"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." ~Leonardo Da Vinci
Tedious long haul airplane flights, sitting in one position for hours, can be painful. Very painful. Especially with the addition of crying, kicking children and loquacious passengers when you just want to sleep. But there are ways to make the hours fly by and to make the most out of them.
For example, take your iPad or laptop along and get some work done, or finish that game you've almost mastered. Do the things you enjoy but never have time for - a good old crossword puzzle, reading that book you have lined up, or start penning your own novel. Take a small camera and shoot the clouds flying by out the window. There are things to help make the flight more comfortable: snacks, loose shoes, a light blanket, or a fluffy - non-squeaky - toy if you're the one with the children.
We've compiled a list of items some of our travel consultants and marketing team members take along on long flights to ease the journey. See below and let us know in the comments section what your essential items are!
What We Take With On Long Flights
Ingo Brüggemann, former Manager of our German Division
- Lip ice
- Earplugs
- Sleeping tablets
- Noise-cancelling earphones
Apps you must have on your iPad before you travel on a plane:
Zinio – with travel magazines and guides for your destination
Flight track – to actually make your flight
Prince of Persia (silly little game to kill hours...)
iMovie – to cut and edit your holiday movies while in the air
Shrek Forever After- Kids' Book HD – when travelling with toddlers
Sian Bester, Travel Consultant
- Compression pants or socks – prevents sausage toes
- Good book, like Bryce Courtenay's White Thorn
Tamlin Wightman, Copywriter
- Robert Downey Jr
- Magazine - National Geographic Traveller or Rolling Stone
- A very big book, something thrilling or humorous and not about planes crashing on a deserted island
- BB gun in case of naughty children (in an ideal world...)
- Heavy-duty sound-cancelling headphones with a sticker across them, reading "I am a convict. Do not talk to me"
- Furry neck pillow, water, chewing gum
- Pen and notebook; cellphone; camera to shoot the scenes out the window
Ross Bowers, Communications Manager
- Times 2 Crossword Book
- iPod (with a few 8 out of 10 Cats podcasts on it)
- If we were allowed to - 2 litre bottle of water - those little thimbles of water in economy are useless.
Geraldine Symington, Travel Consultant
- I like to take an additional pair of socks with since my feet are always cold on the plane
Barend Van Der Watt, Videographer
- Long flights never have good entertainment so I always pack my iPad, loaded to the brim with good TV Series or movies, eMags and eBooks.
Ryan Rapaport, Videographer
- Audio book - Harry Potter preferably
- Good headphones
- Neck pillow
- Compact camera in case anything bizarre happens on the flight
Samantha Myburgh, Travel Consultant
- Sleeping tablets - 2 double G&Ts to wash the tablets down with...
- Jersey
- Toothpaste and toothbrush; eye gel
- I-pod and Kindle if no in-flight entertainment
- I-phone for photographs
- Flat, open shoes that are easy to get on once my feet have swollen like balloons after the long flight!
Craig Harding, Social Media Manager
- Book. Nothing beats having some reading at hand, these days you could take a Kindle but since I don’t have one yet I always take a book. I’m always finding plane ticket stubs in the back of books on my shelf, testament to them having travelled.
- Chewing Gum. Sometimes I get really sore ears adjusting to the altitude on takeoff and landing. Sucking on a sweet or chewing gum helps
- Jersey. No matter the weather outside, inside the plane undoubtedly the air-con will be turned on full blast and my shorts and t-shirt won’t cut it
- While we’re on the subject, can the airlines please wake up and allow us to use our phones in flight mode already. So many times I’ve been listening to music on my phone and been told to turn it off! No plane has ever crashed because of a game of angry birds!
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