[_Cicero]

My take. I work on long flights. This is 10 hours of work time uninterrupted, where I don't even have to cook my own food. Getting a new computer with a long battery life made all the difference. I also download materials I can read onto my phone. Some new airplanes also have a plug-in these days, and also sell wifi.

Back-up option is to read a book. Something which will absorb you completely. Or learn Russian.

I like work and am time constrained, so when I am absorbed in what I'm doing I always feel hassled by having to put my computer away when its time to land. Turn the time into something useful.

[Biologist]

I have always loved travelling, but hated long haul flights.

I always make sure to carry 4 things with me on every long haul flight:
1) Neck pillow.
2) Ear plugs (those foam ones you can buy at the pharmacy or supermarket).
3) Eye mask.
4) Laptop (which I usually always have with me anyway).

Before flying, I usually try to under-sleep so that it is easier to fall asleep once on the plane. However, sometimes I don't need to do this as I am already fatigued from partying, doing activities or the lack of sleep associated with travel.

Once the plane has stabilised at cruising altitude I usually take a piss and/or dump, go back to my seat, put on my pillow, ear plugs and eye mask and try to get a few solid hours of sleep.

It's the best feeling opening your eyes, feeling super refreshed and seeing that the remaining time to reach your destination has gone down from 9 hrs to 1.5 hrs left.

Whenever I am not asleep, I usually just watch movies or TV series that I have loaded onto my laptop or just enjoy the in-flight entertainment. I never take any medications or drink alcohol.

In terms of window vs. aisle seats, I think it just comes down to personal preference. I find that I tend to sleep longer and easier when I have a window seat.

[Suits]

(04-21-2017 07:05 PM)highliner Wrote:  

Long flights can be brutal. I am 6'4, naturally restless and mildly claustrophobic. The travel routine I have nailed down through the years is to basically be comatose for the duration of the flight. Go to your physician, tell him you travel long flights frequently for work and you have a fear of flying. Explain you have used Xanax in the past which alleviates this fear and makes flying bearable. I have done this twice with different doctors, both of them gave me a full scrip of 30 Xanax without batting an eye. I stay up the entire night before the flight. When I arrive at the airport, I order a couple shots and sip on a few beers, take 2 Xanax one hour before boarding. If you're an herb smoker, eat a pot brownie or something also. By the time I board I am in a pretty fucked up state, but by no means belligerent or stumbling. The lack of sleep, combined with the Xanax and the intensifying effects of the booze makes me sleep like a G. My last flight from LAX to Japan, I passed out before take off and didn't wake up once until the wheels touched down, about 10 hours pure uninterrupted sleep. For shorter flights I suck it up and deal with it. If you get anything less that 7-8 hours of sleep using this method you'll wake up disoriented and feeling like dog shit.

Thanks Jordon.

[TheBulldozer]

Work your ass off. Become successful. Fly business class. Let the journey become part of the trip. Repeat.

[hooked_on_tonics]

I genuinely look forward to long haul flights most of the time, especially if I don't have to deal with any connections. It's one of the few times where I give myself permission to be completely indulgent.

Any television or pleasure reading that I want. I particularly enjoy reading fiction set in the country that I'm going to. If that gets boring I'll wash an ambien down with some wine / cocktails, throw on some trashy in-flight television until I black out and wake up at my destination.

I am also not afraid to use reward points or take advantage of a good deal to upgrade to business or first class if my cashflow is right.

[yankeetravels]

I'm one of those people that sleep like a rock on a decent bed or couch but cannot fall asleep sitting. It doesn't help that I'm 6'4 with limited leg room. I've taken three different 16 hour flights to Asia, my god those flights are brutal. I don't sleep too well on them even when I try to take sleeping pills and drink. I remember one flight I took three sleeping pills and still couldn't knock out. Not to mention my legs numb up very easily so I always feel like I have to adjust or stretch frequently. So what I do is usually watch an in-flight movie, tv show, or play some of the games they offer. Should look into bringing a book. On a recent flight I was actually reading a travel magazine the plane offered that gave me a good tip for somewhere to visit in the city I was flying to that I hadn't heard of before. Ended up going there for the day with a friend and discovering a new part of the city.

I do notice for me at least, a huge benefit of going through those hellish long flights is that the short flights I take now seem to go by in a flash. It's such a pleasure to be on a two hour flight now when I really wasn't overly excited about that prospect before I started flying internationally.