Coming to visit us? Or visiting somewhere else that requires you to be on a super long plane ride? Consider the following:
1. Do you really need all that stuff for your carry on?
No, probably not. If you're a seasoned traveler that likes to read 5 books every time you're on a plane, fine. If you're traveling with a tiny human who requires bags of stuff, fine. But if airplane travel is still novel to you, you do not need all those books you think you'll want to read. Same goes for all those pricey magazines at the airport. Airplanes that travel long distances have TVs for each passenger. There's plenty of movies, TV shows, and music to keep you entertained. If you have too much stuff, it's on you to lug it around the airport, worry about it on the plane, and lug it off the plane. Don't be that person who holds up EVERYTHING because you had to bring on a variety of bags and now seem flustered getting off the plane. Less is more; grab and go.
2. Eye mask.
To better acclimate yourself to your pending time zone, get an eye mask to wear after dinner for dozing if you're traveling overnight. I recommend the eye mask over just closing your eyes because it's waaay too easy to keep opening and closing your eyes with nothing covering them. There's also going to be glare from the TV screen in front of your face. Bonus points: before the trip, wear the mask to bed to get used to it, and to get your brain to start associating the eye mask with sleepy time.
3. Slippers and comfy clothes.
Consider some flat slippers to flip on instead of shoes so your feet can breathe better. I always feel more relaxed when I'm sporting slippers. Slippers with solid bottoms though, for when you go to the bathroom. (For whatever reason, the floor is always filthy and wet. Yuck.) Alternatively, wear some slip-on shoes for the bathroom and have the slippers on when seated.
Clothing-wise, I like layers. I tend to get chilly so my preferred plane uniform consists of legging/yoga pants, thin t-shirt with long cardigan, and flat shoes (easy to get through security with). Oh, and a pashmina. For long plane rides, you'll get a dinky little pillow and a blanket, but I always prefer having the pashmina as my blanket. In fact, those items are often in my way, so maybe toss them in an overhead bin as you are sitting down.
4. Here's the general order for an overnight flight. Plan accordingly.
US to Europe: Wait, sit, get a drink, get served dinner, dinner is removed, big line for bathroom after dinner, lights go out for the night, cabin is mainly quiet; if you're awake flight attendants come by periodically with juice or water; lights come on about 2 hours before landing, flight attendants serve breakfast beverages and a small breakfast; trash is removed, wait again and land.
Europe to the US: Wait, sit, get a drink, get served dinner, dinner is removed, big line for bathroom after dinner, lights might stay on, maybe not; cabin is quiet-ish, periodically juice or water is served if you're awake, approx. 2 hours before landing you'll get another round of drink service and a snack; trash is removed, more waiting, and land.*
*At some point (it's not always the same time), flight attendants will come around with a US Customs form for you to fill out. Bring a pen and fill it out before landing so you don't have to scribble something in line later.
Now that you know this is the overall pattern, you can close your eyes and rest and not worry about what's going on around you.
5. Drink lots of water.
It's very easy to get dehydrated. Start drinking more water in general, and then day-of, keep it up. Avoid the sodas and alcohol. Unless you are super skittish about flying. In that case, have a shot of something, chasing it with more water, of course.
6. Get up and move.
I know, I know - what about the sleeping on the plane for overnight trips?? Aim for naps with frequent trips to the bathroom. See #5. It's better for your health to keep the blood flowing. As someone who has had blood clots, I can tell you they are NOT fun and super scary. Sometimes flight attendants are seated in the back of the plane where the drinks are, so you can always walk back, stretch, and retrieve your drink.
7. Bose noise-canceling headphones.
So worth the money. You won't be able to hear the flight attendant so you'll need to take them off when he or she is standing there asking what you want to drink (which is... what? Water! Good). But that also means you won't hear the loud white noise of the airplane, or screaming babies. Ah, serene. They have adapter plugs so you can use the TV, which sometimes have two plugs instead of one like we're used to in the US.
I'm sure there are more tips, but these are my favorite. Happy traveling!
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