styrofoam cup for domestic flights (they feed you on international flights). Slim jim, beef jerky, nuts, potato chips are other favorites of mine for domestic flights even if I don't eat these often on a normal day.
This inflatable foot/arm rest is incredibly dorky (you feel SO SILLY blowing it up on the plane!) but it's been amazing for when I was traveling internationally for work frequently. It's my #1 tip for anyone on long flights- because it inflates you can custom-rig it into unique spots for a specifically shaped arm or footrest. I end up using part as a footrest and another part as a pillow against the window. https://www.amazon.com/Flypal-Inflatable-Blow-Up-Cushion-Fli...
The other key item I bought is this giant inflight blanket that compresses down to nothing but makes you so cozy and gives privacy- it also has a pocket for your earbuds and phone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LR6ILQ
The other key item I bought is this giant inflight blanket that compresses down to nothing but makes you so cozy and gives privacy- it also has a pocket for your earbuds and phone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LR6ILQ
> Noise canceling headphone make my ears feel like they want to bleed if I wear them too long.
Maybe you don't have good ones. I can wear mine 24/7 with ANC on.
Maybe you don't have good ones. I can wear mine 24/7 with ANC on.
Random toilet visits?
Damn, I hate airplane toilets. There is this realisation that I just cannot get rid of, every time I am on long flights and walking down to the toilets I just can’t stop thinking; everyone on this plane has used the toilet. Everyone.
I've got some bad news for you about every toilet you encounter outside of your house...
On 24 hour flights SYDNEY-VANCOUVER-OTTAWA. Being able to slip out of my shoes while sleeping. Make sure you have thick woolen socks as I find planes do get pretty cold. Maybe its just me. And fluids every two hours. Lots of aloe based moist napkins. I hate it when my snot hardens in my nose. Choosing your seats carefully when booking by getting seat on a row that is empty although this is a bit of a gamble. And my fav although it might cost a few bucks extra is getting emergency exit row seats which gives you some extra leg space.
>Bring snacks
>Buy a Big Mac before boarding the plane, and eat it whenever you want
How long do big macs stay "fresh"? I'd imagine after a few hours they'll be cold and soggy from the sauces/veggies. You'd have to eat it in one or two hours before it degrades to a state that's worse than the food that they provide. The first hour or so after take off is also the time they serve the first in-flight meal (at least on long haul flights), so the utility of a big mac is questionable imo.
>Buy a Big Mac before boarding the plane, and eat it whenever you want
How long do big macs stay "fresh"? I'd imagine after a few hours they'll be cold and soggy from the sauces/veggies. You'd have to eat it in one or two hours before it degrades to a state that's worse than the food that they provide. The first hour or so after take off is also the time they serve the first in-flight meal (at least on long haul flights), so the utility of a big mac is questionable imo.
Big Macs don't hold up well, because the sauce goes best with a warm burger and is no longer palatable when it's been sitting on top of a cold patty. The shredded lettuce is already sad when fresh, and will inevitably get everywhere. Big Macs are not the item to buy.
Instead, their basic cheeseburgers and their double versions are far cheaper and more versatile, and provided you can peel them apart, they can be partially revitalized with some ketchup from a packet. If you skip the cheese, you will lose some flavor but greatly increase the chance that you'll be able to uncover one side of the patty to add ketchup later.
Their beef burgers with the bigger patty aren't worth buying if you're not going to eat them fresh. This is more true now that they've started cooking them from refrigerated patties, instead of frozen ones, although I don't know if that applies to airport locations also. (But if you know you'll have access to a microwave, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese microwaves the best out of all their beef items.)
But if you're going to be buying food from them knowing it will get cold, consider their chicken items. Nearly all of them will taste good and hold up better than the beef items.
Actual cuts of chicken that have been breaded and fried taste fine cold, so their premium breaded chicken sandwiches are good choice. Pair them with some barbecue sauce.
For even more flexibility, their chicken nuggets are fine cold, you don't have to eat them in one go, and they go well with the barbecue or sweet and sour sauce. In my opinion, their cheap chicken sandwiches have an unpleasant aftertaste that the similarly-constituted nuggets do not, so the nuggets are the superior choice among their cheaper chicken items.
Instead, their basic cheeseburgers and their double versions are far cheaper and more versatile, and provided you can peel them apart, they can be partially revitalized with some ketchup from a packet. If you skip the cheese, you will lose some flavor but greatly increase the chance that you'll be able to uncover one side of the patty to add ketchup later.
Their beef burgers with the bigger patty aren't worth buying if you're not going to eat them fresh. This is more true now that they've started cooking them from refrigerated patties, instead of frozen ones, although I don't know if that applies to airport locations also. (But if you know you'll have access to a microwave, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese microwaves the best out of all their beef items.)
But if you're going to be buying food from them knowing it will get cold, consider their chicken items. Nearly all of them will taste good and hold up better than the beef items.
Actual cuts of chicken that have been breaded and fried taste fine cold, so their premium breaded chicken sandwiches are good choice. Pair them with some barbecue sauce.
For even more flexibility, their chicken nuggets are fine cold, you don't have to eat them in one go, and they go well with the barbecue or sweet and sour sauce. In my opinion, their cheap chicken sandwiches have an unpleasant aftertaste that the similarly-constituted nuggets do not, so the nuggets are the superior choice among their cheaper chicken items.
You've got some deep McD's knowledge going here. What other hacks or tips do you have?
I don't care much about the flight, just about getting over the jetlag at the destination.
What worked for me: power through the first day on the ground. Go to sleep when the clock says you should, NOT when your body does -- you'll get tired at some weird time, but don't nap. Run around, do caffeine, or whatever, but just power through it.
I got over jetlag from USA/Australia in about 30 hours this way.
What worked for me: power through the first day on the ground. Go to sleep when the clock says you should, NOT when your body does -- you'll get tired at some weird time, but don't nap. Run around, do caffeine, or whatever, but just power through it.
I got over jetlag from USA/Australia in about 30 hours this way.
I do the same except for the random toilet visits. There's a limited number of them on a flight and especially when the flight is full waiting to use the toilet because someone is taking personal time is rude.
Instead of that will go to the galley or lav area and stretch or pace. As long as the crew isn't serving people they don't care and totally understand if you need to pace or stretch.
Instead of that will go to the galley or lav area and stretch or pace. As long as the crew isn't serving people they don't care and totally understand if you need to pace or stretch.
This is a lot like how I made my first long distance train ride tolerable, and if your 12h flights are this spacious and relaxed... bring a deck of cards or a guitar or something recreational you enjoy. Yeah it’s a hassle to get more stuff through security and lug around but you might make ”survive” into fun memories.
Can you even fit a Guitar in the overhead luggage bins in economy on a full international flight? It's difficult enough to get one suitcase up there.
> bring a deck of cards or a guitar
GUITAR!? Please, no. That would be the second worst thing on a flight after crying babies.
GUITAR!? Please, no. That would be the second worst thing on a flight after crying babies.
To add to the other advice - bring a change of underwear in your carryon to change into before arrival. Makes a huge difference to how you feel the rest of the day when you arrive.
OK, this got funnier the longer I read.
> Buy a Big Mac before boarding the plane, and eat it whenever you want. Bring chocolate and other snacks.
If I ever end up sitting next to somebody who brought along a Big Mac...well, the plane better have empty seats somewhere else...
(I was touring NSW, Australia via rail some years ago and sat across from another tourist who was calmly consuming a large chocolate bunny. It's become such a strange memory that I have to wonder if he just did it to mess with people or what. By the time I got off the train I wanted my own bunny)
> Buy a Big Mac before boarding the plane, and eat it whenever you want. Bring chocolate and other snacks.
If I ever end up sitting next to somebody who brought along a Big Mac...well, the plane better have empty seats somewhere else...
(I was touring NSW, Australia via rail some years ago and sat across from another tourist who was calmly consuming a large chocolate bunny. It's become such a strange memory that I have to wonder if he just did it to mess with people or what. By the time I got off the train I wanted my own bunny)
Some of these things are not possible anymore. You are highly encouraged to stay in your seat because of covid.
I found the only thing that really helps on long haul, economy flights are the sleep drugs.
Anyway, as the veteran of a bunch of 15hr flights, many of them part of longer 25-30hr hauls, here is my one tip....
1. Accept that you are on a plane for a lengthy period of time.
That’s it. Most of the unpleasantness comes from resisting the reality. Stop resisting it. You will be in a plane for a length of time. Accept it.