Flying Across the World

Are you the type of person that doesn’t do new or different things because the “newness” or unknown things you need to know are too overwhelming, so you don’t even end up doing the new or different thing? Yeah, me too.

Literally flying halfway across the world is nerve wracking but it’s also an exciting one. That’s why there is now a list of tips for you to have when you have those 30hr trips. This list was compiled by me and my husband as we traveled to Thailand; we did some of these things and said, “Man, I wish someone would’ve told me about these other things! It would’ve made my trip a lot more comfortable!”

From a firsthand experience, here are 7 things that we HIGHLY recommend doing while on the plane and off the plane. They are not in any sort of order since they are ALL very important! Let’s take off! (see what I did there?)

1. Compression Socks – this is something I didn’t think of at all. I’ve flown before, but also to one State to another in America and have never had any issues with my calves and ankles swelling. Even when I went to China! Maybe that was because I was in my ripe age of early twenties, but still. Don’t forget them! I even added them to my Amazon Wishlist for when we move to Thailand. I’m sure we will get great use out of them! (I don’t get commissions and this isn’t an add, just a well needed item for our sakes!)

2. Bring Snacks – leaving some space in your personal bag or carry-on bag for some snacks are a must. This may come to you as a shock, but airport snacks AND food is very expensive. But, hey, if you want to buy Pretzels that are double the price, go for it. (We definitely have before.)

**Don’t bring water or liquids. Security will make you throw it out before you even need to use it. You can bring an empty water bottle and use their fountains once inside the terminals. (There was one plane transfer from Qatar to Florida where they had extra security and we had to dump our water out again, and this was right before boarding! So frustrating…)

3. STRETCH – while on the plane, time gets messed up and you have no idea what’s going on due to the time changes, so you end up watching three movies before realizing you haven’t stretched! You NEED to get up and walk around. Go to the bathroom and do some stretches. Whatever it takes, get up and stretch. I didn’t realize I needed to do this until AFTER the canckles (swollen ankles) emerged and there was no turning back – for real, it was maybe 2 days of swollen ankles.

4. Toiletry Items – you wake up, get ready, travel to the airport, get on the planes, and then land – it’s all too easy and fast right? NO! Think about how often you put on deodorant regularly and how many times you brush your teeth throughout the day. You still need to do this! If you’re going anywhere that takes longer than 8hrs, please reapply that deodorant or use some sort of wipes that clean you AND brush your teeth. You might not have a problem with a sour mouth, but those around you don’t want to smell the sourness of your travels. Keep a bag of these items with you while you’re on the plane. Freshening up keeps you less frustrated about the long hours and keeps you from feeling gross. Also, travel germs. Some planes do offer a little bag of these items.

5. A Good Pillow – Yes, there are travel pillows available, but does the little bump on the back of them really support your neck like they advertise? Sit with it on before taking it with you, because if you don’t end up using it, it’s just taking up space and it’s one more thing to carry. Longer flights do offer pillows and blankets but remember it’s a free and cheap pillow that has some sort of mesh plastic-y case over it and it’s not comfortable. I ended up using that pillow for back support.

**check the button on your travel pillow! All the snap buttons have always ripped off the pillow or broken in some way so they never were snug around your neck – again, making it another thing to carry. Pictures for reference.

Button, bad. Other thing, good.

6. Give Yourself Time – find personal testimonials about how long you should take your layovers for in certain airports. Google almost costed us to be late for our first layover out of the States, plus, it’s stressful! (You need more than an hour when you have a layover at PHL, by the way!) Give yourself time to walk - not rush, to freshen up – not be sour, or to figure out the layout of the airport! No matter where we’ve been (LAX, MCO, IND, DIA, BKK, or LHR) giving ourselves about two-three hours has been a comfortable time. This includes the time from when you “land” but are still in the plane to when your next plane starts boarding.

7. BEST Seats in Larger Planes – everyone loves their window seat but remember when traveling hallway across the world, the longest flight could be between 13-16hours and it’s not comfortable to be scrunched up by the window and having to jump across two people every so often to use the bathroom. Plus, the windows will most likely, always be closed because you’ll be traveling with the night, everyone’s sleeping, and you can’t see anything outside anyways. If your airplane has three columns in it, CHOOSE the aisle seats in the MIDDLE column. Since it was just me and my husband traveling, there are three seats in the middle, so it was only him I was walking over to get to the bathroom, and he had extra legroom because of the aisle. (Now, make sure to move your leg when people are walking by!)

The next time you fly, I hope this puts your mind at ease! Don’t let stress or anxiety wear you down enough for you to skip out on an adventure.

Have you been on any of these long flights before? What are some tips that got you across the world? Do you have any reservations about going? What else would you like to know?

Let’s chat about them in the comments!