As we've all been stuck at home for over 2 years, rolling the luggage seems to become a super unusual experience for us now. I know how desperate you are for an abroad trip!! I feel you with all my heart.
Since a lot of my friends started planning their next international travel, I think now is the time to share some tips about how I make my previous cross-continental flights next level without upgrading to a business/first class. I flew at least twice a year between Asia and North America in the past 7 years, I know how torturing it is without proper preparation. Follow along with these 4 top tips to make your intercontinental flight the best it can be!
1. Bring a carry-on
Put the necessities and valued belongings into your carry-on because you'll never know whether your checked bag will arrive with you or not. It happened to me once, one of my checked bags arrived one day later than my flight and I needed to head back to the airport to pick it up. Luckily my destination was home on that flight, so it didn't ruin my entire travel plan. But, lesson learned.
Some of you may put your electronics into your checked bags as they were too heavy to carry. However, TSA will be very likely to cut off your locks (if no TSA locks) and check all your belongings. In the worst scenario, some of your stuff ended up being stolen because of the broken lock. Take a carry-on, put your heavy electronics and valued belongings in, and free your shoulders. You can also put your tote bag right on the top of the carry-on, and make the whole airport process so much easier. Need to get some work done on your laptop? Carry-on can be your mobile desk if you can't find a good spot. Perfect!
2. What to eat and drink
Most intercontinental flights provide at least 2 meals and snacks along the journey. If you are not sure what to expect on your in-flight food and drinks, go Google it. Typing down your flight number and you'll for sure find tons of reviews about the food provided during the flight. Not your faves? Then you need to do some preparation before boarding. Grab some food or snacks you love from the airport convenience store or have a fulfilling meal at the restaurant.
No matter how good the food is, don't have too much, or you'll feel nauseous and bloated real quick after taking off. It's super common for me to feel stomachache or bloated when flying internationally. Having a cup of hot coffee or tea helps me a lot. If you run into the same situation, give a shot at drinking something warm next time!
3. Tackle the foot and leg swelling
Personally, the most torturing part of flying internationally is that I need to stay at one tiny spot for over 12-16 hours! At first, you are excited about your incoming well-planned amazing journey. But after several hours sitting still, you start to feel your legs and feet are no longer part of your body! It was like you running a half marathon or just having an intense leg workout. No matter how you stretch or how many times you try to stand up and do some walk along the not-so-wide aisle inside the cabin. The sourness and swelling are still there.
Yeah, I've been there, so many times. And the cure I found is, wearing a pair of compression socks. It really increases the blood circulation and makes my feet and legs feel less heavy. Once my feet and legs feel better, I am more easily fall asleep which expedites the long flight. There's nothing like a sound sleep to soothe the soul in the cabin!
4. Prepare for Entertainment
I know I'm just bragging about how essential a good sleep is to a long flight. But sometimes, you just can't fall asleep naturally. Maybe you are too enthusiastic about your trip, or you are the type of person who is not able to sleep while sitting still. What the hell should we do then? Most travelers would browse the in-flight entertainment system and try their best to kill some time with those ancient tv shows, boring documentaries, and silly mini-games. And it won't be too long, you are tired of all these and start regretting why don't take something entertained with you for this hell-so-long flight.
Right! You need to prepare for it! Pre-load all these Netflix shows you love but have no time to binge-watch. If your flight is 12 hours, then download 12-hour-length movies and shows. Maybe you won't finish them all, but better overprepared than underprepared. What if you watch all of them at x2.0 speed? Also, I'll take a book with me just in case I feel bored with videos. I know a lot of you are not a big fan of reading books, however, wouldn't be even great if you fall asleep while reading books?
Alright! Those are 4 tips I summarized after flying long distance for years! Hopefully, they'll help you in some way in your future trips!