Travel tips for a long haul flight to the northern hemishpere in September

Having only 3 days between returning from Broome and leaving for USA-UK presented challenges of timing and packing. Luckily most of the clothes needed for the tropics could be left in the laundry basket. Even so I did 3 loads. Clothes for an English Autumn had already been listed and set aside in the wardrobe.

During one of the many waiting periods whle flying I wrote down my flying tips, things I have pretty much abided by for years.

First of all, it pays to have good, well designed luggage. I have been using a medium size Travlepro suitcase with accompanying small bag for years, for holidays of 6-7 weeks duration and will continue to do so until it falls apart.

PACKING:

- pack what you think you need then halve it.
- have 2 main colour themes which you can mix and match. You need fewer pieces and fewer pieces of jewelry this way.
-  plan on layers for most destinations
-  unless you are going on a camping safari, take one pair confortable walking shoes, one pair black 'dress' shoes and a pair of sandals. Wear the bulkiest of these for the journey. Stuff the rest with small things like socks, pills, lotions which can't be packed in cabin luggage etc;
 - tie a brightly coloured luggage strap around your suitcase. That way you can easily distinguish it from the mostly black suitcases trundling round the carousel at the airport. Also it's an extra bit of security around a bulging bag.
- If you fly within the USA most American airlines charge for more than one 'checked-in' bag. If you have a strong back use a large suticase that keeps you within the 20kg limit  for economy passengers. If you cannot haul around one bag be prepared to pay about $50.00 US dollars for the second one.

.Cabin luggage:
- some airlines stipulate a 7kg weight limit but most of the time on long haul flights don't check it;
- a wheelie bag makes life easier for walking to gates that are far away, plus you can drape extra coats and your handbag on it;
- have a cardigan handy for the cold cabins (although temperatures vary);
- if you have back problems like me carry an extra small pillow or cushion;
- If the airline doesn't supply it (and they're getting more miserly these days) carry a small handlotion to remoisturise your dried out skin, and small toothpaste and toothbrush. You feel so much better stepping off the plane with a fresh mouth.

Flying economy: there is no way round it, it is a hideous experience. Here are some tips that might help.
- The food is so so at best, if you sit in the back of the plane they will certainly run out of your choice of meal no matter how fancy the menu is;  
- drowning your sorrows in alcohol doesn't help because it dries you out, swig gallons of water instead;
- Pick the salad, fruit, cheese and crackers and leave the mushy garbage in the hot vicious foil tray. That way you avoid scalding yourself and sitting for hours with indigestion. One tip; the preselected vegetarian  dish is often easier to digest, you get your meal before the others and your choice is guaranteed.

Seating:
- The miniscule leg room increases your chances of deep vein thrombosis tenfold, so  buy the special stockings;
- these days you can pay a little extra for a bulkhead seat or emergency row exit seat which gives you more leg room BUT conditions apply. You have to be able and fit enough to open the doors in an emergency. I can't so don't bother applying;
- unless you are planning to take a sleeping pill and fly undisturbed for 12+ hours, book an aisle seat. That way you can get up and walk up and down the cabin to remind your circulation that you're not dead, and can visit the toilet as often as needed without disturbing anyone;
-it might pay to book an aisle seat at the back of the plane because these seats are filled last, although I must say it did not pay off for me this time since every flight was chockers. Still you can give yourself the chance.
- If you have an hour or two stop over en route, don't head for the bar, walk, walk, walk. Airport concourses offer plenty of space for this so take advantage of it. You will decrease the risk of DVTs, ease the stiffness of seating for hours and aid digestion.

After all this you may end up at your destination feeling half human. Hopefully someone is at the other end to meet you, hold your hand (and your luggage!) to listen to your gripes about the nightmare you've just experienced. Three days later you may be over the jetlag or you might be like me, up at 3 in the morning five days later writing blogs about travel tips.