Travel News - Making the Most of a 15-Hour Flight in Coach

Scott Macarty

http://online.wsj.com/video/making-the-most-of-a-15-hour-flight-in-coach/65771F08-8346-4781-AC53-A4DEB66EFBA9.html

This is really funny since they seem to imply 15 hours is long and bad somehow. Perhaps in DL.

They said Quantas pioneered the longest coach flight last year, which is wrong. SQ had PY EWR-SIN, and TG had it JFK-BKK, and now LAX-BKK, which is a trifle less, less than a thousand miles.

A real waste of 3 minutes of my life.

I'm inclined to agree. It's depressing when a reporter for a reputable publication does such a sloppy job of reporting.

In particular: how hard is it to give accurate facts about the longest flights in the world?

Secondly, he makes it sound sooo much easier than it really is to stay hydrated on a long-haul. I need 1 to 1.5 liters of water on a 10+ hour flight to stay adequately hydrated. It's very difficult to get that much to drink in economy - and to stay that well hydrated, I have to get up and go get the water.

Sometimes I can carry a water bottle and fill it at the airport, but often when I'm coming back on a US carrier, thanks to TSA's influence, I have to 'surrender' it at the gate.

I guess this is of marginal interest if you don't care about facts and you've never flown a long-haul.

I didn't want to get too comfortable flying more than 15 hours in-flight. My old manager & his girlfriend who flew on CX from JFK-HKG nonstop last week. It was too long for both of them. They will have stretch the legs. I'm pretty sure they will very extremely tired.

Have been on longer flights and drinking to much water just makes you get up and go to the bathroom to much. :D Flights from IAD or JFK to JNB is long on SAA and from ATL to JNB on DL is long and pure pain.

:p

Secondly, he makes it sound sooo much easier than it really is to stay hydrated on a long-haul. I need 1 to 1.5 liters of water on a 10+ hour flight to stay adequately hydrated. It's very difficult to get that much to drink in economy - and to stay that well hydrated, I have to get up and go get the water.

Have been on longer flights and drinking to much water just makes you get up and go to the bathroom to much. :D Flights from IAD or JFK to JNB is long on SAA and from ATL to JNB on DL is long and pure pain.

:p

I drink ~24oz or more of water every 60-90 minutes so I end up getting up to pee every 45 minutes to an hour. If I don't drink that much and am not asleep, I feel ill. This is why I always am for an aisle seat. I feel terrible when I get stuck in a window since I end up disturbing my seat mate so much. But I always bring an empty bottle and fill it up after security or buy in the airport before getting on a flight, since they just don't give you that much on flights, even in First

[how to] Mak[e] the Most of a 15-Hour Flight in Coach

Ambien.

At the best you won't remember a thing, to the amusement of your fellow passengers, making 15 hours go quicker for them. At the worse, you'll turn the 15 hour flight into two shorter segments, and you'll have an excuse for the judge ("Your honor, it was the Ambien, I don't remember a thing...")

But I always bring an empty bottle and fill it up after security or buy in the airport before getting on a flight, since they just don't give you that much on flights, even in Firstbolding mine

There is at least one exception. SQ. On one of my Good Karma days a NW ticket agent rerouted me (due to their foul up) onto the SQ LAX-SIN nonstop in J. About 16+ hours IIRC, longest flight I have ever taken. Superb food and drinks. ^

I always keep a pint water bottle at my seat even in J. I placed it on my armrest table. Every time the SQ FA went by to the galley she looked at the bottle, and if I drank more than 1/4 inch she would take it to the galley, fill it back up, and return it, even if I was asleep. When I noticed she was doing this I drank a little as an experiment and she would not pass my seat without refilling the bottle. For the whole flight. :eek: To say "mind blowing service level" is an understatement. SQ J = :-: :-: :-: :-: :-:

[how to] Mak[e] the Most of a 15-Hour Flight in Coach

Ambien.

At the best you won't remember a thing, to the amusement of your fellow passengers, making 15 hours go quicker for them. At the worse, you'll turn the 15 hour flight into two shorter segments, and you'll have an excuse for the judge ("Your honor, it was the Ambien, I don't remember a thing...")

I took 2 of them from LAX to SYD, slept 9 hours watched a few movies and I was there. :)

Mango frosty thingys the highlight of the flight to both reporters?

Pretty generic..

I drink ~24oz or more of water every 60-90 minutes so I end up getting up to pee every 45 minutes to an hour. If I don't drink that much and am not asleep, I feel ill.

That's a lot of water. But, drinking moderate amounts I think is the single biggest key to making a long flight bearable in coach. You talk about peeing often, but that's the key to the whole thing and not a disadvantage! More specifically, getting up out of your seat often just to stretch your legs works wonders. In addition to using the lav, spend about 5 minutes just stretching while you're out of your seat. Even if you have someone between you and the aisle, there will generally be 3 meal services on a 15+ hour flight, and getting up right before and right after the service usually isn't too much of a bother.

Have been on longer flights and drinking to much water just makes you get up and go to the bathroom to much. :D Flights from IAD or JFK to JNB is long on SAA and from ATL to JNB on DL is long and pure pain.

:p
Even when you're seated in Business or First? If so, this is the kind of pain I'd like to experience first hand. Regrettably, I'm running out of time.

I drink ~24oz or more of water every 60-90 minutes so I end up getting up to pee every 45 minutes to an hour.

That, however, is actually a good thing as it reduces your chances of getting deep vein thrombosis. This is a real danger on long-haul flights, especially in Coach where you can not change positions much in your chair.

Two things that you can do to protect yourself are to drink a lot of water and get up and walk around every one or two hours.

What a pathetic article. Millions of people fly 15 hour flights every year, yet he makes it sound like he was lucky to survive the horrors.

What a pathetic article. Millions of people fly 15 hour flights every year, yet he makes it sound like he was lucky to survive the horrors.

You are right, of course, but the fact remains that long flights can be b-o-r-i-n-g.

I took several 13 hour flights TLV-ATL in the past 12 months and, even sitting in Biz Elite, it was too much time to be stuck in an aluminum tube.

Having said that, DL no longer offers that route so my upcoming itinerary is TLV-JFK-ATL, and given the mess that JFK is, I would prefer the (one hour longer) direct route.

Simplistic reportage for the masses.

Simplistic reportage for the masses.

So much reporting like that is pathetic these days. I think they just sit down at a computer and cut and paste a lot of that crap in and try to weave it into a story they get paid for and then bang out the next one the same way.

The style of reporting is clearly for the first time experience of the reporter.. and for the kettle audience.. Gives it sort of a, fill the airtime with something extreme experienced, but survived, somehow is considered a novelty by the masses.

I'm rather bemused that they have mostly used B737's as a backdrop when talking about Qantas (note, no 'u') and ultra long-haul flights.

Dave

A real waste of 3 minutes of my life.

I cannot believed I watched that thing.

Total waste of time, but thankfully, I was waiting for a meeting, so I killed 3 minutes anyway.

xanax and pillow. attempt to get the emergency row

That, however, is actually a good thing as it reduces your chances of getting deep vein thrombosis. This is a real danger on long-haul flights, especially in Coach where you can not change positions much in your chair.

Two things that you can do to protect yourself are to drink a lot of water and get up and walk around every one or two hours.


Of course there is the added danger of pissing off your seat mate if you aren't lucky enough to be on the isle.

Would be great if they had power outlets. My iphone, ipod and computer would all be out of charge within the first few hours. Then what do you do? :confused:

On a 15 hour flight I can usually manage to get at least 7 hours on continual sleep, but can't do more.

With the time for meals and my Kindle, the time really does pass quickly. My Kindle battery is amazing.

I once sleep 90% of the time flying from Cape Town to Zurich (one change of planes) but I was really tired. I know better than to sleep that much now. DVT risk etc.

Of course there is the added danger of pissing off your seat mate if you aren't lucky enough to be on the isle.

If I was sitting on aisle on a 15 hour flights, I would welcome the chance to stand up and stretch multiple times.. even for a few seconds..

If I was sitting on aisle on a 15 hour flights, I would welcome the chance to stand up and stretch multiple times.. even for a few seconds..

I'm the same as i don't mind getting up. I just feel a little guilty if I'm the middle seat guy initiating the bathroom run.

I'm the same as i don't mind getting up. I just feel a little guilty if I'm the middle seat guy initiating the bathroom run.

Over the years, I figured that those sitting in the aisle knows that its part of the necessary things need to be done during the flight sitting in the aisle.. Getting up in the middle of the flight so those that can get up and get out when sitting in the aisle is a universal job description accompanying its priveleges..

Over the years, I figured that those sitting in the aisle knows that its part of the necessary things need to be done during the flight sitting in the aisle.. Getting up in the middle of the flight so those that can get up and get out when sitting in the aisle is a universal job description accompanying its priveleges.. ^

As a universal aisle seat flyer, i know it is incumbent on me to get out if I have to.

Better than my last flight in a window, LHR-SIN, ywo rugby footballers, 12 hours without a loo-break, just about ready to soil the cabin.

Dave