With autumn now well underway, many of us are eagerly counting down the days until our much-anticipated winter break and fantasising about lazing around in the sun, sand and sea.
Whilst some more frequent fliers may find their plane journeys a breeze, with limited space to move around and dry air, others may find the voyage a little less thrilling.
Travel expert Ann Evison, at Sun-hat Villas and Resorts, specialists in luxury Algarve villas, has put together a list of handy travel tips to make your flight as relaxing as possible.
Sensible Seating
The first thing you need to do to guarantee your journey is as relaxing as possible, is decide between flying first and business class. Whilst many airlines have made a great effort in recent years to improve their business class experience, it’s always important to know what’s on offer in terms of space, privacy and storage, for your valuables and essential items; as well as, whether or not your seat turns into a bed. SeatGuru is fantastic for this, as it details the differences between airline seats and gives passengers a real feel of what is to be expected once onboard.
Choose Wisely
The beauty of flying these days is that usually all airlines list their in-flight meal and entertainment options online. With a number of airlines also opting to give their customers a taste of fine dining, with the extensive selection of food and drinks available. Access to this kind of information is brilliant if you have any special requirements such as a vegan meal or food intolerances like gluten or dairy. Be sure to let the airline know about this as far in advance as possible. You may also be able to request some additional snacks, if the food isn’t to your taste or you find yourself feeling peckish between meals.
Fresh Faced and Comfy
Wearing loose, cosy clothing is essential for a restful journey, particularly for long haul and night flights. For those who prefer to dress smart, fear not, as you may be offered pyjamas, depending on your airline and seating choice; you can always double-check this before you leave.
Removing your make-up and contact lenses (if you wear them) and applying a generous amount of body lotion helps too, as your skin can become quite dry and dehydrated from the recycled air. Once you board your flight, you are likely to receive a wash bag with small travel sized toiletries including some of the items mentioned above; this should make the flight far comfier.
Be Prepared
We always recommend you take two small plastic bags with you in your carry-on luggage. You’ll need one of them for any liquids you have packed of course, but once you are past security, take five minutes to pack the other with your go-to flight essentials such as chewing gum, a book and your portable phone charger. When you get on the plane, place this bag on your seat and your carry-on in the overhead locker in one swift movement, rather than holding up the plane whilst scrabbling for the items separately in your bag.
On The Move
There’s not much room or distance to cover whilst on-board, so it’s important to keep your circulation going by walking and standing up in the aisle as much as possible. Familiarise yourself with some stretching exercises so that you can flex and loosen the muscles in your shoulders, neck, arms and feet, which will also help to prevent deep vein thrombosis.
Get Acclimatised
If practical, try and adjust your body clock to your upcoming destination a couple of days ahead of time, this way you won’t suffer as much from the usual jet-lag and insomnia symptoms when you land. For example, when flying east from the Caribbean set your watch to the time back at home and go for a snooze on the plane. When you wake up, your body will be fooled into thinking it’s had the right amount of sleep, so you won’t be feeling as tired.
Turn Out The Lights
If possible, switch any electronic devices to ‘night mode’ or also know as the ‘blue light filter’ before you’re about to go to sleep. This will aid you to have a calming journey, as the blue light on the screen mimics daylight, which tells your brain to stay awake.
Stay Hydrated
We all know that airplanes are huge culprits when it comes to dehydration, but did you know that it is recommended that you drink as much as half a litre of fluid for every hour you are on board?
If you do find yourself feeling extremely thirsty once you get off your flight, a recent study has shown that milk is even better at rehydrating the body than water! We’re not sure if it works as well when blended into a delicious white Russian cocktail, unfortunately…
