Many people absolutely dread long haul flights as they know that they will probalby reach their destination tired, cramped and cranky. This need not be the case however. The purpose of this article is to share some basic travel tips to help you minimise the impact of hours on a plane on your system.



Arrive at the airport in good time: Nothing is as stressful as having to race through immigration and security knowing that there is a possibility that you can get offloaded. The stress and agitation from running around the airport can easily turn you into a ball of nerves when (if?) you reach the aircraft. Make sure that you avoid situations like this by budgeting more than enough time for your trip to the airport.

Get the best seats possible: Study the configuration of the aircraft you will be travelling on before you travel (there are several websites where you can do this). It may be that there are certain seats with more legroom that you can request when checking in or that you can even reserve online.

Dress comfortably: You will have to remain seated for a significant amount of time, your should therefore ensure that your clothes and shoes do not make this 'task' harder than it already is. If you need to be smartly turned out at arrival you can always carry a change of clothes in your hand luggage.

Eat and drink in moderation: Sitting still in a confined space is cannot be termed 'optimum operating conditions' for your digestive system. The inside of a plane is a highly pressurised environment which means that the effects of alcohol tends to be more severe at cruising altitude. The obvious implication is that you should be very careful about what you eat and drink on a plane.

Avoid dehydration: If you do want to drink: drink water! The inside of a plane is very dry due to the air being re-circulated. You can guard against the effects of this by drinking water at every opportunity.

Walk the aisles: People often find that they are stiff, sore and bloated after long haul flights. One of the reasons for this is the fact that our muscles do not react very well to not being used. Even just a few walks down the length of the plane will leave your muscles much happier!

Invest in some noise cancelling headphones: I recently bought a good pair of noise cancelling headphones and I can't think how I ever flew without them. The technology used does not only enhance the sound quality of whatever you are listening to, but also actively filters out other sounds. The difference that having your own 'sound bubble' on long haul flights can make to your state of mind is absolutely phenomenal.

I am not suggesting, with this article, that air travel can be totally stress free or that you can arrive 'fresh as a daisy' every time you fly. The point that I am trying to make is that, by following these simple steps, you can arrive at your destination with a distinct advantage over those who just sat around hoping that the flight would end soon!