Just a few weeks ago I spend a total of 50 hours, yes **50 HOURS** travelling from the sunny Gold Coast, Australia to the snow and cold of Calgary, Canada. I’m not going to say it was the most fun I’ve ever had… but it definitely wasn’t the worst. So here are a few tips to Surviving Long-Haul Flights.
- Get that Netflix Account Stocked and Loaded!
One of the best things you can do is to download the Netflix app onto your phone/ tablet and download hours worth of your favourite TV shows and movies. It will save you that extra bit of money you might’ve spent for on board entertainment.
2. Watch your iPhone Movies on the “Big Screen”
If watching on a small screen isn’t really your jam and you have an apple iPhone and MacBook, follow these easy steps to watch them on the “big screen”! All you have to connect your iPhone and laptop via USB, open QuickTime Player (included on all MacBooks), go to file then New Movie Recording. Once the camera pops up select your device for both Camera and Microphone in the drop down menu next to the record button and HEY PRESTO! Whatever is on your device will be on screen. Don’t forget to turn the volume up in that same drop down menu and to also control everything from your phone, not the computer.
3. Snacks Make the World go Around
Airplane food tends to be quite expensive with the unfortunate fact that the quality usually isn’t one to match. Taking your favourite snacks in your carry on luggage is a sure-fire way to eat something you actually like without having to pay hundreds of dollars (slight exaggeration).
4. All Airplanes have Hot Water!
Keeping on the trend of food, if you’re looking at having a CHEAP meal or drink, take your own cup-a-noodles or packet hot beverages on board! Needing some tea? Pack a few bags and ask the hostesses for a cup of hot water. Most of the time it’s free and if not, it sure is cheaper than buying tea from the menu.
5. Take some Puzzle Books
Puzzle books are a fun way to keep your brain active on a seemingly mind-numbing trip. Crack out the sudoku, mazes and crosswords to break up all the screen time.
6. Crack out the Ole’ iPod
I have had my iPod touch since about 2009 and it’s still one of my favourite travel accessories! I have years worth of music loaded onto it (but sadly haven’t kept the software up to date so it no longer connects to the internet) making it perfect to keep all my music on whilst my phone holds all (if not most) of my movies. Music is a great way to drown out those crying babies and chatty/ snoring neighbour passengers.
7. Edit your Photos/ Video Footage
If you’re a photographer/ videographer (professional or otherwise), long-haul flights are a great way to spend the time needed to edit your work without the stress of having other things to do.
8. Write a Blog Post
If, like me, you find writing new material for your blog takes a lot of motivation and a distraction-free zone, then long-haul flights are perfect for you! Plug in your headphones and get those fingers typing for the hours ahead. Even if you don’t have the mental capacity to roll out a whole new post, flights are also a great opportunity to brainstorm and plan future posts.
9. Pack the Right Stuff
Sleep and comfort are two major factors that can make or break a flight. I always recommend packing an eye mask, blow up neck pillow and a blanket or extra jacket. There’s nothing worse than being cold and uncomfortable for hours on end. Have a think about the things that can make you as comfortable as possible.
10. Fill up your Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is important all the time, but even more so when flying. Pack an empty water bottle in your carry on bag and fill it up right before you get on the plane. There’s always a water fountain around and it saves you having to throw away a full bottle at security.
I hope these tips help your next flight to be as productive and comfortable as possible! I’d love to hear your tips for surviving a long-haul flight!
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Taylah xx
Really helpful during long flight halt! 👍
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Thanks for reading! 🙂
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Great post. I didn’t even think of asking for hot water before but it’s a great idea. I often write blog posts on my phone when I’m on a flight. I wish more airlines had free wifi on board.
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Thank you! Hot water can be used for so many different things too so the possibilities of what you can take on board are almost endless.
Oh, me too!
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Take my own cup-o-soup! I love this! I never thought of bringing that! What great suggestion you have here, thank you!
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Thank you! It really is handy to save on overpriced airplane food!
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Darcee & I usually fail when it comes to loading our Netflix or downloading movies. Have to really work on that one. Never thought about the hot water they have and using it to make a cup of noodles…that is actually kind of genius! We do our best to stock up on snacks but something hearty like a cup of noodles would be a good one. I have tried to work on my blog but I usually get too distracted by tv or my crosswords or magazines. But its a great time to work on your blog for sure! Great tips.
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Number 1 here all the way! I binge watched an entire season of Breaking Bad between Singapore and London last week 🙂
I also agree that long-haul flights are a great opportunity to get some photo editing done too. I did quite a bit of that on long bus journeys in South America as well.
Great tips!
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Thanks Alex! Wow! You must have had a looooong flight haha
Photo editing is so easy and compact- just a computer, SD card and hard drive!
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Definitely going to try a few of these on my next long-haul flight. A common thing such a hot water is so easy to ask for but I’d never think to use it!
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It’s so versatile too! So many different things you can take and just add water!
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such nice tips to overcome boredom during long-haul flight but usually im sleeping during flight or just watching the clouds, it’s kinda nostalgic.
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oooh cloud watching is a good one!! *heart eyes* hehe
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Oh! I found this post very helpful and with lots of good tips. thanks so much for sharing them!
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Thank you!
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Great tips! Definitely stay hydrated!! On a flight to Hong Kong from America I got soooo dehydrated I couldn’t stop throwing up 😦 It was HORRIBLE! Now I really focus on drinking as much water as possible when we fly!
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Oh no! That sounds terrible! I can’t imagine being on a flight that long and throwing up 😦
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Such a long trip! Glad you made up a list of these ideas
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It was super long! Definitely won’t be doing it again anytime soon 😛
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I more thing! Try to sleep and listen calm music 🙂
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Sleep is definitely important!
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What a great idea to take your own noodles along 🙂
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This is priceless! I would do this if ever I have to go for a long flight!
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You are right, it often the becomes to survive long flights. The longest I got was 27 hours including a short 4 hour transit. the trip was horrible…
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Having a few terabytes of movies definitely helps the time go by when Lisa and I are flying. Great post.
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Movies are SO important to pass the time! Haha thank you very much 😄
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Great tips!
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One of the best articles I’ve read. The tip about the noodles is amazing! It makes all sence and we can save so much money with it!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
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Really very nice suggestions !!! Keep on posting such informative things !!!
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I don’t like flying (but who really does?!), but some of these things definitely make the flight a ton more enjoyable. I love doing puzzles or writing for my blog! I always hate dragging out my laptop, but it would probably be a great idea for me to work on editing some photos too! Thanks for sharing your ideas!
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I just had a long-haul flight to and from Europe the other month, and I spent a chunk of it writing blog posts. I’m usually really slow writing, but I surprisingly got a ton accomplished.
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#8! Yes I love writing on the plane! Also I didn’t think about the hot water!?! great tip!
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