Long time on a plane
 

The humanity of it all.
How do you keep your sanity on a long trip?
Being stuck on the ground is my worst fear.

Imagine the scenario in the link.

https://airlive.net/news/2025/08/09/passengers-on-cathay-pacific-cx883-almost-set-a-new-record-for-the-longest-time-in-an-airplane-cabin/

I've been on a plane for 26 hours once returning from Somalia after deployment. Chartered 747 or similar large frame. We took a ship to Mombasa Kenya, then plane from there to Cairo -> Shannon Ireland -> Newark -> Savannah GA.

We were not allowed to get off at any stop. Sat so long in Shannon due to weather that it was getting to a point where we were going to miss the window to cross the Atlantic. Guys were standing in the open door of the aircraft having a smoke until someone put a stop to that.

42hrs is my longest door to door trip on planes

UK to Miami, then to Lima, then on to Cusco

Typing this mid-transit, waiting for a 5.5hr flight after a 8hr flight

I treat long flights, like one of those African toads that survive hunkered down in a bone dried out lake bed, waiting for the next rain

Thanks to Seahawk, I use an inflatable bum cushion. It is AWESOME for my bony posterior.

^^^ Nice!

If I am not in business class or I am in a middle seat on the long hauls there is not enough Transcendental Meditation techniques to keep me out of the overhead bin.

I also just take one backpack on the long hauls with iPhone, iPad, extra batteries, movies on a stick, one charger for both, those extra battery thingies, tissues, gum, eye drops, inflatables, noise cancelling headphones and a sterling attitude:cool:

I also print five days worth of NYT crossword puzzles for the trip.

Lastly, perhaps most importantly, plan to be delayed at some point in the trip.

Did a 5 day trip from Fairfield California to Mombasa Africa.
Fairfield-Anchorage-Okinawa- Philippines-Diego Garcia-Mombasa-USS RANGER.
B747, C5, C141 and a H46 to the ship.
At least we got to get off and change planes in the PI and Diego Garcia.

We did a direct to NewDelhi, I think it was from Dallas. Like 16 hours, it was a long time. If you break up the flights, 24+ total travel time is the norm. Hell it took me 24 hours to get home from London a few weeks ago. Got stuck at JFK for 18 hours due to weather

I'm claustrophobic and hate long plane rides. Got stuck on a Mexican tarmac once. They had to shut off all electrics including the air conditioning. It was only for a couple of hours but that was enough... life threatening, stifling heat.
People were really pissed. Close to a door breaking revolt

Ambien.

No. Really.

Im OK with long flights as long as I don't have someone spilling over into my side of the armrest'.

Living in NZ you get used to long flights. I tend to sleep/eat/drink/sleep and sleep as much as possible.

When we flew to Paris recently, we were stuck on the plane at JFK for four hours, because of weather, a refuel, and then in the queue to take off, followed by an eight hour flight. I was in premium economy plus or something like that, so I had extra room. First would have been really nice.

I was prepared with my book, 300 songs on my phone, noise canceling headphones, blow up seat cushion and that was before we took off!

The crew were super nice, handing out water, snacks, etc. People were walking around, going to the bathroom, talking to each other.

I’ve been scared of using Ambian but I have been using Clonazepam the last couple of long flights. I guess it’s like a Xanax. Doesn’t knock you out but makes sleeping on the plane much easier. It made a 17 hour flight to Taiwan this year bearable.

From Sydney Australia to Nicosia, Cyprus. Almost 60 hours on a C130. Net seats are terrible! :(

When I was 5 years old we flew from LA to the territory of Hawaii on a C-54. We faced the tail of the airplane, 190 mph, at 10,000 feet, unpressurized, just the drone of the engines, 2,563 miles 14 hours total. Look out the left, oh look waves. Look out the right, more waves. No movie, no electronic amusement of any sort. I was only 5 so reading was not really an option. At one point I do remember looking at my mom and asking her "mommy, is this where we live now?"

Dad was in full dress uniform, mom was in heals, full dress and gloves and a hat of the era. Most of the other passengers were in uniform and the only other kid was my brother, and if you ever rode in a car with your older brother, riding in an airplane next to him for 12 hours would have resulted in my torture, so we ended on opposite sides of mom.

You all experienced marathons! I have a longish flight upcoming. Taipei to sfo. 13 hours. Not bad if I could sleep but I can’t. Never have been able to sleep upright.

So this time I’m buying compression socks, wearing my headphones and maintaining my habit of yeti g up stretching and walking. I drink do much water I get up,to pee often. Flights dehydrate me like nothing else. Creeping around a plane while everyone is sleeping is , well creepy. :)

I’m going to South Africa next month and dreading it….anything over 5-6 hours is just torture for me. We’re in first class but I just can’t sit still that long. There should be an option to go under anesthesia for the entire trip, that would be awesome. I love to travel, but HATE to fly.

used to do SFO to Hong Kong and then onto Bahrain. In the day a round the world ticket was cheaper than out and back so Bahrain to London to SFO. Makes for a long day. Business class helps.

Just got back from PHX to LHR to Brussels, then Budapest - Brussels - London - Phoenix.

One the clerks at the local convenience store I used was from Nepal. He would go home to visit family once per year. He said the long airplane rides, layovers bus rides and train rides it was 24 full hours of travel to get one way, and that was not counting the time waiting on connections.

my best travel day was Brazil. Manaus to be exact. took about 36 hours including layovers.

I didnt sleep a wink of any of it. I watched everyone sleep around me. zombie land.

at home, managed to run our cat over (well wife did), added 5 hours at the 24hr emergency vet, and I slept for 15 hours straight. didnt even get up to pee.

Singapore to Tokyo to Ohio
With layovers 32 hours.
The secret is........... Alcohol, lots of alcohol. Drunk / Sleep / Drunk / Sleep