TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE A LONG FLIGHT EASIER TO BEAR
Many of us love to travel. I'm sure that many of us, at the same time, hate traveling by plane. I fit into this "pattern". I love to travel, but I hate everything related to flying and airport formalities. So, until teleportation becomes a travel option, I thought I'd put in an article some ideas and recommendation that can make a long flight, over 4 hours, easier to bear.
FULL SERVICE COMPANIES VERSUS LOW COST COMPANIES:
The first step is to know what kind of company we are flying with. Full service or low cost? I think it is important to make the difference between a low cost company and a full service company when booking a flight, because the differences in terms of comfort and services offered can be quite large and in some cases, we can access additional services that will make your flight easier.
Below, I have made a small general comparison, mentioning that the services offered and their quality may be different from one company to another, for example Tarom and Emirates Airlines, both being full service companies, do not offer services of the same quality.
LOW COST COMPANIES:
- usually does not operate flights longer than five hours. One of the reasons is that the crew is not allowed to exceed a certain number of flight hours, otherwise the company has to offer them accommodation and time to rest at the final destination; - baggage and food during the flight are not included in the ticket price; - there is no business class and first class option; - there is no internet during the flight, or if there is, it is for a fee;
Examples of such companies: Ryanair, Wizzair, Easyjet, etc.
FULL SERVICE COMPANIES:
- operates flights longer than 5 hours; - food and drink are included in the ticket price; - business class and first class tickets can be purchased, thus being able to choose better services than those offered in economy; - most of the time, airplane seats are much more comfortable than low-cost ones (more space for legs, etc.); - there is internet and screens on which you can watch movies; - in most cases, various free items are offered (audio headphones, earplugs, etc.);
Examples of such companies: British Airways, KLM, Air France, Etihad, Qatar Airways, etc.
Now, having this information, it will be easier for you to prepare your luggage with the things that you must have strictly for the flight. Whether you add one more book, or take fewer, or choose not to spend money on food at the airport, if it is included in the ticket price, or waiting at the airport can be done in the lounge of the airline, there are some aspects that can be find out with a short research that you can do before the flight, regarding the benefits that the company you are flying with offers you, depending on the chosen ticket.
USEFUL TRICKS TO MAKE A LONG FLIGHT EASIER:
- look for information before the flight about the company you are going to travel with, to find out what services they offer, so you can make a plan before you fly; - during the flight, try to get up from the seat as often as possible. Besides the fact that you don't move for many hours, the altitude can affect blood circulation; you can choose to wear stockings that help blood circulation, especially if you have problems with varicose veins;
- hydrate yourself with as much water as possible, not with juices or soda drinks; - avoid consuming alcohol, as it is a strong dehydrator; - dress as comfortably as possible, preferably in tracksuits. Avoid wearing heels or uncomfortable clothes; - put some thicker clothes in your luggage especially for the flight. Sometimes it can be quite cold on the plane; - charge all your mobile devices (phone, laptop, etc.) and take an external battery. Be careful to have it with you on the plane, not in your checked luggage. According to the new rules regarding checked baggage, it is forbidden to have external batteries. It is only allowed in hand luggage; - take a pillow and an eye mask with you; - pack a bag with hygiene products, which you think you will need on the plane;
IDEAS OF ACTIVITIES THAT YOU CAN HAVE DURING THE FLIGHT: - read; - clean your files on your laptop/phone; - sleep, you can take melatonin or other supplements to help you fall asleep; - download a good series, if it captivates you, you will want to watch episode after episode and time will seem to pass faster; - if you are flying with someone else, put some playing cards in your luggage;
THINGS THAT CAN BE USEFUL TO YOU DURING THE FLIGHT: - neck pillow; - a thin blanket or a thick scarf; - disinfectant gel for hands; - hand cream; - lip balm; - mentholated gums or candies; - books or magazines; - medicines (the classic Aspirin and Paracetamol, but also something to relieve pain, bloating, diarrhea, etc.); - headphones, laptop or other devices that can help you with boredom; - earplugs; - eye mask; - wet napkins and dry napkins; - hygiene products: deodorant, soap, toothpaste. On a long flight, you may need a refresher;
HOW DO YOU FIND THE BEST FLIGHTS AND AIRLINE TICKETS OFFERS?
Although the topic of the article is about how to make a long flight comfortable, I thought it wouldn't hurt to leave here some tips to find plane tickets at good prices. As the concept of traveling too much does not exist (at least for me), most of the time the price of a plane ticket can be decisive in choosing the destination. Although there are many search engines where you can compare flights, I prefer Skyscanner, which I use most often and whose system and organization I am most used to. Therefore, I leave below some of the techniques that I use and I hope that I come to you with information that you do not already have:
when you are undecided about the destination, let the destination choose you. Select the "everywhere" option, so you will be able to see the flight options and their prices in ascending order;
be flexible with the departure and return dates, so select "whole month", and before choosing the day you have the price from which the flights start;
if you want to get cheap tickets for a certain destination, but at the time of the search you can't find what you want, you have the option of setting an alert in Skyscanner, which will send you a notification when there are offers. This way, you will not have to check for discounts all the time;
incognito mode and/or the VPN set to another country will NOT work in 2024. Airlines set their prices according to demand and competition. On bank holidays in a country and during peak season (summer in Europe), prices will be much higher. Moreover, the tickets will be more expensive for other dates as well, if you book them in the summer, on weekends or public holidays. It is a tested method and I was shocked by the difference, both for flights and for car rental. For example, if I want to go somewhere in October, and I try to book the tickets from August, the price is much higher, than if I book them from September, when the demand already starts to decrease;
another option would be to look for tickets in the middle of the week, on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. It is not a method that works all the time, being influenced by the month in which you search. Usually, the month of November is the quietest in terms of travel (at least in Europe), and then there are the highest chances of finding good prices for future trips, or even in the same month. At the opposite pole, are the months of December, July and August;
if you really want to get to a city, or even a country, but flights to that destination are always expensive, try to find alternatives to nearby destinations, located at an easy distance to travel by public transport. For example, you want to go to Bratislava, but there is no direct flight, and the available options are not budget-friendly, you can choose to fly to Vienna, then one hour by train to Bratislava. Another example, the area of Alsace, in France. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is by flying to Basel, Switzerland, then public transport to the cities of Alsace;
compare prices on several search engines, not just Skyscanner. You can try Booking, Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, Expedia, etc.
These are the things I apply when preparing for a long trip, as well as later, during the flight. I hope that the information received will be useful. If you have any other tricks/tips that could make a long flight seem easier, leave them in the comments, I'm sure they could help other people too.
Read also about how to travel low budget, how to take the best photos when you travel, or about how to handle long flights.
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