Surviving long haul flights

When choosing your flight it is always tempting to go for the very cheapest ticket, even if that means changing in Sydney and Azerbaijan on the way to Paris! But before you sign up for a 23 hour journey when it could be 11, you should really think about whether it is worth the saving.

If the difference in price is significant then it may be worth suffering the extra stops. But if the difference is minimal, you may regret your decision when you are stuck in a stuffy airport for three hours at 4 o'clock in the morning.

These are my tips:

1. Try to fly direct.

2. If you can't afford to fly direct, or there are no direct flights, pick a flight with as few stops as possible.

3. Try to make sure any stops are in nice, small, easy to navigate airports.

4. If your total journey is a long one and you are hoping to sleep, make sure your stops are at the beginning or end of your journey. That way you won't be woken up in the middle of your night's sleep to change planes!

5. Make sure when you check in that you get the seat you really want for the longer part of the journey. Sometimes if you request a particular seat, the airline will give you that seat for only one part of the journey.

6. Make sure any layovers allow enough time for you to get to the gate for the next flight without having to sprint, even if your first flight is slightly delayed.

Most airlines now allow you to check in online. Surprisingly, many people don't seem to take advantage of this. Yet it can save you hours of waiting in line at the airport.

Just last month I arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to find the line for Virgin Atlantic snaking out of the door and onto the sidewalk! Just as I was beginning to feel my pulse racing and the vein on the side of my head starting to pulsate, I noticed a sign: "online check-in bag drop". Next to it stood just one person. I walked past hundreds of miserable passengers waiting in line, trying not to let them see how smug I was feeling, and made my way to the online check in line. Within ten minutes I was checked in and ready to pass through security.

The following are some general guidelines about checking in online. The procedure does vary from airline to airline though so check your airline's website before you travel.

1. Go to your airline's website and select the option to "check in online".

2. You will need to have ready your eTicket number, confirmation code or the number of the credit card that you booked with.

3. You will be able to:

(a) select your seat online;

(b) add your frequent flyer information; and

(c) request upgrades.

4. With most airlines check-in is available from 24 hours before the flight and up to 2 hours before the departure time (some airlines allow it up to 1 hour before departure).

5. Once you have checked in online you will be able to print your boarding pass. If you do not have a printer most airlines will either (a) let you print your boarding pass at a kiosk in the airport or (b) print the boarding pass for you at the airport.

6. On arrival at the airport, if you have luggage to check in, you can take it to the bag drop line. If you only have carry on luggage you can go straight to security with your printed boarding pass.

If you need more persuasion to check in online, here are two good reasons:

(a) checking in online can prevent you from being bumped off a flight that has been overbooked. Even if you get to the airport early, if everyone else has checked in online, the flight might already be full.

(b) some airlines now charge a fee to passengers who check in at the airport.

Nowadays getting through security at the airport can be a long, drawn out process. So here are some tips for making it as smooth and painless as possible.

1. Make sure you're up to date on the latest hand luggage restrictions for the airports you're flying in to and out of. Different airports have different rules. Most airports have their own website which will contain the latest hand luggage regulations. Otherwise, your airline will be able to advise you.

2. Don't overfill your hand luggage. If your bag is bulging so that security can't see what's in it on the x-ray, you're more likely to be subjected to a search.

3. Pack your hand luggage neatly. If your bag is a complete mess, again security won't be able to see what's in it when it's x-rayed so they are more likely to search you.

4. Don't wear your favorite thigh high lace up boots! Lots of airports make you take of your shoes. You don't want to have to spend half an hour putting them on again!

Choosing your seat wisely can make all the difference to your journey. There's nothing worse than trying to sleep on a plane with your seat mate asking you to let them out every five minutes. So here are a few tips about choosing your seat:

1. If you are on a long haul day flight where you probably won't want to sleep, pick an aisle seat. Although the view won't be quite so good, you'll be able to get up frequently without disturbing anyone. You'll also get more leg room.

2. If you are on a long haul night flight, pick a window seat. Not only will you not be disturbed by someone wanting to get past you while you sleep, you will also have the added bonus of being able to lean your head against the window without having to worry about drooling on anyone.

3. Don't ever pick a non-aisle seat in the mid-section of the plane. There are no advantages! These seats have the least leg room, no window view, you'll have to disturb people whenever you want to get up and you'll have two sets of foreign elbows to deal with!

4. Don't sit too close to the toilets. The extra traffic gets annoying and the smell... well, say no more.

5. If you are flying to another country pick a seat near the exit (usually the front of economy). That way you will get off the plane before most other passengers which will save you hours of waiting time at customs and immigration.

6. If you want a smooth ride pick a seat over the wings. Any turbulence will be less noticeable from that part of the plane.

7. Some airlines hold exit row seats with extra legroom until passengers arrive at the gate. The first passengers to get to the gate and request one will be given an exit row seat. If you have particularly long legs ask your airline about their exit row seat policy.

8. Check out the layout of the aircraft you'll be traveling on by going to your airline's website or at www.seatguru.com.

For many of us life is so busy that ten hours of down time is a luxury. So why not turn that long haul flight into a luxury rather than a chore? Well, maybe luxury is a bit of an overstatement (unless you're in first class) but you can pretend that you're in a spa in the sky even in economy. Here's how:

1. Pack some cleansing face wipes. As soon as the plane has taken off you can remove all the airport grime with a handy all in one face wipe. My favorites are Olay Daily Facials which you can buy from www.drugstore.com. They are great for re-hydrating your skin during the flight as well and helping you freshen up before landing.

2. For women, I recommend you take off your make-up as soon as you get on the plane. Your skin will thank you and you'll use up another 30 minutes at the end of the flight putting your make-up back on!

3. Take a good, rich face moisturiser with you. It'll help stop your skin from drying out in the horrible plane air.

4. Take a nail file and nail varnish with you. It'll help you get through at least 30 minutes of the flight!

5. Pack a good, rich lip balm to stop your lips from drying out. My favorite is Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe Vera.

6. Remember to pack a toothbrush and some toothpaste in your hand luggage.

7. Don't forget your deodorant!

N.B. Make sure all products that you take on board are in bottles that comply with the hand luggage restrictions otherwise they'll be confiscated at security. You can always put some of your favorite products in handy travel size bottles.

If you're going to be stuck on a plane for hours you need to be comfortable. But you probably don't want to turn up to the airport wearing your sweats. I always check in wearing a normal outfit but pack a change of clothes for on the plane. That way you can put your clean clothes back on before you land.

Here are my top tips:

1. Pack the following in your hand luggage and change in the bathroom when you get on the plane:

(a) a comfy pair of pants, preferably sweat pants or something similar.

(b) a warm pair of socks.

(c) a t-shirt.

(d) a warm sweater.

2. Make sure all the clothes you wear on board are loose fitting and, as far as possible, made from natural fabrics like cotton.

3. Pack a spare pair of underwear to change into before you land.

Never underestimate the power of clean clothes and underwear to make you feel fresh before you get off the plane at the end of a long haul flight!

The dry, cramped conditions on planes are perfect for incubating germs. Here are some tips to help you arrive at your destination feeling healthy and refreshed.

1. Drink plenty of water before, during and after the flight. Accept all offers of water from the stewards.

2. Take an empty bottle through security with you and ask the air stewards to fill it up when you get on the plane.

3. Try not to drink too much coffee, tea (with caffeine) or alcohol.

4. Take some healthy snacks onto the plane with you. Healthy oat bars are always a good option. But make sure you don't take any restricted items off the plane at the other end (eg fruit).

5. Get up regularly to stretch your legs. This will help to avoid the risk of deep vein thrombosis. If you are worried about it, talk to your doctor about other preventative measures before you leave.

6.Do regular exercises in your seat to keep your circulation moving, for example, flex and point your feet, rotate your ankles, roll your shoulders and neck, flex forward in your seat and pull your knees up to your chest.

7. Take effervescent multi-vitamins before, during and after the flight. I like Airborne Effervescent Health Formula. They'll help boost your immune system and ensure you drink extra water.

8. Change your watch to the time at your destination as soon as you get on the plane and start living on their time.

8. If it's daytime when you land, take a walk outside. It will stimulate your body and help prevent jet lag.

9. Have a hot, steamy shower when you arrive. It'll help rehydrate your skin all over.

10. Slather your body with moisturiser after your shower.

Surviving longs haul flights is now featured on The Isle of Squid website. Check it out - it's a great directory of the best lenses on squidoo. And you can even review this site if the mood takes you!

If you liked this lens please check out my other travel lenses:

Eat Your Way to the Perfect Figure
New Zealand South Island: Top 5
The Isle of Jersey
I Want To Become A Fearless Flyer!

You can also visit my freelance writing and photography website and my weight loss and healthy eating blog.