While I was packing my carry on for my upcoming trip, I made a checklist for things to carry, which help me survive my 16 hours long flight. Till now, I have traveled the same route four times and mastered how to survive 16 hours long flight.
I am traveling to India this week, and this will be a long flight. Being a traveler, I have gone a lot through a plane, but my longest international flight was 16 hours long. I usually fly from Los Angeles to Ahmedabad. The whole journey takes a little less than 22 hours with one-stop and 3 hours of layover.
Before you book tickets
The passport and visa are essential requirements to enter any country. Before you book your ticket, make sure your passport is not expired, and you have valid permits for the respective country. If you are eligible for on arrival visa, then carry the required documents. I have already shared ten things to must-have for your international flight.
How to survive 16 hours long flight
1. Book your tickets well in advance
I usually prefer booking my tickets before 2-3 months. This trip was planned in a hurry, so I booked the air ticket before a month. Especially flights through Midwest give seat selection options without any charges. Hence, I can pick a seat at no cost.
I usually prefer an aisle seat, so I can get up and walk without disturbing anyone. Besides seat selection, the price also varies on how early you book. In a long flight, if you reach early for check-in and they allow you to check in your carry on bag free of cost. Which makes your journey light and hassle-free.
2. Keep yourself hydrated
You might don’t realize, but sitting in one place for a more extended period makes you lazy. Many times you forget to drink water as you are not active. Carry an empty water bottle, so you don’t face any trouble to clear security. Once you clear security, fill it up from the water station and keep drinking from it.
3. Use the time and be productive
While the majority of passengers enjoy watching movies and listening to songs, I prefer to use this time to increase my productivity. I always carry my planner/ daily diary to write my plans. It can be about my trip itinerary, new blog post idea, or social media schedule. I also like to do introspection, figure out the areas of improvement and solution for it.
You can pick your favorite activities, like reading, drawing, etc. Also, don’t miss to take naps in between; otherwise you end up landing tired and exhausted with lack of sleep.
4. Choose juice over alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic beverages increase your bathroom trips and make you dehydrated. It’s better to choose juice, energy drink or water instead. It also helps to keep your calories on track and doesn’t mesh with your sleep schedule.
5. Carry your headphones
I prefer carrying headphones with noise cancellation, which helps me ignore the external world. It also helps you to give a silent atmosphere while sleeping. Personally, I prefer over the head ones because in long time earphones give me pain in my ears.
6. Dress comfortably
If the flight is for a couple of hours you might see people dressed fancy. For a long flight, it is advisable to dress comfortably in order to make your journey smooth and easy.
Keep in mind you are going to sit in one place for a long time and you should be able to move your hands and legs easily. Your attire should not be too tight. Even your shoes should be comfortable plus easy to slip on and off.
7. Pack your carry on wisely
Don’t just stuff your bag for the sake of check-in baggage expenses. Organize your carry on such a way that you can find the stuff when you need them. You can either use packing cubes or keep the things in a separate bag which you need in flight.
8. Stay away from bacteria
Since you entered the airport you cannot keep count where you have touched? And from where you get infected from bacteria? That’s why I love to keep my hand sanitizer with me all the time. I always hang hand-sanitizer on the strap of the purse so I don’t have to open the bag every now and then.
9. Stretch your legs
Keeping yourself active on a tiny plane is very difficult right? If you sit in one place for a longer time, you can experience deep vein thrombosis in a simple language blood clot. It is advisable to stretch your leg and walk around every hour. Also, avoid compression socks unless prescribed by the doctor.
10. Power up your electronics
I know you are busy downloading videos from Netflix, Amazon or YouTube so that you can watch them offline but what if the battery is dead? That’s why you have to charge all your devices before you leave for the airport. Also, carry power cables for all the devices. Now security doesn’t allow power banks so leave those portable chargers at home.
