{"id":41161,"date":"2015-08-21T10:03:26","date_gmt":"2015-08-21T00:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=41161"},"modified":"2015-09-07T14:48:25","modified_gmt":"2015-09-07T04:48:25","slug":"how-to-survive-your-first-long-haul-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/how-to-survive-your-first-long-haul-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"How to survive your first long-haul flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m not the most patient person. I\u2019ll do almost anything to avoid a queue, and I have a habit of chanting \u201ctoo much of the red man, not enough of the green man\u201d under my breath at pedestrian crossings.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So I was pretty sure it\u2019d be a challenge getting through all 14 hours of my direct flight from Brisbane <\/a>to Los Angeles<\/a>. \u00a0I mean, I checked the flight timer about seventy times during my last international trip, and I only went to Auckland <\/a>. Still, if you want to travel, flying long distances are part of the experience, so I knew I had to learn to deal. If you\u2019re an impatient sort like me, here are some tips.<\/p>\n

Focus on the positives<\/strong><\/p>\n\"positive\n

You\u2019re about to visit another country. How exciting is that? It\u2019s what you\u2019ve been saving for. Better yet, you can sit back and watch TV shows and movies while flight attendants pour free food and drinks down your gob. Live it up! About two hours before my flight was due to land in L.A<\/a>,\u00a0I closed my eyes and unsuccessfully tried to sleep for about the thousandth time. \u00a0All of a sudden the crew announced over the loudspeaker that they were about to start serving hot breakfasts. My eyes flew open. I was living the dream!<\/p>\n

Wear comfortable clothing<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the one and only time when it isn\u2019t a good idea to dress like Vince Noir from The Mighty Boosh<\/em>. Instead, sacrifice style for comfort.<\/p>\n

Bring your own entertainment<\/strong><\/p>\n\"flight\n

What? The in-flight entertainment system doesn\u2019t feature enough arty foreign films? Take matters into your own hands by bringing your iPad or Android Tablet and loading it up with whatever you enjoy, whether it\u2019s fishing documentaries or James Blunt\u2019s latest album (not that I listen to that constantly or anything. Anyway\u2026). Or bring some travel games along. They\u2019re always stacks of fun.<\/p>\n

Try to get an upgrade<\/strong><\/p>\n

I flew economy on my way to L.A, thinking that once I got there I\u2019d sell my brilliant screenplay to some famous director, rake in an obscene amount of cash and live it up in first class on my flight back home. Astonishingly, my plan didn\u2019t work. Instead I recommend dating somebody rich and going on holiday with them.<\/p>\n

Get an aisle seat<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019re gonna need to use the bathroom at some point. Plus with an aisle seat it\u2019s a lot easier to get up, walk around, stretch your legs, do back flips, start flash mobs and other activities that are good for your circulation.<\/p>\n

Lay off the coffee and booze<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWHAT?\u201d I hear you scream as you pick up something to throw at my head. Chill out, I don\u2019t mean forever. It\u2019s just that coffee and alcohol can add further dehydration to what is already a dehydrating experience. I still had a coffee though. I\u2019m only human.<\/p>\n

Adjust to the local time zone<\/strong><\/p>\n\"adjust\n

It was a sunny California\u00a0<\/a>morning when I landed at LAX<\/a>. In order to beat (or at least minimise) my jet lag, I held off sleeping until night time. I kept myself busy with activities like wandering Hollywood \u00a0<\/a>Boulevard, eating at In-N-Out Burger, and hassling famous directors to read my screenplay. It was all pretty tiring, but it was worth it. That night I had one of the most satisfying sleeps of my life, and I woke up the next morning feeling much like my regular self.<\/p>\n

Follow my tips and you may or may not get through your long-haul flight <\/a>with a smile on your face. The next step? Staying patient while clearing customs. I\u2019m afraid you\u2019re on your own there.<\/p>\n

What was your longest flight? Share any tips you have below!<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n