Manwell Pablo Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Right I'm going to New Zealand in a week and a half. Just wondering what the flights are like seeing as the furthest out I've been is probabley Malaga . So for those who you have previous long haul flying experince Im in "Economy" Btw 1)do you get decent leg room 2)do you get decent films 3)is the food reasonable 4)is it possible to get some kip 5)does the boredom drive you close to suicide If it's like a 24 hour Easy Jet Flight I think I'll consider cancelling.
Phube Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 I'm sooo jelous of you right now!!! Questions: Who are you flying with? Where's your stop off? For how long?? If it's Singapore then you're in luck... best cattle-class there is. Over 85 films, food is lovely. The only problem is the person infront (always infront of me, the person who wants to put their chair back ALL the way through the flight!!!) So rules... watch about 2/3 films. Take an MP3 player and try to get some sleep. Oh yeah, take an aspirin just before you board, and wear flight socks!!! P.s. Say hello to the sheep for me!!
Koke Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 I went to Saudi Arabia several years back, and our flight was decent. But could've and probably should've been better. You do actually get leg room. Unless you 7 foot tall, you wont have a problem with leg room. Its pretty decent. At the time I was only 15 and was just about 6 foot, so I didnt have a problem with it. There were screens at every seat with a lot of entertaining choices, from movies to games. The food was reasonable. Funny enough, I cant even remember what we were eating. Boredom? Depends who you with. I was with my sister (the most un-funniest & boring character you can ever find) and I was close to committing suicide. I advice you to either take a mate/brother (someone you can relate to) or just pray to God you sitting next to a gorgeous chick. Because a 10+ hours trip to the other side of the world, you defeintely dont want to be stuck with a Rob Kelly character (boring and predictable) And as Phube said, watch couple of films, take your Ipod or MP3 player with you and magazines. And try to get some sleep too. And you might wanna wear sandals on the flight rather than shoes. I did that and it felt alot more comfortable. The check-in though was a total mayhem. The lines were ridicously long. It was probably because our Saudi friends were focking outragous. They were taking the mick. Couple years later I went to USA, but this time I kept it European (KLM)
Phube Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 http://www.airlinequality.com/Airlines/SQ.htm Oooh good Singapore write up!!!
Phube Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Oh Manwell if you want to make money whilst you're over there. Here's a tip: Buy as many DSLites as you can in Duty Free in NewZealand. They we're about £65 there, and they are in short supply here (Amazon have a 2-3 month wait!!) You'd probably get about £100+ each on eBay!! Oh yeah and the BioSecurity is really strict, I mean don't even take a bar af chocolate with you!! The x-ray your bags on the way in!! And don't take any muddy shoes either, it's a hanging offence...
Daggers Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Drink water. Free booze looks great but you dehydrate too quickly at altitude. Take some noise cancelling headphones or some earplugs...when the child next to you is screaming for the duration of the flight you can sit there and think "Hmmm...I must buy Dave a good present for this most wonderful of suggestions" Take some chewing gum in case your ears won't pop. Take an MP3 player/PSP/DS, a good book and money for the airport. Don't bother with the flight socks...they look stupid. Just stretch and have some walks about the flight cabin. Air stewardesses don't like being asked if they'll have sex in the toilet and, knowing you, you'll need to stock up on a load of nicotine patches. Bring us back a sheep. Have fun
Phube Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Don't bother with the flight socks...they look stupid. Just stretch and have some walks about the flight cabin. What's more stupid; wearing support tights for 14 hours... or being in hospital with a DVT and being on Warfarin for 6 months (this means little or no alcohol for 6 MONTHS!!!!).
AoWW Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Hmm, have travelled long haul more times than I care to remember so, a few tips - in random order, I'm afraid... As Phube said: where is your stop-off and for how long?... I know most of 'em! Air NZ should be fine - a decent enough airline and leg room shouldn't really be a prob unless you're exceptionally tall or get a really duff seat. Personally, I hate airline food and usually end up taking one look, feeling instantly , and then not eating anything for hours. Take some snacks if you think this might be the case for you. If you can't sleep, give it up as a lost cause. If not, you'll end up stressing about the fact that you should be sleeping and make yourself worse. If you really need to sleep, you will. Set your watch to the time of the place you are going to as soon as you get on the plane - it helps your body clock to adapt quicker. Buy some noise-cancelling headphones - they really are worth it and can drown out any number of distractions. The ones supplied are always crap! Take your MP3 player and make sure it's fully charged before you start. Take a couple of magazines (or a decent book, although I always find I struggle to get into a book - better to have mags you can just flick through IMO). Drink plenty of water (avoid alcohol - most unusual for me to advocate this, but this is the one time you really should take notice - or stick to just the one glass). Take an asprin the morning you are due to travel. Where to sit is a matter of personal preference. Get to check-in early if poss though so you can bag a decent seat or find out if you can reserve them in advance. I prefer sitting towards the back as it seems to be less popular and you're more likely to have spare seats around you that you can nab once you've taken off. Disadvantage of this is that you're usually last to get off but, if you're not in a screaming hurry -and bearing in mind you'll probalbly have to wait for your luggage anyway - it seems worth it. Avoid the very back row though as the seats rarely recline. I hate to sit anywhere near the toilets as it gets far too congested and I find myself wondering how some people can need the loo so many times on one flight! I like a window seat so I can look out, but it does mean you have to scramble past someone else to go to the loo and you can find yourself sat at bursting point if the person next to you is sleeping for hours on end. Also, with a window seat you can always use the window to lean your head on, rather than worrying about ending up with your head on another poor, unsuspecting traveller's shoulder! Watch a few films and try to amuse yourself by checking out other travellers. Invent fun (!) games for yourself such as: what job do they do / car do they drive / when did they last have a decent sh*g, etc, etc. Learn a new trick - if you can't already twirl a pencil round your fingers now is the ideal time to learn (I lead such an exciting life <_< ) It'll also either really p*ss off your fellow traveller or keep them entertained for hours - either of which is probably quite amusing for you. Take a warm, but lightweight jumper (OK, I'm starting to feel like your Mum now ) - planes are often bloody freezing. Put your passport somewhere where you'll be able to find it easily at the other end. Make sure your case is easily recognisable so you can grab it off the carousel first time 'round. Check before you fly exactly what you can/can't carry in hand luggage. Security is still tight. ... Think that's it for now, but if you have anything else you want to know, just ask! Personally, I generally love long haul flights but then I've come up with a range of my own personal 'coping' methods! Don't let it put you off... NZ will undoubtedly be a fabulous experience. If you're genuinely dreading the flight you could always try to talk your way into an upgrade - you will feel unsufferably smug if you mange to pull it off! Top tips: dress smart but in a casual way that suggests 'oh, I always look like this', be nice/charming but not smarmy or arrogant, ask (politely!) - they can only say no! Don't think you said whether you're travelling alone . If so, you're more likely to pull this off. If you've got a bunch of under 5's with you, don't waste your breath by asking! Most of all, enjoy.
Guest Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 The Other Half has just got back from NZ; he managed 3 stops there and 3 stops back.
lookwhaticando Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 What's more stupid; wearing support tights for 14 hours... or being in hospital with a DVT and being on Warfarin for 6 months (this means little or no alcohol for 6 MONTHS!!!!). I know someone who got DVT... she's been on Warfarin for quite a bit longer than six months though! --- Anyway, Manwell... a long haul flight on Air NZ will be nothing like a 24 hour EasyJet flight... so you've no need to ponder the possibility of cancelling the trip. Air New Zealand had quite a reputation for in flight service, and I imagine they still do. They should have a good entertainment system on board, I'm pretty sure they refitted a lot of their fleet with newer systems with more channels and so on... you should be able to find something that interests you. It's quite funny actually, when carriers like Air NZ refit their aircraft, they invariably end up on the London run first. Safe.
Manwell Pablo Posted 27 April 2007 Author Posted 27 April 2007 The Other Half has just got back from NZ; he managed 3 stops there and 3 stops back. I know, you told me Did he enjoy himself, and did he wear flight socks, they don't sound to appealing, they sound like the kind of thing a geek would wear (eh Phube)
lookwhaticando Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 The Other Half has just got back from NZ; he managed 3 stops there and 3 stops back. Now that's impressive. Was one of the stops Dubai by any chance?
Bert Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 You do get decent leg room and the in-flight entertainment is very good. Plus you can always have a kip. If you're not fond of aeroplane food, take some sandwiches or something like that.
Guest Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 I know, you told me Did he enjoy himself, and did he wear flight socks, they don't sound to appealing, they sound like the kind of thing a geek would wear (eh Phube) I think he did to an extent; families can be a bit much though. He didn't wear flight socks, or if he did, he's hidden the evidence. Don't know about the aspirin, but I don't, but I can't; I'm allergic to the stuff. Now that's impressive. Was one of the stops Dubai by any chance? No.
Phube Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 I know, you told me Did he enjoy himself, and did he wear flight socks, they don't sound to appealing, they sound like the kind of thing a geek would wear (eh Phube) If you're worried about what your fellow passengers will think. Don't half of them will be wearing them any way!! Plus unless you are planning to wear shorts for the flight then no-one will know!! It'll be our little secret!! Geeks of the world unite!!
Manwell Pablo Posted 27 April 2007 Author Posted 27 April 2007 If you're worried about what your fellow passengers will think. Don't half of them will be wearing them any way!! Plus unless you are planning to wear shorts for the flight then no-one will know!! It'll be our little secret!!Geeks of the world unite!! Hmm I have to say DVT doesn't sound to appealing either, No drink for 6 months would be very whack. Then theres that whole I might die thing, I've got a lot of thinking to do.
Daggers Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Cancer from radio masts, dangerous dogs, bird flu, deep vein thrombosis, the football skill of Elvis Hammond...some people will tell you they know someone who has witnessed it first hand - but you'll never meet a sufferer first hand.
AoWW Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 Hmm I have to say DVT doesn't sound to appealing either, No drink for 6 months would be very whack. Then theres that whole I might die thing, I've got a lot of thinking to do. You don't have to wear flight socks... providing you waggle your feet/ankles around regularly and get up to stretch your legs fairly often you should be OK. Just do it discreetly or you'll look as much of a tw*t doing it as you would have done in your attractive socks in the first place!
Manwell Pablo Posted 27 April 2007 Author Posted 27 April 2007 You don't have to wear flight socks... providing you waggle your feet/ankles around regularly and get up to stretch your legs fairly often you should be OK. Just do it discreetly or you'll look as much of a tw*t doing it as you would have done in your attractive socks in the first place! ah right. How often is often?
lookwhaticando Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 ah right.How often is often? How often do you get up to stretch your legs at work?
Geo V Posted 27 April 2007 Posted 27 April 2007 The longest I spent on a flight was about 12 hours going to the US so Im not too sure I am qualified to help I`d suggest that you load up the Ipod with albums or tracks that you havent actually heard in addition to your favs and bring along a good book that you havent had the time to finish for one reason or another. I made the mistake of taking some book about the Cuban underworld and the life of some Havana journolist who shagged his way across the island which was a mistake because I was getting a little too excited and was on the look out for potential mile high members to take advantage of. Also try not to get a window seat because you know the sap sitting next to you will be some big dude who sleeps alot and you just cant wake up! BTW I think I saw 3 good movies on the last long haul flight which wasnt a bad thing either. It will fly by mate and have a good un when you get there you lucky sod.
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