Travel Tales from Asia

For most travelers, booking Viking River Cruises or multi-city land tours is extremely exciting but, for some, the thrill of visiting a far-away destination can be tainted by the thought of the long international flight that is required to get them there. Most travelers agree, being uncomfortable on a long flight can definitely start what should be a pleasant holiday off on the wrong foot, but there are ways to help your necessary travel time be as comfortable as possible.

Reserve a good seat
Even within the same class, some airplane seats are much better than others. Consider an aisle or exit row seat for the most leg room, or a window seat if you want to rest your head to sleep. It’s best to try to avoid seats near the lavatories as other passengers will be accessing these throughout the flight which can be disruptive, particularly if you are trying to sleep. Some travelers opt to sit near the back of the aircraft for long flights. This is good if you don’t mind the noise produced by the engines because certain aircraft (such as the Boeing 747), have a large area behind the last row of seats that gives you plenty of space to stretch.

Be Comfortable
When taking a long flight, it is always wise to wear loose clothes with options for layering if you become cold. Also, if you want to take your shoes off during a flight, slip-on shoes are best since shoes that tie can be difficult to put back on at the end of the flight. Bring a neck pillow to provide firm neck support and keep your head from tilting while napping. There are small neck pillows available that can easily fit into your carry-on luggage and even some inflatable options that are smaller still.

Prevent Boredom
Make sure you bring things to entertain yourself during the flight. Even if you happen to be interested in the in-flight movie, they don’t start right away and the music selection can be quite limited. If you bring an iPod, you will make sure you have the music and movies that you like. If possible, choose an airline that offers AVOD (Audio Video on Demand), which is a TV screen in front of your seat that lets you choose what you want to watch or listen to. Regardless, it’s a good idea to bring your own headphones as the headphones available on the plane (whether for purchase or for free) are generally fairly poor quality. In addition, it’s good to always have a book and magazines with you since unforeseen flight delays could prevent the in-flight entertainment from being available and could cause your iPod to run out of battery before your flight is over.

Stay Hydrated
The air in a plane is very dry and may dehydrate your system so it’s extremely important to stay hydrated during your flight. Although you can request water from the flight attendants, it is a good idea to bring plenty of water on board with you as well. You can purchase bottled water in the airport (once you pass security) or, if you prefer, you can bring an empty stainless steel water bottle to fill from a water fountain. Just remember that you should never drink the water from airplane bathrooms as it may contain bacteria.

Fight Hunger
There’s nothing worse than being hungry on a plane. Since plane food is quite poor on many airlines, you may want to consider bringing your own food on board to make sure that you are not hungry during the long flight. As an alternative to the regular meals, many airlines offer vegetarian, Kosher and other special meals if you order in advance. Because the airlines have to specially prepare your meal, it is always fresher (and usually better) than the standard meal options. Plus, passengers with special meal requests are almost always served first. In addition, take some snacks with you. Protein bars are particularly helpful if on a long flight as airline meals tend to be low in protein.

By following these few tips, you can help make your flight more comfortable which will make it more likely that you will land feeling happy and ready to start your vacation.