 | Home |
How to Prepare for a Long Plane Ride
Have you ever been on a plane, bored out of your mind because your iPod is out of batteries, the airplane movie is The Princess Diaries 2, and you’ve got enough sleep. Well, if you follow these directions, you will have a great, fun plane ride.
Steps
- Decide which airline to fly. Go to the airline’s web site to find out what flight times are available, what they have to eat and what entertainment the airline offers. Do some outside research to make sure the airline is reliable and safe.
- If you are going on an exceptionally long non-stop flight (12+ hours), it might be helpful to see if you are eligible for seat upgrades (frequent flier miles) or if you can afford to pay a little extra for added comfort.
- Make sure, if you are with a baby, that you arrange special seats. While it is cheaper to have a “lap baby” (an infant that has no seat and just sits in your lap throughout the flight), it is not as safe as having a child in his own seat (most airlines allow you to use a car carrier inflight).
- Prior to the plane ride, address any issues that take time (fear of flying, new passports, booking the plane, reserving a hotel, etc.). Start deciding what you want to pack for the trip.
- Pack essentials a few days before the trip. That means clothes, any medications you might need, plane tickets, passports and toiletries.
- Especially in dangerous/high crime countries and states, buy electric timers and extra lamps and let them go on during the night and off for periods of time, so it looks like you’re home and you won’t get robbed. It’s also a good step to take to let a trusty neighbour park your car (if you’re leaving it behind) differently every day if you’re going away for a while.
- Make arrangements for someone to pick up mail (or instruct the post office to hold your mail) and to watch the family pet.
- Decide how you are going to get to the airport. You can rent a car, use a shuttle service, taxi, or drive to the airport yourself and pay a daily parking fee.
- Check for any restrictions on what you can bring onboard your flight.
- Decide what to bring concerning electronics (portable DVD players, cell phones, iPods, etc.) for the plane or vacation. Keep in mind that many newer planes have in-flight entertainment available.
- Buy any snacks needed for the flight - avoid things high in sugar and salt as this will cause you to feel lethargic and dehydrated.
- Research what is acceptable and unacceptable in U.S. airports and in airports abroad.
- Check the weather for both the flight and actual destination. Check all necessities (such as clothes, documents,toiletries, etc.).
- Say goodbye to friends. Make sure close friends and family have an emergency contact address or telephone number.
- Finish packing all of your items. Charge all electronics.
- Pack all needed items the night before the flight. Do not leave it for the day of the flight.
- Get to bed early the night before departure.
- For your flight, wear loose clothing that is easily cleaned. Avoid synthetic materials and expensive labels (which draw unwanted attention). Avoid unnecessary clothing like jewelry, belts and boots that will slow you down through security checkpoints.
- Double check that you have all important documents. It is best to keep this on your person rather than in your carry-on, as it is possible that your carry-on may be stolen or damaged somehow.
Tips
- Pack medications in carry-on luggage.
- Pack several days worth of beauty and sanitary supplies in carry-on luggage.
- It is crucial that someone picks up your mail. A mailbox full of social security numbers, credit card numbers, and other personal info is an identity theft dream. However, it is possible for the post office to hold your mail if you make a request.
- Bring chargers for electronics. Don’t assume that charging all of the electronics beforehand will work, because your DVD player probably doesn’t have enough battery for a 6 hour plane ride, a week-long vacation, and another 6 hour plane ride.
- Invest in eletrical converters and/or adapters for foreign destinations.
- Some good entertainment items are portable video games (DS, PSP), iPods and MP3 players, magnetic “travel” board games, crossword puzzle or Sudoku books, a good novel, magazines that interest you, and a cell phone.
- Figure out what time it will be in your destination and adjust yourself to the schedule you will need to follow (Example: If you’ll still be sleeping at 6 AM in your destination’s time, try to adjust your inner clock so that you will be sleeping in your time zone when it is 6 AM in your destination’s time).
- Be courteous to flight attendants and all airline personnel.
- Make sure to buy a meal in the airport if they do not serve one during your flight. Most airports have tiny food courts with familiar restaurants like McDonald’s or Taco Bell.
- Realistically, you won’t be listening to your iPod for the entirety of a ten-hour flight. So pack more than one source of entertainment.
- Remember, there is now a limit of items you can carry-on, so make sure you do not take anything not on the list. If you do, they will be removed and thrown away.
- Read the airline’s magazine (usually in the back pocket of the seat in front of you) for things you can’t use during flight. You don’t want your flashy new iPhone confiscated from you.
- Chew gum so you don’t get the ear pain that may occur with the plane’s landing.
- Ear plugs and eye shades will help drown out unwanted noise and light when you want to sleep onboard the plane.
- If you are the flying red eye (through the nighttime hours) you should definitely get some sleep, especially if you have morning activities planned.
- Check with your medical care giver about giving a bottle to a baby during take-off and landing to help prevent ear discomfort.
- Arrive at the airport 2 1/2 hours early before the plane’s scheduled departure. This will allow time to have a bite to eat, buy a book to read during the plane flight, or use the bathroom. Otherwise, you will have to rush through everything in the airport and have an uncomfortable flight. Remember that due to new security screening measures it might take awhile to have your bags cleared.
- If you have a problem with air pressure in your ears, such as tinnitus, pack some plane earplugs in your carry-on luggage so you can wear them. The airplane’s air pressure may be constant, and they have air conditioning, so you may not need them.
Warnings
- Walk during the airplane flight to help prevent deep vein thrombosis. Keep moving your legs, or get up to walk to the bathroom often, depending on the length of the flight. Do some mild stretches in the aisles (be careful that you don’t hit a sleeping passenger or a flight attendant!). Some flights with personal TVs offer videos of in-seat stretches.
- Don’t pack something that is not allowed in U.S. or foreign airports. This is very important. Check with the airline or travel agency to confirm what is allowed during the trip.
- Don’t get up while the seat-belt sign is on.
- Don’t rely too heavily on any one source of in-flight entertainment - anything can happen. Your iPod can die, the in-flight movie system can fail, etc.
- Don’t ignore the pilot’s command to turn off electronics. Some electronics are very bad for the plane when it is landing.
- Don’t do anything stupid such as threatening the pilot. Don’t joke around about bombs or terrorists.
- Don’t be afraid to ask a rude child to stop kicking the seat. There’s no reason their parents should let them do that.
- Don’t refuse a meal or snack just because you aren’t hungry. The flight attendants might not come around for another couple of hours.
- Don’t buy a flashy new iPhone (or something similar) for the plane and then never use it again when you get home. That’s just a waste.
- Don’t use a phone (unless there’s a flight mode) or any other kind of wireless transmitter/receiver (such as a laptop, a Nintendo DS, etc.) on the plane, these signals possibly could interfere with the plane’s navigation technology, although there has never been proof that this occurs.
- Don’t advertise your vacation! While it is acceptable to tell close friends and family about your trip (and recommended), it isn’t acceptable to go post in your blog: “Oh, tomorrow I’m going to Mexico, and I’ll be gone for two weeks” because strangers might find your house and steal from it.
Things You’ll Need
- Puzzle book
- iPod/MP3 Player
- Travel pillow and blanket
- Snacks
- Travel board games
- magazines
- a good book
- DVD player
- Chargers for your electronics
- Passports and tickets
Related wikiHows
- How to Practice Airplane Etiquette
- How to Be Comfortable on a Long Airplane Trip
- How to Travel by Air
- How to Travel With One Bag
- How to Travel Without Germs
- How to Avoid Having Diarrhea During Travel
- How to Be a Smart Traveler
- How to Choose a Travel Agent
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Prepare for a Long Plane Ride. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
