Airplane Travel Tips and Tricks

[TSAMP]

I always want a window seat.

I use ear buds that are hearing protection. Either an audio book, or podcast series that I've either heard, or am only sorta interested in.

Pair with a few $12 airport beers. Lol

I heard someone call them termies, as in terminal beers. Always liked that.

 

[Matt5266]

I feel like a dork wearing it, but I fly frequently for work in the cheap seats and a neck pillow similar to this one goes with me on every plane ride. Neck pillow + baseball cap over my eyes + ear buds blasting white noise and I'm out like a light. A 3 oz travel bottle filled with some quality 100+ proof bourbon helps too.

This guy has it dialed in

 

[displacedtexan]

I heard someone call them termies, as in terminal beers. Always liked that.

I'm stealing that!

 

[Touchdown88]

I went on 4 overseas red eye flights last year. I use a neck pillow and wear an Edsie Bauer lightweight rain jacket. I pull the hood up over the neck pillow and zip the jacket up all the way. This keeps the neck pillow locked in tight.

I also use noise canceling headphones and take 2 Tylenol pm as soon as we takeoff.

With this setup, I ugly sleep for 6-10 hours. Its not the prettiest but it's efficient.

 

[passinggas33]

Over the ear noise cancelling headphones (Bose and Sony are best) and this. Actually holds your head up so your neck can rest. Pair them with an engaging audiobook (Campfire Stories from Rinella are good) and "steerage-class" is bearable even on the longer flights.

I've been told by a colleague from New Zealand that these work well also.

Have you actually ever tried one of those pillow / eye mask contraptions? I’ve seen them before but never actually tried one in person.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

BTW...consuming your own alcohol that you brought on board is illegal...don't do that.

You can always ask for 2 shooters instead of just one when they take your order. Also - if the flight attendants are cool - you can use the "future me" tactic so they know that future you wants another on their next pass through.

 

[journeyman713]

Ambien

Ambien? In the presence of other humans? I would not recommend this ever.

 

[FrankNess14]

Wool Compression socks and calf raises to engage your second heart! I used this cheap inflatable neck pillow and it worked pretty well…just don’t inflate it to the max. Electrolytes before, during and after…

 

[mthayr]

Have you actually ever tried one of those pillow / eye mask contraptions? I’ve seen them before but never actually tried one in person.

Yes

 

[Slugz]

My last job was in KSA 35/35 rotation. Did that for almost 10 years. 16 hour flight every 35 days. All the things mentioned above are spot on. Ill add...

- Eye covering that doesn't put pressure on your eyes is key. Spend the 15$ and get the bougie ones.

-Take sweat pants and a loose top sweatshirt or something. Get out of your street clothes.

-If you are going economy figure out what airlines has the best seat. Use SeatGuru.com to really research the seats. Emirates has the best premium economy. Big seats that are almost like a 1980s business class.

 

[Boarmaster]

Buy the best gun case you can swing. In my 40 years of flying I have seen some sht. I once saw luggage handler pull my case off out of the luggage hold on the plane and instead of just allowing it to ride down the conveyer that bastard slung it out of the hold and tossed it six feet out onto the asphalt. I was so pizzed if I coukd have got my hands on the fat slob I would given him a beat down. Fortunately I had a good SKB case. One of the old style ones that looked like musical instrument case. In fact over the years I had people at the airport ask me what instrument I played. LOL.

The only other advise or tip is to make sure you go thru your pack if your carrying it on and make dang sure theres not loose rounds jammed in a pocket or in the bottom. That will cause you a headache.

 

[JoeB]

I was about to make a somewhat similar post. I have a hunt scheduled later this year and on the way home have a 19 hour overnight layover and a 10 hour overnight layover. I was thinking about taking by backpacking sleep pad with me and inflating it in a corner of the airport to try to get some sleep along with noise canceling ear buds and eye mask . Anyone try that before? Last time I tried to just sleep in the airport chairs and also on the hard floor and that ended in a long trip with no sleep. thinking the pad would help some

 

[journeyman713]

I was about to make a somewhat similar post. I have a hunt scheduled later this year and on the way home have a 19 hour overnight layover and a 10 hour overnight layover. I was thinking about taking by backpacking sleep pad with me and inflating it in a corner of the airport to try to get some sleep along with noise canceling ear buds and eye mask . Anyone try that before? Last time I tried to just sleep in the airport chairs and also on the hard floor and that ended in a long trip with no sleep. thinking the pad would help some

Not sure setting up a sleeping area is allowed in every airport. This sounds like a brutal trip, I look into at least one airport hotel.

 

[bozeman]

Flew from Chicago to Hong Kong for years (14-15 hours per head/tail winds). Could be brutal. For flights over 6 hours here is what I recommend:
1- you need to get up and move every 4-6 hours and keep your blood flowing (helps keep you from feeling like total crap when you land)
2- narcotics and sleep aids were a NO GO for me, but was able to sleep with eye coverings and ear buds with 'white noise' playing. (side note: if you use any 'sound maker or fan' when you sleep at home, record it and put it on continuous loop, it helps)
3- compression socks, over the calf/to the knee help with circulation, helping when you land
4- quit being cheap and get Preferred Econ at least
5- bring $5/$10 starbucks gift cards on the plane and give to the flight attendants in your area, amazing what that will get you on a LONG flight.

I regularly fly now from Atl to Amsterdam and these still work quite well.

We fly to Tokyo in July, from MSP, it's about 12/13 hours, so I plan to carry out all 5 of these! Best of luck and enjoy the flight.

 

[passinggas33]

Flew from Chicago to Hong Kong for years (14-15 hours per head/tail winds). Could be brutal. For flights over 6 hours here is what I recommend:
1- you need to get up and move every 4-6 hours and keep your blood flowing (helps keep you from feeling like total crap when you land)
2- narcotics and sleep aids were a NO GO for me, but was able to sleep with eye coverings and ear buds with 'white noise' playing. (side note: if you use any 'sound maker or fan' when you sleep at home, record it and put it on continuous loop, it helps)
3- compression socks, over the calf/to the knee help with circulation, helping when you land
4- quit being cheap and get Preferred Econ at least
5- bring $5/$10 starbucks gift cards on the plane and give to the flight attendants in your area, amazing what that will get you on a LONG flight.

I regularly fly now from Atl to Amsterdam and these still work quite well.

We fly to Tokyo in July, from MSP, it's about 12/13 hours, so I plan to carry out all 5 of these! Best of luck and enjoy the flight.

Great advice. Thank you. We are doing Seattle to Singapore. And part of the challenge with this specific flight, is I’m taking my youngish kids. So paying for economy plus for 6 is just not feasible. Me sure, 6 of us, no can do. And then there’s the balance of trying to sleep but still help out my kids. This trip in particular is gonna be brutal. But I truly appreciate the advice and will use as much of these as I can.

 

[bozeman]

I dont know the age of your kiddos, but I would recommend you give each of them a sucker (lolli-pop) just before take-off or a piece of gum to chew to help their 'ears pop' as altitude changes. I have been on more than one flight back from China where USA parents are adopting Chinese children screaming their heads off.........simple fix for what could become a MAJOR issue in a child's discomfort.

 

[passinggas33]

I dont know the age of your kiddos, but I would recommend you give each of them a sucker (lolli-pop) just before take-off or a piece of gum to chew to help their 'ears pop' as altitude changes. I have been on more than one flight back from China where USA parents are adopting Chinese children screaming their heads off.........simple fix for what could become a MAJOR issue in a child's discomfort.

My kids are all above 10 years old so that’s not too big of an issue but you are right that when they were young kiddos this was critical!