We all have an image of how we want our flights to go: no turbulence or screaming babies, luggage space right above our designated seat, an easy nap or a brilliant film that makes the whole journey fly by (no pun intended).
And, if you’re a frequent cruiser, you’ll know that relaxation is meant to come hand in hand with cruises: the sea views, the leisurely pace in which all your fellow holidaymakers move, spas on one corner and luxury food on the next. But if you’ve gone the whole hog and opted for a fly-cruise, then you might not be leaving your earplugs and travel cushions at home like you originally thought when you chose your cruise.
Nobody likes a bad flight, whether it’s down to a lack of leg space or a mix-up with your pre-ordered meal, so with that thought in mind we’ve reached out to our expert cruise community and put together their top tips for flying. You can’t afford to not know these pearls of wisdom…
Preparation Is The Key To Success
1 – Pack This Battery Pack
If you get a serious case of boredom on long flights like us then you’ll want to make sure you’re one of the flyers with a list of entertainment set up for your journey. So download one of your favourite programmes or have an app ready to play on that can be used in airplane mode and you’ll have that taste of home even when you’re thousands of miles up in the air…
But we all know what iPhone batteries are notorious for so make sure you invest in a rechargeable battery pack for your smartphone. As soon as you’ve run down the battery from playing Temple Run over and over just plug in your portable battery pack and you’ll be straight back up to 100% again in no time!
2 – Download A No-Stress-Guarantee
In this day and age, almost everything is online. And luckily for those of you who tick everything off their list and still think they’ve left the oven on at home, you can now have your boarding pass a finger swipe away.
Most airlines now have their own app which you can download on your smartphone and use as the replacement to your carefully filed polly pockets of important documents! Scan your boarding pass from your app through the barriers and you’ll be away in a flash, celebrity style…
3 – Priority For Veggies
If you’re a real food-lover you’ll be one of the first to book their flights to guarantee a free meal, right? Then surely you’ll want to be one of the first to be served their meal too!
Did you know that if you opt for a vegetarian meal not only will you be the first to be served every meal, but it is well known that the food is of much better quality! So go ahead, be veggie up in the air.
Comfort Is The Only Way
4 – Bring Sport To The (Fold-Down) Table
Believe it or not, golf balls could be the perfect replacement for a foot massage when you feel like truly relaxing on your flight. Bring two golf balls with you for your journey, take off your shoes and massage your feet over them and you’ll feel calmer than before.
Although, if relaxation is a pro, a little too much relaxation could be a con. Be careful not to drift off while you’re massaging your toes, unless you want to see the air hostess’ running up and down the aisle looking for loose golf balls…
5 – Become One With Layering
The moment you step on the plane is the moment you have to face the mad rush of finding a space for your luggage as close to your seat as possible, are we right? And the bigger suitcase you bring the more of a problem it will be for you to shove your bag in between the ones that got there quicker than you.
So, to avoid being at the receiving end of those angry glares, use one rule when packing: LAYER. If you wear layers of your holiday clothes whilst travelling then your luggage becomes smaller and you automatically have several make-shift blankets for when your neighbour is overdoing it with the aircon…
6 – Picking The Perfect Place
If you’re on a long-haul flight, chances are you’re probably going to be thinking about sleeping at some point, so don’t forget to invest in a travel pillow because no-one wants to wake up with their head on a stranger’s shoulder…
Opt for an aisle seat so you don’t feel too much of an annoyance every time you need to get up to use the bathroom, plus this way you’ll always have the aisle seat to stretch out your legs when you need.
And even though an exit row has more leg room, these are the seats that don’t recline. So why not pick the seat in the row behind the exit row so you don’t have anybody reclining in front of you. Research is essential to a comfortable flight!
Investing In Your Future
7 – If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get
Don’t be afraid to ask for free things! You may think it’s an unspoken rule, but you’ll find that, more often than not, upgrades to business and first class only come up the day of the actual flight.
And if all it takes is a mere query (the ones that start with ‘Oh, so just out of interest…’) before you know it you’ll be moments away from the dreamiest sleep you’ve ever had thousands of miles up in the air, along with even more attentive service and all the drinks you need…
8 – Ignorance is Bliss
If there’s one thing you just have to invest in for long flights, it’s noise cancelling headphones. We don’t just mean the earbuds you use at home when you need some quiet time or your headphones you got free with your phone that has become your prized possession on public transport.
We are talking about some pricey, noise cancelling headphones that will mean the sound of screaming babies and loud conversations are a distant memory whilst falling asleep in an instance in the midst of madness is a new hobby of yours…
9 – The Inside Knowledge
We all know it’ll work in your favour if you’re kind, after all, it’s nice to be nice, right? And it’s good knowing that it bodes well to have good in-flight etiquette…
If you want an air hostess’ on your side (the kind who’ll put a blanket over you when you drift to sleep and help you out with your awkward requests without the blink of an eye), then make sure you’re not the one trailing your earphones over the floor that they’ll trip over or the one who’s being rude when your favourite drink has run out!
The Golden Rule
10 – Sleep the Night Away
If you’re going to follow one airplane hack, and one airplane hack only, let it be this…
The exact time of your flight is more significant than you think; if you’re an earlybird and want to be boarding your ship just in time for the buffet lunch then this tip might not be for you.
But if you want to skip having to follow the rest of these airplane hacks, then book a flight that leaves around 11pm and your body clock will make sure you’re snoozing through every loud noise, luggage war and annoying neighbour!
Those were the ten airplane hacks you need to get you through your next long haul flight. Whether you choose to pack with a lot more attention to detail next time or carefully choose what time your flight is leaving, you should never experience a nightmare flight ever again.
If you’re still intrigued by what secrets lie behind airplanes and airports, take a look here to discover the weird truth of what happens to your case after it’s checked in! Or read here about the world’s best airports that you need to be flying from…
