I look out the tiny airplane window. I see lightning make contact with the ground every few minutes. The pint sized plane makes a screeching stop as we prepare to charge the inevitable. Lifting into the air, a thunderstorm is looming, hence the rapid departure. The turbulence warrants clutches to the armrest. Finally everything quiets down, or so I think.
The man behind me begins attacking the seat pocket in front of him, also known as the back of my chair. As I receive an unexpected and unwarranted back massage, he appears to be searching for buried treasure left behind from the previous flight. Someone starts smacking gum with the chomping ringing in my ears. The person in front of me reclines their chair all the way back, leaving me one inch of space for an hour flight. Do you really need to be that comfortable for an hour? I open up my computer to get to some writing, when I notice the 16 year old seated next to me is watching my every move. She doesn’t say anything as she so obviously reads over my shoulder. I am tempted to type, “Eyes on your own seat pocket”, but I refrain. Then I hear the unthinkable, nail clippers pinging throughout the cabin. Really? Is this the time for manicures? I shudder in disgust and hope the flying pieces of nail won’t land anywhere near me.
It can be a trying experience on an airplane, trying towards one’s sanity. Two weeks from today, I will embark on a long flight to Italy. One car ride, two flights, two train trips, and a taxi will ultimately leave me at my destination. The annoyances I may encounter on those planes, trains and automobiles cannot result in a temperamental redhead making the local news. We all may find aspects to traveling on a plane annoying, tiresome, and flat out unavoidable. Here are tactics I practice on long flights in order to remain sane before reaching my destination.
Practicing my sleep sanity pre-departure
Slip On Earplugs Or Head Phones
If the person next to me is yapping a little too much or I hear the clipping of nail clippers, I slip on headphones and turn up the volume. I will watch TV shows on my I-Pod or listen to music to drown out the not so sane world going on outside of my headphones. I have not gone so drastic as to put in earplugs, but I am considering it for my upcoming trip. If you cannot read or write with music or noise, earplugs seem to be a great solution for blocking out unwarranted airplane noises.
Get Up And Walk Around
Sitting in a chair for 15 hours that is far from the definition of comfortable can take its toll when you finally reach your destination. Get up, stretch those legs, and wander around the plane. Obviously don’t do this if the seat belt sign is telling you not to. However, getting away from the person peering over your shoulder or just peeling yourself out of the airplane seat for a few minutes can do wonders toward improving a traveling state of mind that has a touch of cabin fever.
Request To Be A Loner
I have never sat in the first or business class of any airplane. As I make my way to the back of the plane, I am tortured by the first and business classers, already sipping on champagne and kicking up their leg rests. While I unknowingly glare at these people, I am simply jealous. I know my flight sanity might be more at ease if I were sitting up front, stretching out while eating better food. Airlines, don’t hesitate to give me an upgrade. This is my public plea. If you are an average Jane like myself and are never lucky enough to get bumped to business or first class, see if the ticket agent will put you in a seat next to no one. You may not have champagne and that reclining chair, but you may have a whole row of seats to sprawl out. Personal space and comfort are key in keeping that mind happy.
A Window Seat May Be Your Saving Grace
There are different types of people in this world, those that love window seats on airplanes, those that prefer an aisle view and those strange souls that request middle seats. Do they even exist? I am a window person for two reasons. If the boredom on a flight is driving me mad, I can always look out the window for a bit of entertainment. I often find myself getting lost in thought, killing an hour or two here and there. Another reason a window seat keeps me sane, the position allows for better sleeping. The flight attendant won’t run over your foot and wake you up from that necessary slumber. If you bring jackets, sweatshirts, and sweaters on a plane, you can form a nice little cushion between the window and your seat, allowing for prime sleeping and thus a more rested mind. You don’t need a shoulder to lean on. You have a window.
How do you keep sane on those long flights? I need suggestions for my upcoming transatlantic flight just 2 weeks away.
I’m definitely a window person – you can hide the drool! But then there’s nothing like being able to get up and walk around whenever you please… especially for those of us who get cankles like moi 🙁
Two Tylenol PM and a mini bottle of wine after dinner. I’m out like a light just until breakfast!
I was on a flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi and the man in front of me was tearing paper for what seemed like hours. He had obviously never heard of a paper shredder and was doing it manually!!! That sound drove me nuts. This is when ear plugs or headphones are integral!
I’m with Christine. A couple of valium and a few glasses of red wine are my lifeline – the discomfort of the experience is topped off by a unhealthy dose of terror. I have to be unconscious.
I would love to be in the window seat, however my husband has banned me from it unless I plan on not drinking anything the entire flight. 😛
I definitely find that the walking around thing does the trick. 🙂
The last time I was on a long flight I was with two friends so we just stood around in a large random area of space and entertained ourselves for the majority.
My next flight is a looot longer though so maybe me and Kirsty can pass the time with an argument, that will be nice for the people around us.
Not forgetting the other bonus of a window seat – it’s you who does the interrupting when you need to go to the toilet! I’d always rather be the awkward interrupter than the interrupted!
Headphones are totally key! Saved my life. Except that one time I was stuck next to a man who rattled away for six hours because my ear bud had broken and I couldn’t hold it in place. Slow torture.
Getting up to walk (heck, even just use the bathroom) is a must. I’ve seen people on transatlantic flights never get up once. I’m too bored to sit there for that long!
On my flight from LAX to Sydney a few days ago I popped in ear plugs and put on my eye shades right away to try and get some sleep…necessary with the 3 loud guys just across the aisle.
I once made the mistake of selecting a seat just in front of the toilets. I thought it would be nice to be close so I could pop to them easily. Instead, I heard flushing the ENTIRE flight from Toronto to London and never slept.
Stretch in that space beside the toilets. You can stand there for a while without having to walk up and down the aisles.
If it’s a long enough flight, say 8 hrs or more, I take 1 Tylenol PM (the full dose of 2 is too much for me) and sleep for most of the flight. I bring an inflatable pillow like the one in your picture– a lifesaver. For shorter flights I bring 1 really engaging book. Oh, and I drink lots of water and no alcohol because getting dehydrated makes you so much more tired.
Now that I have traveled with a baby/toddler, I have experienced the worst flights imaginable, especially the 2 international trips I made with him by myself– so stressful– and the trip to Indonesia that seemed to never end when my son was sick. Now that I have done those, I have realized that no matter how bad the flight is, it’s bearable and is just a memory once you arrive in the destination. 🙂
1) Be born with an uncanny ability to sleep at any time anywhere. It’s been a beautiful thing on flights.
2) Laptop loaded with movies and shows I want to catch up on. In a pinch, I’ve even watched shows on my Nano.
Tylenol PM was definitely my best friend on our trip to Thailand. Other than that, I try to find seats without anyone in front of me (I’m tall) and I also plan out my flight. If it’s 8 hours I give myself time for a movie, read a little, eat and sleep. It helps to be organized otherwise I tend to be restless.
Great tips, Suzy. Wow, if any human exists who requests middle seats on planes, I would love to meet them – or maybe not.
Good headphones that offer good noise cancellation or double as earplugs. My Shure headphones have been brilliant for these 2 reasons. I also prefer window seat as I have another place to rest my head if I’m looking to snooze.
My in-flight kryptonite is: Screaming children & being in a row where there is no seat in front of me to put my bag. Also if you’re a parent, please don’t let your child kick my seat for 3 hours from KL to Hanoi like yesterday. Thanks!
So many flight stories. I always stock up on red wine. The perfect remedy for in flight stress. I make sure I have something inspiring to listen to on my ipod or I write in my travel journal. Frequent walks around the plane are essential for me to take a break and scare away Deep Vein Thrombosis.
I once had a flight from Bali to Sumatra where myself and my 3 friends were the only people on the jet- bliss!! Talk about lie down. And then a flight from Sydney to LA where the in-flight entertainment system was down for the whole journey and the lights for most of the way. Meditation proved the winner on that flight!
When I fly alone (or seated separately from my party), I ALWAYS bring headphones and plug them in to the video/audio system. I find a classical channel, and I’m relaxed. If it’s an overnight flight, I take a dramamine (for motion sickness, in case of turbulence) about 45 minutes before boarding. It also has a drowsy effect that hits about 1 hr after taking it, so normally I’m ready to pass out before the plane even gets off the ground.
I was just on a 6 hour flight from Nepal to Hong Kong and was so excited because I somehow managed to have the entire row of 4 seats all to myself! Little did I know, there would be a baby sitting right in front of me who cried THE ENTIRE flight. I’m not kidding. Maybe 20 whole minutes of silence. My earplugs wouldn’t even drown out the sound!
When it comes to preferred seating, I usually choose the aisle. I like the freedom it gives me and sometimes the window seat gets unbearably cold, but after a 13 hour flight with a couple in the middle and window seat who insisted on getting up every hour, I may be switching to window preference.
Great tips Suzy! I’m an aisle-seat fan myself.
This post made me laugh so hard! I agree, seriously people, do you really need to cut your nails on a plane or read what I’m typing on my computer?
LOL! Love the article! I can totally relate to it. I am definitely an aisle-seat fan too!