14 hour flight

"Tchiowa" wrote in message
oups.com...

Jim Seltzer wrote:
Any ideas on how to make a long flight more comfortable?

I have flown from San Diego to Europe half a dozen times and always find
the
return flight a miserable experience, especially the last 5 or 6 hour leg
from the Eastern US to the west coast at the end of an exhausting
vacation.

This time I will be flying from LAX to Sydney on a United 747-400 in
March.
I used every mile I had with United to get the tickets, and because of
that,
I had very little leeway as to seat selection. I am seating with my wife
on
opposite isle seats in the cattle section in the back of the plane.

??? United limits seat selection if you have an award ticket? I quit
flying UA a few years ago because of their chicken sh** attitude toward
awards but I had never heard of this quirk.

UA does not limit award ticket seat selections. I just did a round trip
SFO/PEK on an award ticket, and was able to pick my E+ seat. I switched to
UA (from CO) specifically because of UA's E+. I wasn't getting upgraded on
CO out of SFO (I was Platinum), so I decided that, if I had to sit in coach,
it might as well be roomier coach. I've never had a problem with seat
selection on UA awards (I prefer an E+ window seat).



I have never been able to sleep for more than 20 minutes on a flight. I
know about bringing snacks, water, neck pillow, relaxation music on MP3
player, eyeshades and melatonin. Nothing seems to make the flight more
comfortable.

Any other ideas as to how to make the 14 hours seem like 2 would be
appreciated.

I fly long flights like this regularly (SFO/Singapore;
Frankfurt/Singapore maybe 10 times a year or more). First thing I have
to acknowledge is that I have a bit of an edge on you in that I have a
hard time staying awake on planes. Even sitting straight up on a small
prop plane for a 40 minute flight I fall asleep.

Having said that, no one can sleep the whole 14 hours. I sometimes take
one glass of champagne to "take the edge off" and sleep a bit better.
Other than that, avoid booze. And avoid all of the various chemicals
people are going to tell you to take.

This is, I think, a "different strokes" kind of thing. Too much booze is a
bad thing. However, I always "self-medicate" when I fly. Alcohol makes me
sleepy, and a drink or two before I board, and a few, as necessary, during a
long flight, ensures that I'm relaxed and can sleep. As long as I don't
over do it (years of experience have taught me the right amount), I arrive
refreshed, no hangover (or other side effects) and ready to go.

They will all have a side affect
and you will pay for them sooner or later.

If the flight doesn't have good entertainment then consider bringing a
portable dvd player.

Or a laptop. I put movies on my laptop hard disk (which minimizes battery
usage), and carry a library of them with me in case I can't sleep and get
bored. When used with noise-cancelling headphones, a good movie will be
totally absorbing and I forget that I'm on a plane at all.

Long distance carriers usually have power
connections for PCs that will work with your player.

Not in coach -- at least not on any of the U.S. carriers that I usually fly.

Take 4 of your
favorite movies. Ones that you have seen before. They will keep your
mind off the flight. Plus, since you've seen them before you might get
bored and fall asleep (just like you do on your couch at home).

I also find games (game boy or just a crossword or other game book)
helpful. Keeps your mind somewhere else.

Jim Seltzer wrote:
Any ideas on how to make a long flight more comfortable?



I have flown from San Diego to Europe half a dozen times and always find the
return flight a miserable experience, especially the last 5 or 6 hour leg
from the Eastern US to the west coast at the end of an exhausting vacation.



This time I will be flying from LAX to Sydney on a United 747-400 in March.
I used every mile I had with United to get the tickets, and because of that,
I had very little leeway as to seat selection. I am seating with my wife on
opposite isle seats in the cattle section in the back of the plane.



I have never been able to sleep for more than 20 minutes on a flight. I
know about bringing snacks, water, neck pillow, relaxation music on MP3
player, eyeshades and melatonin. Nothing seems to make the flight more
comfortable.



Any other ideas as to how to make the 14 hours seem like 2 would be
appreciated.

Thanks .... Jim Seltzer






Just returned from LEMD-MMMX and back. The Westbound leg in an A340-600
went much more slowly than the Eastbound in an A340-300. Yes, the flight
is an hour longer, but subjectively what I liked on the A340-300 was
that the inflight entertainment included a moving map and
time-to-destination information, whereas the A340-600 didn't. I like to
know where I am and how much longer.

Someone suggested noise-cancelling headphones. A much cheaper solution
is a set of good earplugs. We bought some in Spain, trademark "TAPS",
they're made of cottonwool and wax. They reduce the noise level by 99%,
and you can still hear the earphones through them.

T.

Just make sure you take it at the destination's bedtime...

"eyeswideshut" wrote in message
...
"Jim Seltzer" wrote:

Any ideas on how to make a long flight more comfortable?



I have flown from San Diego to Europe half a dozen times and always find
the
return flight a miserable experience, especially the last 5 or 6 hour leg
from the Eastern US to the west coast at the end of an exhausting
vacation.



This time I will be flying from LAX to Sydney on a United 747-400 in
March.
I used every mile I had with United to get the tickets, and because of
that,
I had very little leeway as to seat selection. I am seating with my wife
on
opposite isle seats in the cattle section in the back of the plane.



I have never been able to sleep for more than 20 minutes on a flight. I
know about bringing snacks, water, neck pillow, relaxation music on MP3
player, eyeshades and melatonin. Nothing seems to make the flight more
comfortable.



Any other ideas as to how to make the 14 hours seem like 2 would be
appreciated.

Thanks .... Jim Seltzer

I take Melatonin 3mg. It's natural, sold in any health food store,
drug store, even at your local supermarket next to the vitamins.
Within 20 minutes of taking it, I'm out cold for 8 hours.

It OK if your body can take Tylenol .
But it can kill you if a natural chemical is
missing to oxidise the T' .
This is in all Clinical Chemistry books on earth .

library books are the cheapest, easiest, and best personal
entertainment devices ever invented.

better yet by some old novels at the thrift store, and just leave them
for others as you travel!

james wrote: library books are the cheapest, easiest, and best
personal
entertainment devices ever invented.

When I lived in Saudi Arabia I would never take a library book with me
on vacation as when returning, they could be subject to seizure at
customs. I agree about the use of libraries and it is really a shame
not to see then used more. However, reading books on planes tends to
give me a headache.

George

james wrote: library books are the cheapest, easiest, and best
personal entertainment devices ever invented.

My problem with library books is that most are hardcovers so they are
large and heavy.

On the other hand my library has a semi-annual booksale where I load
up on disposable paperbacks.

Some airport bookstores have figured this out and will buy back
paperback books for half price, then they resell them with a used
sticker for maybe 75% of list. If your airport store has such a deal,
it's not a bad way to go, both to economize and and to encourage
airports to sell books that you might actually want to read.