Brightsuns Survival Guide to Long-Haul Flights

1. Brightsun’s Survival Guide to Long-Haul Flights Make your long-haul flight fly-by with these super survival tips The thought of travelling half way across the world is incredibly exciting, but let’s be honest, getting through that long-haul journey is a pain in the backside. You have to sit down for dreaded hours on end before reaching paradise which really takes its toll on your body. Air travel is exhausting and results in sleep deprivation, dehydration and irritation. Read our top tips below that will certainly help you get through that never ending flight. Enjoy a Movie Marathon Most long-haul aircraft include extensive in-flight entertainment options, so why not take the time to watch a bunch of movies? We always crave a day of doing nothing but lazing in front of the TV and rarely get the chance to do so, so this is the perfect opportunity to sit back, chill out and have some lazy me time. Emirates is a fantastic choice for long-haul flights with its award-winning ICE entertainment system that contains over 4,000 channels. Get the popcorn!

2. Bring a Good Book If you’re more of a book worm than a movie buff, then perhaps you can treat yourself to a new novel to bring on board. Another thing we rarely have time to do in our busy daily lives is sitting down to read, so this is a great chance to get into a good book and escape reality without any distractions (apart from occasional turbulence). Also, reading makes you tired, so you’ll probably nap afterwards too.

3. Games Galore There are usually a number of games to choose from on in-flight entertainment systems, and who doesn’t love getting into a decent game? It’s great to keep your brain stimulated and get your competitive edge out. In those long hours on board you could become an expert at a game, whether it’s classic solitaire sessions or challenging quiz rounds. Compete with your travel companions and set yourself a goal on how far you can get, and you’ll soon forget that you’re even on a flight. Bring Your Own Entertainment On Board We can’t always rely on in-flight entertainment in-case the options on-board aren’t to our satisfaction, so it’s always wise to make sure you have provided yourself with your own forms of entertainment. Load your mobile phone or device with plenty of your favourite tunes, podcasts, games, shows or e-books to keep you occupied for several hours and prevent coming down with a classic case of flight boredom.

4. Start Planning Your Itinerary Organized holidaymakers may have already done this, but bringing a pen and paper on board to start jotting down some ideas for your trip is a great way to work out how you’re going to spend your time in paradise, whether there’s a whole range of attractions that you want to see or whether you want to make a timetable for your sunbathing routine. Take the time to figure out how you can make the most of your upcoming holiday and become excited about it.

5. Sleep as Much as you Can A lot of long-haul flights are night flights, which means that the best thing you could do for yourself is sleep to fill in empty time and keep your energy levels up. However, if you’re anything like me, this is a struggle, no matter how much mood lighting there is and how comfortable the seat is. It might be worth bringing a lavender essential oil to help you relax, as well as some ear plugs, an eye mask and a neck pillow to avoid those super-awkward sleeping positions. Celebrate! You may not have reached your destination yet but your holiday has certainly begun. Why not have one or two cheeky drinks to celebrate the occasion? This will make the time fly by as you sit back and relax with a glass of whatever you may fancy and drift into a mellow daydream about your getaway, or chat to your fellow companions over a drink. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking water in-between, though. Bottoms up!

6. Wear Comfortable, Loose-Fitting Clothing Ok so this is a given really, and it isn’t a tip to make the time fly by as such, but it certainly helps you have a more comfortable flight. Temperatures really do fluctuate dramatically on board, so it’s definitely worth wearing an oversized zip up hoody that you can take on and off as you please and can use as a blanket. It may also be worth packing some socks or slippers for even more comfort. Reserve Your Seat This one is essential to make sure that you’re next to your travel companion for starters, so that you can chat away and kill time. If you want to experience as much comfort as possible, then it might be

7. worth opting for seats which offer extra legroom. Perhaps you could even upgrade to Business Class and have the most blissful flight ever. Qatar Airways’ Business Class won several awards last year, so if you’re flying with Qatar, it’s well worth the upgrade. Do Some Positive Thinking & Reflection A long-haul flight isn’t all that bad. There is an incredible amount of free time that you can take advantage of and an opportunity to have time to yourself and clear your head. I remember doing a lot of thinking on my last long-haul flight which really put my life into perspective. Cheesy but true! Put some inspirational music on and take some time to reflect, not by thinking about your stresses, but by counting your blessings. And before you know it, you have reached your destination. Enjoy!