Travel hacks for long-haul flights

As much as I love planning a holiday to a new and exciting place, the thought of sitting for over 10 hours on a long haul flight can do my head in!  How I long for a time when we can teleport ourselves into a new space without having to endure the close confinement of traveling economy class. Except for the fortunate few who can afford to travel Business Class  – and I have had the privilege of doing this a few times – (thanks to the likes of Voyager miles), cattle class as it’s commonly known, is where the majority of travelers find themselves, along with its challenges.

I have learned that many of us share the same concern when having to endure the flight on an overseas trip! How can we be properly prepared for a long-haul flight? Besides the obvious preperation that goes into planning a trip, this part of the trip is always a priority for me. I absolutely love the excitement of planning a trip, and put a lot of planning beforehand. I want to arrive at my destination without feeling completely exhausted and dehydrated. Over the years, I have learned a few travel hacks to arrive at my destination  prepared for my very first day withoug being completely exhasuted!

How to dress

• Layering your clothing is very practical and helps when travelling to different climatic conditions.
• Temperature control on the flight is either set too high or at a temperature which is just too cold. Wearing a t-shirt and a lightweight hoodie or jersey which you can easily drape over your shoulders is essential. I also often travel with a pashmina. They offer enough extra warmth if I’m feeling a little cool and take up little space. If you do have space, a winter weight pashmina is ideal as this can double up as a familiar and comfy blanket on the flight.
• I always wear a slip on pair of shoes, and never sandals as my feet are the first body part to feel the cold when the aircon is turned up. I also pack in a favorite pair of comfy cotton socks. Avoid nylon socks – they become static. I prefer not to wear sneakers, as I frequent the ladies often throughout the flight, and there is nothing worse than having to work in a confined space putting on and taking off your shoes.

What to take in your carry-on bag

I have spent many an hour pondering over what to pack with me to take on the flight. Dehydration is my primary concern as it literally makes you feel and look exhausted. I love my creature comforts and have tried many brands over the years which promise full hydration and for you to look refreshed and ready for the day ahead, however, I am still searching – I basically never look great if I havent had enough sleep. No product to date has managed to make me feel that it’s given me back my much needed 8 hours of rest.  I do find though, that taking my makeup off and following my nightly routine of washing my face and using a serum and a good face cream makes me feel really comfy and more hydrated. I will also change into comfy pants, pull out my eyemask and try to get some sleep. It’s impossible to be fully comfortable in an economy seat and I have spent many a flight trying to adjust positions  in order to be comfortable. I now take a good sleeping tablet prescribed by my doctor. These tablets are designed to help put you to sleep relatively qucikly so make sure you have done all your preperation for a good 5-6 hours of not getting up, and you will be sorted.

I generally get up and go to the loo when breakfast is being served. This way you avoid the crowd and a stinky loo after breakfast. I change my underwear, put on the pants I was wearing when I boarded, a clean top, and attempt to make my face a little more presentable. Just some moisturizer, foundation and mascara and a slap of lippy does the trick. This is a list of my current favorite products I include in my bag:

• Mac makeup cleanser towlettes – sold in convenient travel size option
• L’occitane Immortelle reset serum 
• L’occitane comforting cream moisturizer 
• Sorbet Cover & Go foundation and concealer
• Bobby Brown curling mascara (absolute fav)
• Clinique lipstick
• L’occitane Shea butter 25% hand cream

Choosing a good seat

If the airline allows me to choose a seat when booking, without having to pay extra for this privilege, I will do so. I prefer to sit in the window seats of a plane, especially if the configuration is for only two people per block. Otherwise, I wait for check-in to open online (24 hours before the flight) and select from the available seats. Seatguru is a great site that offers a comprehensive seat guide.  Only information you need to insert is the name of your airline, date and flight no. You are then able to assess which seats are suitable to your needs. Certain seats are flagged as either being good or bad options. This is something to consider if you are, say tall and need extra legroom, or a lightsleeper and dont want a seat which perhaps juts out into the aisle. These seats are known to be knocked by fellow passengers walking past on their way to the loo.

In an ever evolving world, airtravel keeps ahead by becoming more economical, hence, more seats are being added to almost every new aircraft, so our discomfort continues to grow… I would love to hear from you in the comments below if you have any other hacks which can help our travel community. I am always open to new ideas and would love plenty of insight into this essential part of travel.

Quickest route is the best route

I know that price is always a factor when booking your flight, and sometimes I have grabbed the cheapest flight and absolutely regretted it. What could be a 10 or 11 hour trip can easily land up being upwards of 24 hours! With the best flight deals being offered by the large middle eastern airlines – ie, Etihad, Emirates and Qatar, South Africans often use these airlines. If you are going East, this adds at least 7 hours to your trip when flying out of Johannesburg. If you plan well ahead of time – six months is usually a good amount of time – you can fly with Singapore Airlines for about 20%  more and be in Singapore within 10 hours. Most connections out of Singapore to say Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are within a 1 to 3 hours flying time.

Economy class on SAA

Beautiful Sunset from my window seat

Business Class on air Mauritius

xx B

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