How to survive super long non-stop flights

The traveler who sets off from New York or London with the intent on flying around the world can do so in three hops. In the late 1980s, upgraded engines allowed Jumbo jets to reach Tokyo non-stop. From the Japanese capital, trans-Pacific flights opened up to Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. From any of these, you could make a final leap back to London or New York.

Since Feb, 5 2017, the longest non-stop scheduled airline flight by great circle distance is Qatar Airways Flight 921/920 between Auckland, New Zealand and Doha, Qatar at 14,535 kilometres (7,848 nmi; 9,032 mi). The flights use a very long-range Boeing 777-200LR. QR 921 from Auckland to Doha is also the longest flight in duration, taking 18 hours and 20 minutes.

Qantas began the first UK-Australia scheduled non-stop Boeing 787 service on Mar. 25, 2018, with a special jetlag reducing menu. The flight will take just 17 hours from Perth non-stop.

Later this year these new very long flights will be introduced:

• On September 1 2018, Qantas will launch nonstop flights between Melbourne and San Francisco using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The flight will cover 12,641 kilometres (6,826 nmi; 7,855 mi) and last roughly 15 hours.
• On September 15 2018, Cathay Pacific will begin nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Washington—Dulles using Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The flight will cover 13,122 kilometres (7,085 nmi; 8,154 mi) and last about 16 hours.
• On October 28 2018 Philippine Airlines will launch nonstop flights between Manila and New York using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (could change to an Airbus A350-900). The flight will cover 13,712 kilometres (7,404 nmi; 8,520 mi) and last 15 hours and 30 minutes.
• On November 30 2018, Air New Zealand will begin nonstop flights between Chicago—O’Hare and Auckland using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The flight will cover 13,171 kilometres (7,112 nmi; 8,184 mi) and last about 16 hours.

My Survival Guide to Very Long Flights
Hearing a recent discussion with fellow frequent flyers concerning the world’s longest flights made me remember my first true long-haul flight to Hong Kong from New York. About six hours into the 15-hour flight, I was feeling strong and confident. I clearly remember thinking, “Six hours down, nine to go. No sweat.”

But get there I did. Unfortunately, that meant I had to get back as well, a flight on which I made a serious tactical error, which led to misery for me and entertainment for my friends on the flight—about which I will tell more in due course.

However, not all long-haul flights have to be miserable; on one direct flight from New York to Honolulu or Zurich to Miami took once 11+ hours! I was nearing the end of a book I was enjoying immensely, and remember distinctly thinking, “No, no, just a little more time!” when the pilot told us over the in-flight PA that we had started our final descent. Here are 10 tips for preventing boredom, dehydration, deep-vein thrombosis, sleep deprivation and more so you can confidently say “I got this” the next time you are imprisoned in a metal tube for an entire waking day of your life.

Needless to say, mine would have been a “yellow” or even “red” seat on the SeatGuru seating chart if it had existed in 2000 (the site was launched the following year). Eventually I went around the aircraft collecting all the unused pillows and blankets I could find, piled them up in each of the three seats, and created a workable (but in truth not very comfortable) platform across all three seats—and got a very few winks of sleep during the flight. I guess it was fairly comical, as friends all took pictures of me during the flight for their amusement. Glad you had a fun flight, guys.

Before you choose, think hard about your usual preference of exit vs. aisle seat; it may be different on a long-haul flight than on a shorter flight. If you usually choose an aisle seat, consider whether you want your long, Ambien-enhanced sleep to be interrupted by an aisle mate; similarly, if you usually choose a window, you could get trapped in there by a snoring person in a prescription drug-induced stupor. To learn more, see Get the Best Airplane Seat.

If you stop reading at this point in the article, you almost need to know nothing more than this—by hook or crook, try to get an upgrade. (Even Dr. Timothy Hosea, from whom you will hear below, offered this as his first and most important suggestion.)

Dr. Timothy Hosea, team physician and Chair of the Sports Medicine and Research Committee for the United States national rowing teams, sometimes prescribes sleep aids for his athletes, but notes, “If you feel you need a sleep aid but haven’t used those drugs before, you should probably try taking Tylenol PM or Benadryl. A prescription is fine with your doctor’s approval, but don’t experiment on a long flight; [the plane won’t] stop for you!”

Dr. Hosea also says that, as the team doctor, he does not take any medication while flying with the squad in case someone needs care. “I bring a book, watch the movies and try to let the flight pass,” he says. His approach is appropriate for other travelers who need to have their wits about them, such as folks flying with children, for example. If someone could potentially need you to be 100 percent during the flight, you should forgo any sleep medication. For more advice, see Sleeping on Planes.

Dr. Hosea recommends drinking “electrolyte solutions, Gatorade being the best known, instead of solely water.” Hosea says that maintaining electrolyte balance is important, and that you don’t want to become completely diluted with water, particularly for older folks or people with other medical problems.

Deep vein thrombosis: DVT, the formation of blood clots in deep veins, is a known (if occasionally overstated) risk on longer flights. According to the National Institutes of Health, the risk of developing DVT increases when flights go longer than four hours. The NIH’s tips include walking up and down the aisles of the plane; moving, flexing and stretching your legs to encourage blood flow, especially in your calves; wearing loose and comfortable clothing; drinking plenty of fluids; and avoiding alcohol. Also, if you’re at increased risk for DVT, your doctor may recommend wearing compression stockings while traveling or taking a blood-thinning medicine before you fly.

Dr. Hosea notes that the combination of being immobile along with the effects of dehydration increases the risk of DVT on long flights. He strongly recommends the following during long trips:

• Hydrate well the night before the flight, preferably with electrolyte drinks.
• Don’t drink alcohol the night before the flight.
• Avoid diuretics such as coffee, soft drinks and even chocolate (all of which contain caffeine).
• If you have no issue with ulcers, take a baby aspirin the night before and day of your flight.
• Get an aisle seat or exit row so you can get up and walk around whenever possible.

Susan Francia, an Olympic gold medalist in rowing, has taken to wearing compression socks on long flights to competitions, although she has stopped short of wearing a full body suit. (Hosea discounts the need for the body suit as well: “You are really worried only about your ankles and calves.”) Francia has noticed a positive effect from the compression socks, which Hosea notes can be simple “support hose.”

Colds, the flu, bacteria, etc.: As I wrote in Avoiding the Airplane Cold, it isn’t “air quality” that is of concern when you are flying, or recycled air, or anything of the sort—it is your body’s compromised ability to deal with normal bacteria and viruses that puts you in danger of getting sick after a flight.

That is not to say that the general environment on a plane doesn’t add to your risk of getting sick. Recent studies have found that the water coming out of aircraft sink faucets is often rife with bacteria from sitting in murky holding bins; that the seats, pillows and blankets on planes are more germ-ridden than your laundry basket; that your tray table is probably dirtier than your own bathroom floor; and that the seatback pockets—well, you don’t even want to know, apparently.

Francia recalls a flight on the way to the Rowing World Championships last year where she considered wearing a face mask; the entire U.S. rowing team had contracted the swine flu on a World Cup trip earlier that summer, and she was being cautious. Francia asked a flight attendant what she thought. “Good idea, but it won’t help,” was the verdict. There is just too much stuff all around you to win that war. In the end, your best strategy is to bring along some bacteria-killing wipes, clean up your seat area as best you can and relax; there’s not much more you can do.

Spring for the airline’s headphones, pay for and watch every movie, swipe your card for the inflight entertainment system or DIRECTV, bring your iPad crammed with your favorite flicks—whatever it takes. See also our list of the best airplane books; these page-turners can definitely kill a few hours.

Let’s face it: electrolytes, books, ebooks, movie after movie, and aspirin don’t change the fact that you are stuck inside a metal can for a whole day. Just keep reminding yourself that this too shall pass—although I recommend saving your “I got this” until the wheels touch the ground.