Long flight

[cheesewiz]

my BF is decided to come with me in Phils this coming Dec to meet my family and see a bit of my country I am staying for almost 5 weeks and he only staying for 2 weeks due to work commitment. The problem is he confessed on me that he is not comfortable with long flight and he never been to Asia bec its really a long flight and the longest flight he ever had is 4 hours and he feels really uncomfortable with it.

The problem is I need to go home first so i can spend more time with my family then he will followed me to Phils and meet him at the airport in Manila then we will fly back together in UK after our holiday. My worries is him flying to Phils on his own knowing that he is a nervous flyer but we no option bec I am staying in Phils for 5 weeks and he doesn't want to spoil my long holiday with my family which I am grateful to him that he understand me. Me, myself is not comfortable flyer but I have no option bec my family is there and its my country.

I am planning to bring him to Boracay or Bohol which he is excited about it bec he saw the pictures and videos in YOU TUBE


What advice you can give us or him regarding long flight?

Any help will be appreciated.

[joebloggs]

What advice you can give us or him regarding long flight?

Any help will be appreciated.

i can never sleep on a plane for more than 30 mins , i always try and stay awake for 24hrs b4 the flight so im very tired when i get on the plane and will hopefully sleep

4hrs, then 14hrs will be hell for him

[pinky]

hi cheesewiz, i would suggest you take an airline with 8hours for the first flight then 8 hours for the next connecting flight so there would be a balance between flights instead of taking an airline with long hours at first flight then a short connecting flight to the Phils or vice versa. Another is u may check in earlier and take the seat after the business class just in case ur travelling with economy class, the legroom is okey on that seat and it would be really comfortable for him. Also, u should book urselves earlier, as we know December is peak season, airline tickets are high and mostly flights are fully booked.
Goodluck.

[Mrs.JMajor]

well he cant do anything friend,he will do it for you if he really cares,yuhoooo now really you both made it that far now,guess you need to settle down soon,lol you are not getting any younger anymore

[aromulus]

I can sleep anywhere, anytime, anyplace....

Just close my eyes and....... zzzzzzzzzzzz

[pennybarry]

my BF is decided to come with me in Phils this coming Dec to meet my family and see a bit of my country I am staying for almost 5 weeks and he only staying for 2 weeks due to work commitment. The problem is he confessed on me that he is not comfortable with long flight and he never been to Asia bec its really a long flight and the longest flight he ever had is 4 hours and he feels really uncomfortable with it.

The problem is I need to go home first so i can spend more time with my family then he will followed me to Phils and meet him at the airport in Manila then we will fly back together in UK after our holiday. My worries is him flying to Phils on his own knowing that he is a nervous flyer but we no option bec I am staying in Phils for 5 weeks and he doesn't want to spoil my long holiday with my family which I am grateful to him that he understand me. Me, myself is not comfortable flyer but I have no option bec my family is there and its my country.

I am planning to bring him to Boracay or Bohol which he is excited about it bec he saw the pictures and videos in YOU TUBE


What advice you can give us or him regarding long flight?

Any help will be appreciated.

My hubby is the same Cheez, he hates to fly that's why he doesn't want to comeback to UK
During his first flight coming to Philippines, he had a stop over in Bahrain and he rang me and said, he better come back home to UK because he feels exhausted etc. But I said you still have choice to back out and it's up to you. But he did and marry me.

He can do it!

[bornatbirth]

on my first flight to see my wife,i thought i will get a night time flight and sleep on the plane,trouble was i couldnt sleep

i have since discovered i can never sleep on the plane which means im tired and freaked out after traveling for 24hourr.

if i got a night flight like around 8pm,i can get up around 8am get a coach to the airport and use the day to take my time and relax,but as i cant sleep on the plane that means from when i wake up that morning i wont sleep until im with my wife in manila.

i dont get sick but need a few hours after the flight to get the feeling out of my stomach and mixed up with lack of sleep i never feel so good

i have flown different airlines and times,my advice is get a flight in the morning but stay at a hotel airport overnight so theres no need to rush and you will have plenty sleep the night before,so when you do fly in the day you will be awake already and wont miss the sleep.

you can try and get connecting flights with a big gap but what and where do you go in the time gap?i find it easier just to get the connecting flight as soon as possible to get it over with!

[Piamed]

I can't sleep on planes either. I would probably not recommend staying up the night before of having a drink unless your husband sleeps easily. If i were to do that i would just arrive at the other end really cranky and with a headache.

The nice thing about just doing it in one leg is that at least its over with. If he does a stop over the journey will take longer and he will have 2 flights to contend with rather than just one.

[darren-b]

I can't sleep on planes either. I would probably not recommend staying up the night before of having a drink unless your husband sleeps easily. If i were to do that i would just arrive at the other end really cranky and with a headache.

The nice thing about just doing it in one leg is that at least its over with. If he does a stop over the journey will take longer and he will have 2 flights to contend with rather than just one.

The trouble is doing it in one leg isn't an option from the UK.

[Sconnie]

my BF is decided to come with me in Phils this coming Dec to meet my family and see a bit of my country I am staying for almost 5 weeks and he only staying for 2 weeks due to work commitment. The problem is he confessed on me that he is not comfortable with long flight and he never been to Asia bec its really a long flight and the longest flight he ever had is 4 hours and he feels really uncomfortable with it.

You say your bf is not comfortable with long flights, he has never taken a flight longer than 4 hours and I guess he does not like even a 4 hour flight, does he not like flying in general or is it the fact that sitting in a plane is never comfortable and the thought of 14 hours of it is putting him off ?

It is not easy to fly long distances but sometimes it has to be done. There are more things on the plane to help the journey pass, the in flight entertainment, movies etc. meals are served which help break up the journey, you can still of course read. It is a lot easier on long flights to get up and walk about, I always take an aisle seat so it is easier to get up without disturbing anyone else and take frequent walks around the plane.

Tell your bf to make the flight part of his adventure, try to relax and enjoy the experience, it is well worth it.

I hope you both have a lovely time together in Philippines.

[pennybarry]

on my first flight to see my wife,i thought i will get a night time flight and sleep on the plane,trouble was i couldnt sleep

i have since discovered i can never sleep on the plane which means im tired and freaked out after traveling for 24hourr.

if i got a night flight like around 8pm,i can get up around 8am get a coach to the airport and use the day to take my time and relax,but as i cant sleep on the plane that means from when i wake up that morning i wont sleep until im with my wife in manila.

i dont get sick but need a few hours after the flight to get the feeling out of my stomach and mixed up with lack of sleep i never feel so good

i have flown different airlines and times,my advice is get a flight in the morning but stay at a hotel airport overnight so theres no need to rush and you will have plenty sleep the night before,so when you do fly in the day you will be awake already and wont miss the sleep.

you can try and get connecting flights with a big gap but what and where do you go in the time gap?i find it easier just to get the connecting flight as soon as possible to get it over with!

I have never sleep on the plane no matter how sleepy I am I always hear the engines Usually I am so excited to go home, travel new places, so the day b4 my flight, I couldn't sleep for over excitement still couldn't sleep on plane.


I flew two times in business class and it was comfortable. I should of sleep but stewardess always asked what I wanted to eat food and servings really different and I can't control eating chocolatessss

[pacificelectric]

I flew to Australia 20 years ago when there was no individual movie screens...... and I survived!

My personal advice: take some relaxing medicine before and take earplugs with you (sometimes provided by the crew). Also, a very heavy and extremely boring book may help....

[Sim11UK]

Go by boat ...I'm flying there tomorrow. Can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but it has to be done...An isle seat is a must.

[PeterB]

An isle seat is a must.

Aisle seat? Then you get everyone else climbing over you!

My first flight was in 1965 (BEA Vanguard), and I've loved flying ever since. Going out to Aden in VC10s was a great experience. However the one flight there in an RAF Transport Command Britannia was not quite so great ... in flight catering consisted of a piece of dry cake and a cup of water! My traveling companions were large wooden crates.

[joebloggs]

Aisle seat? Then you get everyone else climbing over you!

i use to go for the window seats, but most of the time now i get an aisle seat, so i can stick my legs out and trip people over

What Makes a Great Seat?
Exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats close to the front of the plane are typically considered the best. On a short business trip, you probably want an aisle seat near the front of the plane. On an overnight flight, you'll want a window seat so you can rest your head. Nervous fliers may want to sit over the wing, where there is less turbulence.

Exit row seats usually offer a bit more legroom, but they're not appropriate if you're traveling as a family. By federal law, no one under 15 may sit in an exit row, and infants are not permitted in the rows immediately behind or in front of an exit row either.

Many fliers also like "bulkhead seats," which are the seats directly behind the physical barriers (such as walls, curtains or screens) that separate different parts of the plane. Because there are no seats in front of you, you won't get stuck with another passenger reclining into your lap -- and you often get some extra legroom as well.

But be careful: Not all "bulkhead" rows are created equal. On some planes, the first bulkhead row may be cramped and uncomfortable. For more information, go to SeatGuru.com, where you can check out seat maps for nearly every type of plane on every major airline.

Keep an eye on seat pitch, especially if you're tall. This is a measure of how much space there is between a seat and the one immediately behind or in front of it -- so the higher the number, the more legroom you will have. SeatGuru lists both seat pitch and width (when available) for most airlines.

http://www.independenttraveler.com/r...=17&category=1

[adam&chryss]

Everybody`s different but for me I always preferred the last flight from London, about 10.20pm from Heathrow I think. Then via Hong Kong and just a short connecting time, enough to have a small cigar in the smoking room and pace about a bit. Then it`s only 1hr 40 mins to Phil from there.
If I started work at 6am and had the last flight then i`d always sleep for a while but not too long.
Yeah its a long flight and I made my 7 trips by myself so i got used to it but never enjoyed it!
Emirates stop at Dubai which isnt quite halfway. It depends whether he prefers 2 long flights of 7-8 hours or one long flight and one short.
As far as i`m aware the shortest flying time is via Hong Kong with BA and its about 13 hours total.
Emirates I seem to remember is about 15hrs or so.
If he doesnt like flying i`d suggest that the shortest flying time is the best for him.

[flomike]

I am the example of worst flyer but like cheesewiz said i have no option but to go on a plane back home....id been to 12 straight hours flight a few times and two 8 hrs flights...thank goodness I managed to survive

I wish we can afford the Business class like Pennybarry specially for my husband cause I feel for him everytime we fly to Manila the leg room is so small for a 6'4" man although we're trying to get the better seat still not comfy for his size.

Good luck I hope the long flight won't put him off going to Phils

[pacificelectric]

Aisle seat is better when you have a weak bladder..........

[cheesewiz]

My Pedro (He's name is Peter and he likes it if i call him that name lol) said thanks for the time to post your advice. Definitely he will go to Phils and he is looking for a reasonable price on Business class if there is and I said how about me, he said

he thinks that 14 hours flight won't be a good experience for him specially sitting on economy class if he can find a reasonable price on business class he doesn't mind paying an extra...if he gets a reasonable price (which I doubt lol) it means we can't go back together to UK bec I can't afford to upgrade my ticket to business class but its okay as long he is there with me I am morethan happy or very very happy

[scott&ligaya]

Some airlines like KLM, to Manila and Virgin and Air New Zealand (to HK) have a class called premium economy or something similar with more leg room and width. Not nearly as expensive as Business class.

might be worth a try

[cheesewiz]

Some airlines like KLM, to Manila and Virgin and Air New Zealand (to HK) have a class called premium economy or something similar with more leg room and width. Not nearly as expensive as Business class.

might be worth a try

oh that's good to know that...thanks a lot

[scott&ligaya]

no problem Cheesewiz

one more thing, he can get noise cancelling headphones which are much better and do help you sleep more easily. Just ask at one of the big electrical stores.

[Piamed]

Some airlines like KLM, to Manila and Virgin and Air New Zealand (to HK) have a class called premium economy or something similar with more leg room and width. Not nearly as expensive as Business class.

might be worth a try

KLm unfortunately does not have a Premium Economy yet but their 'partner' Air France does, so do BA, BMI, SAS, Thai Airways and Singapore Arlines, to list the main ones.

There are some good deals to be had on Business Class with KLM if one has enough Flying Blue Miles.

[EdwardB]

Everybody deals with long flights differently.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to turn left when you board chances are you might enjoy .....more than endure. But even if you are lucky enough to turn left to sit in seat 1A, after too many flights in a short period familiarity will be breed contempt. You will soon realise that spending 14 hours on an airborne park bench, even with a mattress and a flimsy duvet whilst drinking Krug only seems comfortable due to the amount of Krug you have consummed - if you don't know this now be assured you will realise this just before landing when you wake up with a skull breaking hangover.

For about 2K sterling less than First you can still turn left and fly business. The benefit is ....still a flat park bench allbeit slightly smaller. But no mattress and the duvet is very flimsy. You'll still get real Champagne. & The hangover is no different from the Krug in First - or for that matter Fosters in 74K.

Ultimately you have a choice - pay little & sit at the back... or pay an extra 2K GBP+ on most Asian flights to get a flat bed

Unless you can sleep on a plane the bed is useless - other than as a posing seat - & as it is unlikely you will be seen by anyone you know the pose factor is pointless.

Several recommendations in this thread for premium/enhanced economy. In my view on Asian flights pointless. If you can sleep sitting up then the extra "pitch", as they call it, will only give you a slightly less stiff neck. In real estate terms PE seats are the worst value on the plane. They are mostly used for rewarding high fare paying frequent flyers on overbooked planes.

My best advice for flying to RP is - unless you are seriously rich - ;

1. fly coach via HKG on Air NZ or Cathay on a daytime flight inbound to UK & on the earliest flight outbound to HKG. The coach seat is bigger & the inflight service good. Virgin daytime flights next choice - seats too small.
2 Use a Middle East airline via one of the Emirates. Best aircraft best seats - but I don't recommend changing planes midway. But you may be able to deal with the insomnia better than me.
3. For Davao go via Singapore

Best of all collect BA miles on your credit card and use them to upgrade. Business on BA can be had most days to Hong Kong at the moment for GBP800 plus 40,000 BA Miles. Use Cebu to complete the journey. Cathay Pacific prices are absurd unless you have access to a Hong Kong travel agent.

Current best choice is Cathay in coach at about GBP395 to Hkg.

[tiger@tigress]

my BF is decided to come with me in Phils this coming Dec to meet my family and see a bit of my country I am staying for almost 5 weeks and he only staying for 2 weeks due to work commitment. The problem is he confessed on me that he is not comfortable with long flight and he never been to Asia bec its really a long flight and the longest flight he ever had is 4 hours and he feels really uncomfortable with it.
The problem is I need to go home first so i can spend more time with my family then he will followed me to Phils and meet him at the airport in Manila then we will fly back together in UK after our holiday. My worries is him flying to Phils on his own knowing that he is a nervous flyer but we no option bec I am staying in Phils for 5 weeks and he doesn't want to spoil my long holiday with my family which I am grateful to him that he understand me. Me, myself is not comfortable flyer but I have no option bec my family is there and its my country.
I am planning to bring him to Boracay or Bohol which he is excited about it bec he saw the pictures and videos in YOU TUBE
What advice you can give us or him regarding long flight?
Any help will be appreciated.

My hubby is the same he hates flying but he over come that fear at that time and flew to Manila twice to be with me... now as he looks back he ask himself how did he do it?