The long-haul flight is undoubtedly a strange paradox of all the modern wonders that have made our world shrink. It has achieved a great achievement in engineering, a means of transport that can take us across seas and even continents within a few hours to bring us to new culture, weather, and possibilities. It is, however, something of a test of fortitude, a test of patience, comfort and physical tolerance to the individual passenger. The feelings and emotions of sitting in a small chair, locked in a pressurized, dry plastic-like tube that is lifted seven miles in the air over the earth, with someone being ready to sit in the same place with ten, fifteen or even more than eighteen hours, can be so exhausting. It is a sort of suspended animation in which time is distorted and a day passes without sunrise or sunset, and earthly comforts such as fresh air, personal space and quiet are desired luxuries. It is one matter to survive long flight; to travel in relative wellness is another thing. It takes planning, not just strategic planning but an entire thought out program that starts way before you even enter the airport and continues even after you have gotten off it. It is not a matter of a few crash suggestions, it is a philosophy, a philosophy of travelling, involving the mind, physiology, and logistics. Knowing the three essential steps the pre-flight preparation, the in-flight endurance, and the post flight recovery, one is capable of turning the difficult process of a flight into a process that is less dreadful, a process so managable that it may even prove to be a refreshing retreat between take off and landing.
The cement of a triumphant long haul travel is conducted weeks, or at least a few days before the trip is started. This is the most important part in which the decisions taken at this step will directly determine the extent to which you will be healthy and comfortable in the air. It starts with booking procedure itself. Other considerations can reap huge returns despite budget being the main determinant of the process. The actual difference can be achieved by choosing an airline with a better seat pitch and service. The more important is proper seat selection strategy. The age-old question side jerk v/s window becomes all the more relevant in a long trip. This aisle seat will give you the priceless value of being able to get up, stretch, and to the lavatory without embarrassing your neighbours this is a must in preserving the circulation and comfort. On the other hand, the window seat gives you a lean surface to sleep on and it gives you access to the privacy of the shades i.e., you can control the amount of light you put your body in to fit your sleeping pattern. Premium economy can also be an excellent upgrade option for anyone who is not quite ready to cough up a few more bucks, as you not only get those little inches of leg room that they all promise, but usually a wider seat and a more comfortable recline. Another option is the bulkhead and exit row seats, which offer an excellent legroom, but these come with caveats as you might not have under-seat storage to place your personal item, and you will have to face a lot more noise and foot traffic because of their proximity to the galleys or lavatory. Still, the flight time is an instrumental decision. A red-eye or overnight flight that takes place in your regular sleep schedule can be beneficial because the cabin is likely to be dark and sound most of the time, and gets several hours of a rest that is concentrated and allows you to arrive nearer to the beginning of a new day in your new location.
Now that the ticket is bought, it is time to prepare your body and your gear. Your hydration process need not begin when you get into the plane but should begin in the two days before your departure. Air at the cabin of a plane is humid, but at a level of approximately 10-20 percent being drier than Sahara Desert. Having a well-hydrated body before getting into this environment has provided your body with an important buffer. One of this is to always hydrate yourself in the days leading to the day of a flight and it includes lowering the consumption of any diuretic drug such as caffeine and alcohol. At the same time, start a smooth shift of your sleep pattern. When you fly in an eastern direction, make it a test a few days prior, to go to bed and wake up an hour or two earlier. Flying westward do the opposite. This gradual change can help you to gently get your circadian rhythm, your inner body clock, toward the new rhythm and decrease the ultimate shock of jet lag. You should also visit your doctor as a good precautionary measure, particularly where such pre-existing conditions are involved. Share the dangers of Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which is a condition, in case of long term immobility, blood clots are observed in the deep veins of the legs. Depending on the level of risk, your doctor could prescribe compression socks, particular exercises, or medication in the case of high risks. This is also the time to get prescriptions on any of the traveling medicine, be it traveling anxiety, sleep and motion sickness pills.
Preparing to go on a long-haul flight is an art, and you reach the balance of being ready and lightweight. Your carry-on bag is not that bag full of luggage; it is your survival bag. It would be prudent to divide this kit into two sections, the one that fits into the overhead compartment and is carried in a separate bag and the smaller, a so-called go-bag (a tote or small backpack) that remains at your feet. In this smaller bag, you should include the essentials that you will have to access during the flight very often. These necessities can be divided into a couple of categories. A decent neck pillow is essential, as one always feels more comfortable but inflatable ones taken make better use of space, whereas the memory foam is prone to providing much more support. Blindfold to block the daylight in cabin and a big scarf or travel blanket are also essential because the temperature inside the cabins varies drastically. Hygiene wise; one cannot do without a travel sized tooth brush and toothpaste, face wipes, moisturiser and lip balm to help in the fight against the grimy, dehydrated feeling that creeps in. When health-wise, bring any medications or pain killers you use regularly, Ibuprofen or paracetamol, and maybe some hydrating tablets or electrolyte powder to mix in with your water. You should not turn to the system of the airline, as a form of entertainment. Watch more on your phone or tablets: movies, whole seasons of TV shows, podcasts, audiobooks, and playlists. The alternative to a screen can be a physical book or e-reader. Most importantly, bring a power bank and the charging cords to charge your devices. Lastly, put in your own snacks. Although you are provided with meals by the airlines, having things you know well and are healthy such as nuts, protein bars or dried fruit is something you have control of, and you eat at your own pace not on the plane pace.
The last 24 hours prior to the time of going are of implementation and tranquility. Revise your packing list twice. Make sure that your devices are charged to the maximum and your virtual entertainment is downloaded. Check online to eliminate losing time and stress in the airport. Have a balanced healthy meal, nothing too heavy, oily and gaseous. Practice good sleep. On the flight day wear loose non-cumbersome breathable clothes in layers. Just see your outfit as pyjamas which are to be worn outside. Perfect combination would be joggers or comfy trousers, soft t-shirt, zip-up hoodie and comfortable shoes. The last segment of preparatory puzzle is the time of your arrival to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Hurrying causes stress which is the adversary of the sleepful trip. The smooth, systematic process of checking-in, getting through security, and boarding the plane leave a good impression on the marathon that is to come. Get to your gate, get organised, use your reusable water bottle: once you get through security, there is no way to refill it. Your body, your bag and your mind are ready. Now you can go on board.
When you board this plane the endurance period starts. The most basic steps to ensuring the rest of the flight is smooth, is what you do immediately you arrive at your seat. First get a moment to sort out your space before taking a seat. Put the bigger carry-on at the overhead bin. In your smaller go-bag, you should gather all the items that you need as soon you get to the vehicle: your bottle of water, your headphones, your neck pillow, and maybe a book or a tablet. Lay this smaller bag under the seat before you. Bring out some antibacterial wipes and give a quick clean of your seatbelt buckle, arm rests and tray table. The minor rite gives one a sense of calm and forms the feeling of a control of the surrounding world of an individual. When you are well seated and the plane is taking off, set your watch and phone according to the time at your destination. The first small, but important psychological trick is this simple time zone bridge in your head by means of which you start to adjust mentally to your new schedule.
Constant and uncompromising hydration is the one and the only doctrine that can guarantee successful in-flight survival. The heavily dehydrated cabin air works quite hard to dehydrate you by sucking out water via your respiration and through your skin. This dehydration is one of the main factors which cause tiredness, headaches, and this effect of malaise as you get off the plane. You should aim at consuming water both actively and on a regular basis even you are not thirsty. Drink lots of water whenever the flight attendants serve it and it is good not to be afraid of asking them to refill the bottle during the services. It is much easier when you have your large reusable water bottle instead; you can request the crew to fill it up in the galley. Water is king but to make your body more efficient in the conservation of the fluid, it is a useful idea to drink an electrolyte drink. What is nearly as critical as what we drink is what we need not drink. Both alcohol and caffeine are also strong diuretics that will speed up the process of getting dehydrated. Although a glass of wine with dinner may be relaxing, it will have the same effect at altitude and can ruin your sleep patterns and contribute to jet lag. Caffeinated or alcoholic drinks will trigger dehydration so whenever you decide to take one, remember to replenish at least the same amount of water.
Eating during a long flight is a paradox. The meals that they serve on the airline are mass produced and because airline cabins lack the ability to taste flavour, the airlines stuff their food with sodium and other types of preservatives to enhance flavour. Such sodium level may cause bloated stomach and dehydration. Although you need to eat to maintain an acceptable energy level, you should not keep down your food by simply grabbing it every time a tray of food is served at you. That is when your pre-packed snacks will come to the rescue. Protein-rich snacks that contain salt and sugar can satisfy hunger without the salt and sugar crash that many airline snacks cause such as almonds or a protein bar. Do your best to have your eating schedule correspond with feeding hours of your destination. In case you are landing during breakfast season, you can request a light meal despite the airline having a heavy dinner meal. Here is another clue that will have your body clock slowly and painstakingly undergoing a re-set. It is also important to avoid over eating due to boredom. A large meal may cause you to feel lazy, and also it may hinder the process of taking some rest.
On a long-haul flight, the single most significant source of health threats is the risk of incurring prolonged immobility which leads straight to a risk of DVT. The contraction of your leg muscles assists in bringing blood back to your heart since your circulatory system depends on this process. By sitting still in one position several hours, the blood may accumulate in the lower parts of the leg, thus causing greater chances of clotting. To deal with this, you need to include the use of movement as part of your in-flight culture. The best approach is to simply come out of the seat and walk to the end of the aisle at least once in an hour or two. The visit to lavatory or the galley is an ideal pretext. When you are getting up, do some easy stretches: calf raises, and lunges. There are several exercises you could carry even when you are seated to ensure that your blood is still moving. This can be done by turning your ankles on a regular basis. Stiffen and bend your feet. Extend your knees to your chest until you can do them multiple times. Do some neck rolls and shoulder shrug activities to get rid of the upper body tension. Compression socks are a very efficient passive method of assisting muscles with circulation. These doctor socks exert very soft pressure on your legs, so that blood will not go elsewhere and will not make your legs swell. Wear them prior to flying and wear them during the flight.
Sleep is probably the most desired thing to get in a long-haul flight. Arriving in your destination with even a couple of hours of good sleep can make a world difference on your capacity to perform that first day. However, sleeping on a plane means carving out some sleep sanctuary in an environment that is definitely not conducive. This should start by sending a signal to your body that you need to relax. The tools you have are your comfort items. Get your neck cushion inflated and use it to support your neck in the best way possible, and tilt your back of the seat as much as it is reasonable to avoid bothering the occupant behind. Put on your eye mask to produce a total blackout condition, which is important in the triggering of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Place some earplugs or, better noise canceling headphones. The active noise cancellation can also dampen a low-frequency rumble of the engines that runs continuously, which is a very significant cause of subconscious fatigue even when you do not listen to anything. For extra comfort and warmth wrap your scarf or blanket around you. Attempt to schedule your sleep to match night-time where you are going. You should cease screen viewing an hour before you intend to go to bed. The blue light that phones, tablets, and seat-back screens give out fools your brain into thinking that it is the middle of the day and prevents you to fall asleep by damaging the level of melatonin production in your body. Rather, read a real book, a chilling podcast, or do a set of deep breaths. To others, a sleeping aid may be helpful. Just as it is with the prescription medication, there is also a popular over-the-counter alternative known as melatonin which can also assist in stabilizing the sleeping/waking process; however, in this case, it is also recommended that an attempt should be made at home first, just to get an idea of how your body will respond. The prescription sleeping pills should never be used without consulting a physician since they can have very strong side effects and might make one feel drowsy.
Along with the key concepts of hydration, exercise, and sleep, there is also a concept of a personal level of comfort and hygiene that is crucial to preserve your mental well-being. The length of time in the plane may leave you feeling stagnant and dirty. A rejuvenating moment can be a strong psychological kick whenever you feel like it. At the middle of the flight, and before landing, go to the lavatory with your small hygiene kit. It is a very simple thing but when you clean your teeth you feel instantly more human and clean. The extreme cabin dryness can be defeated by wiping your face using a cleansing wipe and putting on a new moisturiser and lip balm. And, of course, in the case of contacts, this is strongly recommended to switch to glasses during the flight as dry, itchy eyes are to be avoided. Think about ways to change your clothing. Changing the t-shirt you have worn the whole day to a new one moments before you want to go to sleep or just before landing can easily be a morale booster.
The length of the awake-period has to be dealt with by a plan on how to divide the flight intoworkable sectors. You should not think about spending 16 hours constantly. Rather consider it as a series of tasks: watch one movie (2 hours), eat a meal (30 minutes), walk and stretch (15 minutes), read a chapter in your book (1 hour), listen to a podcast (1 hour), attempt to take a nap (2 hours), etc. The time in this mental structure is less solid and more organized. Switch up your entertainment so that you are not overworked. Switch between passive methods such as movie watching and other more active ones such as reading or completing a puzzle. In case you have to work, do not overlook the space and privacy of your neighbour. Certain files you will likely need during the flight will not be accessible via Wi-Fi on the plane, especially since the connection might prove to be unreliable and slow. Last but not least: You are not alone in a space. Simple courtesy is such a long way. Do not intrude on the armrest end of the plane, make sure that you do not recline your chair without warning, and ensure that your noise levels and light are at minimum levels, particularly when the cabin lights are shut. A small amount of thoughtfulness can make the joint experience more pleasant to all the people involved.
As soon as the wheels have touched the ground, the last stage of the flying process starts, the recovery. The way you handle the first 24 hours spent on the ground will define the level and the length of your jet lag. The main thing you should aim at is to make your body adjust to the local time faster. Once you have deplaned and you are going through the process of immigration and custom, keep your head clear of the feeling of being overwhelmed. Walk with a destination. In case you visit the area during the daytime, the most potent source of your circadian rhythm reset is sunshine. To the greatest degree expose yourself to natural light. Don not wear shades. That of light penetrating in your optic nerves is a strong message to your brain to stop the release of melatonin, and this restarts your interior clock. When you finally arrive at a place of your stay, you may feel that the temptation to crash on the bed is huge. This you should resist, except in case you come late at night. In the case of daytime, unpack your luggage, take a bath and change your clothes. After that, go out. It is best to do with a brisk walk. Light physical activity along with light will stimulate the state of wakefulness and facilitate circulation in the vehicle following the lengthy flight.
It is on the first day that one conquers or loses the fight of jet lag. The most important commandment is not to fail to sleep until it is a decent local time (no earlier than 9 or 10 PM). This may be very hectic, particularly when you did not sleep a lot in the aircraft. When you believe that you can not go on and on, have a brief 20-30 minute power nap. Use an alarm to make sure that you do not go into deep sleep as it will be far more difficult to sleep well at night. Stick with the hydration plan you used during the flight and aims to consume a lot of water during the day. There should be some correspondence between local time and what you eat. Don not go astray even due to the inexistence of hunger by having a light, low-calorie meal at the right time of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, heavy, fatty food, which makes you feel sluggish, should be avoided. Keep alcohol cautious. Although a drink may appear to be the means of relaxing after traveling you can dry out even more and your sleep can be affected as well, which will increase the duration of the jet lag process. Once you get to bed, you want your room possibly dark and quiet in order to help get a deep restful sleep. When you wake up at the middle of the night, which is one of the symptoms of jet lag, don not switch on bright lights or check your phone. Stay consumed in the bed and sleep until it is a good time to emerge. Those following days shall be related to the continuation of this trend: to receive sunlight in the morning, to lead a physically active lifestyle, to eat and sleep on local time, and to stick to the schedule.
To conclude going through the long-haul flight is not a game of chance but rather an issue of adequate and thorough planning. It is self-nurturing that up-ends a passive, frequently unhappy process to an actively performed process. The very pre-steps to it involve the planning level of booking and packing, which establishes the level of comfort and readiness. It goes on in the air and being highly disciplined, it adheres to the physiological necessities of hydration, movement and wise rest, at that it keeps up personal hygiene and occupation of mind. And it ends in a controlled recovery-phase, during which a vigorous attack on matching the fresh time zone with light, activity and diet can vanquish the paralyzing impact of jet-lag. It is possible that by thinking of the trip not as one block of time, one huge monster, but as a combination of separate stages and small activities, the modern traveller will not only make it through the flight. They won t be reaching their journey s end point in an exhausted state trying to make it as a survivor but well rested and ready enough to accomplish the objective of their tours when they walk into a new dawn.
