I think it is safe to assume that most people do not enjoy
plane rides. Some may not mind them, others tolerate them, a few dread them,
and others are too terrified of the prospect to even board a plane, no matter what
adventure is in store for them on the other end. I tolerate them, my experience
being mostly flights over three hours in length. A trip to Spain from the Midwest
will cost you about 8 hours in the air, and most likely one connecting flight along the way.
When my husband and I flew to Spain for our honeymoon, the
entire course of our trip suffered the consequences of a poorly executed travel
plan, with my husband enduring its worst aspects. After our flight had been
delayed, and consequently our connecting flight redirected, we wound up running
through the Philadelphia airport and grabbing the closest and easiest thing to
eat while we stood waiting for the ground transportation to carry us to the
correct terminal. We knew the food on the plane would be less than desirable
and that the long flight would be too much to handle on an empty stomach. And
so we gorged our silly faces with two different slices of Sabaro Pizza, and promptly thirty minutes
after take-off Jonny became tragically acquainted with the airplane bathroom.
Food Poisoning. He was in such a miserable state, the flight attendants were
kind enough to provide him his own personal seat in back and call the paramedics
upon landing. I never expected that the first time I would hear a stranger
referring to Jonny as my husband that it would be a flight attendant waking me
and informing me of his unfortunate demise.
And so we were derailed, grounded because he was too ill to
fly, forced to spend a portion of our money on a hotel in London (not cheap),
and compelled to arrive in Madrid the next day instead – on New Years Eve. News
flash, the country closes on New Years Eve, and so our first romantic
night consisted of rationing macaroons we had and the bottle of wine a bar
tender offered to Jonny after he literally begged them for some bread. The next day, the stores were closed, but we lucked out, finding a nice restaurant to celebrate our survival. When the
week came to an end, and we were able to reflect on the more enjoyable
components of the trip, we thought we were in the clear. Wrong again – the “Great
Freeze” of January 2014 descended upon the United States, and while we made it back to
the country, we were again forced to stay in a hotel (cursed state), this time without any of our
checked luggage or clean clothes. I am not ashamed to admit that I would have
been the perfect image for front-page freezocalypse news as I sat at the
airport, tearful and at my wit’s end on the phone, crying to my mommy that I
just want to go home. It goes without saying, we had a memorable start to our
adventures in matrimonial bliss.
As exciting and rewarding as careless wanderlust can be,
such is not the case when it comes to traveling long distances by plane. We
learned this lesson the hard way, and as a consequence, this time we tried to pack as if
the plane might inadvertently land us on a desert island…or back in Pittsburgh in the middle of snowmageddon. We did not want any
disaster to go unplanned for, for fear it would set the tone for our 8 months
of isolation in a foreign country.
It could have been that we took a different route, that we
traveled on a different airline, that it was fall and there was little chance
of a freeze or snowstorm derailing us, that the fates finally showed us mercy, or that we were
actually prepared to suffer any disaster we faced. Whatever it was, we survived
our 8 hour flight, and the connection, without incident, landing safe and sound
in Madrid and on our way. The disaster of a honeymoon and our trepidation of
any repeats have inspired me to share a little advice to those who plan on
flying across any Oceans, any time soon.
Pack your carry-on wisely.
Once you hand over your monster of checked luggage, jam-packed
with all the conveniences you care to enjoy at your destination, your only
companion is your carry-on and what you have wisely chosen to fill it with. For
an eight-hour trek, you want to be sure you are prepared for the extended
amounts of sitting and disrupted sleeping, and the only way to do that is to fill your
life support – your carry-on – with everything that will make that possible. Moreover, if you end up stranded somewhere
overnight, and you have the unfortunate luck of traveling with an airline that
refuses to give your bags upon such flight cancellation (*cough* American
Airlines), you will regret it immensely, and uncomfortably if you do not
carefully pack your carry-on essentials.
Bring a neck pillow, bring a blanket.
On most flights, when you arrive at your seat, you are
greeted by a limp, 2x3” pillow and a cellophane-wrapped, thin baby-size blanket saying “tuck
in, this is going to be a looooong eight hours!” Until this current trip, I
have gotten by with these modest offerings. While I take the time in between
flights to make fun of people carrying one of the many styles of neck pillows
now available, I secretly envy them once we leave the ground. No matter how
many ways I manage to jumble my complimentary pillow, it does not support my neck. If I manage
to fall asleep (more akin to a groggy twilight state), I wake up with a migraine and an
incredibly stiff neck and back.
There are a variety of neck pillows – and neck pillow reviews - out there these days, and if you plan on traveling
a lot, I recommend you delve in, read the reviews, test out a few different "models," and choose what will work best for you. Anything would have been better
than the alternative in my eyes, so we went for the standard version, choosing
Sleepmax MicroBead Ultra Soft Travel Neck Pillow. They got the job done, but there are
definitely better options out there.
While it may not be necessary for a short (and thus mostly lower altitude) flight, I strongly recommend a blanket small enough to fit into your
carry-on, but large enough to cover your legs. Every time I have traveled to Europe,
I am reminded how cold it gets as I try to curl under the small thin “blanket”
they provide to passengers. And every time I wish I had brought one of the many
fleece blankets I have, sitting uselessly at home. Don’t be me. Bring a
Blanket.
Bring sustainable food
It should be obvious, given our past misadventure, that we wanted to
bypass any food offerings at these airports. This is, considering the amount of
time you will be in an airport/isolated from safer foods, difficult to do, but not impossible. It seems
pretty common for people to bring snacks with them when they fly, though
usually what I see are people munching on candy-bars and chips. If you are
going to last over 14 hours (getting through security, flying, layovers, more
flying) without succumbing to the greasy, filling, temptations around you, you need to plan
better when it comes to food. Jonny and I thought long and hard about this
phase of the trip, culminating in two different trail mixes – one sweet,
one salty. Both were filled with proteins and healthy fats to keep us satisfied and
clear-minded throughout.
Our sweet mix included: Pecans, macadamia nuts,
dark chocolate chips, a variety dried fruits (golden raisins, apricots, pineapple, dried cranberries), Werther's hard candy, and mini
marshmallows.
Our Savory mix included: Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, roasted pumpkin
seeds, beef jerky pieces, and white cheddar Cheez-its.
We braved the food served on the plane itself because, while
the food we brought was enough to sustain us throughout our journey, we began
craving something warm. It, as usual, was not very tasty, but satisfying enough. I think the only thing we would have changed in retrospect is omitting the marshmallows - they just did not hold up very well in combination with everything else. Also, I would have brought along some whole fruits and vegetables - carrots and oranges, for example.
Also be sure to pack the following in your carry-on
- A toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap
These above necessities will be a life-saver if you find your self in an extended layover, or stranded in a random city during a snowstorm, exploding volcano, great freeze, etc. When your journey needs to take an intermission, there is nothing worse than having to board a long flight feeling grimy. We brought a mini bottle of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap and travel size toothpaste, and luckily had no need for it.
- An extra change of clothes and a pair of pajamas
These are also an essential element for unplanned derailments. However, it can also be good to have for mini-emergencies along your journey. When I needed Jonny to get up so I could use the restroom, in our exhausted stupor, we spilled red wine all over his pants. Luckily he had an extra pair of pants in his carry on - and BONUS: to reward Jonny for the mess we made all over the aisle, the Delta crew brought us a first-class dessert - and offered us more wine. Props to Delta!
- A hairbrush
My hair always feels like a gross, tangled mess after a plane ride, no matter how I style it. A brush is always a wonderful tool to have on hand if you have long hair like me.
- An eye-mask and earplugs
Some planes provide these, some may not. If you plan on trying to sleep at all, these will come in handy if you get stuck next to someone who decides to keep the light on the whole time, or even better, someone with a child who cannot comprehend the painful ear-popping process of travel.
- Chap stick
It can be very dry in those planes, and chapped lips are not the way to arrive. You will thank me later.
- Hand Sanitizer
Planes endure constant streams of high-volume traffic, day-in and day-out, and there is no way to control the cleanliness of those that surround you. Avoid the damper sickness will put on your adventure, and bring along a mini-bottle of your own hand sanitizer.
Wear Clothes you can be comfortable in for 12 hours
You are about to spend an extended amount of time in a cramped, seated position, surrounded by about 100 similarly situated people. Being at a high elevation for such an extended period of time will also mean it is going to get cold, and if you are short like me, you will spend most of the time feeling like you are about to slide off the seat because your feet do not touch the ground. There are several factors working against your comfort, but there are a few ways you can make it better. A key component is comfy clothing that will last you your entire travel time - from your departure from the domestic airport to your arrival at your destination. In particular, sweats are an excellent option - hoodies and thick sweatpants in particular.
Drink Water
Everyone is always telling you to drink that water, but it especially important for those plane rides. Staying hydrated will make the experience much better. It gets very dry in the pressurized cabin, and this can cause a lot of discomfort. Be aware of the fluids you are taking in. You should consume about 8 ounces every two hours, after drinking plenty in the time leading up to the flight, and if you choose to have drink to calm you nerves, or a soda to satisfy your cravings, make sure you drink extra water to make up for it.
Try to Get Some Sleep - But don't Count on It
An eight-hour flight, arriving to your destination in the morning seems like the perfect opportunity to set your body strait on the time zone it is about to enter. If you are someone who can literally sleep anywhere, this is a good boost to fighting that unavoidable jet-lag. If not, you can use a natural sleep aid, such as melatonin, but be sure to have tried it before experimenting on your trip.
I, personally, am an easy target for jet-lag and an inability to sleep in any uncomfortable situation, no matter what I use to help. So for me, none of these plans for sleep work. I have foolishly even tried to exhaust myself in the time leading up to my departures, only to be exceptionally exhausted upon arrival. I would have been better off boarding well-rested and arriving only a little tired, fighting the urge to take a nap when I arrive, instead of succumbing to it entirely.
Finally, Get Excited!
You are about to embark on a new stage in your life, open your eyes to new horizons, and experience new perspectives. Your bags are packed, you are ready to go!
If you have been on a long flight, learned any rough lessons, or just simply have any advice, share your thoughts - let us know. What would you bring in your carry-on, and how would you prepare otherwise?
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