As a frequent traveller there are a number of things i’ve picked up along the way. Some of these things are just listed for me to actually remember them from time to time but also as general tips/ideas.
This is a note that will be updated from time to time.
Apps & Sites
The best resource out there now that SeatGuru has shut down. Helpful for finding better legroom seats and a great sense of available flight seats as well. It may seem overly nerdy but you won’t regret checking it out just in case you get that one seat that has no window or just want to get a sense of the available space or layout of the plane. Has come in handy many times.
A genuine game-changer for combating jetlag but also making sure you’re ready to sleep in or be energised as you leave the flight after a long flight.
Flighty – Live Flight Tracker App - App Store
My go-to app for any flight. Between the super handy notifications and updates, and often better than the airlines own ones, it also serves as a log of my flights and travels. Can not understate how useful and fantastic this app is.
This app has almost completely replaced Google Maps for me in many places around the world. While it may not possess the more real-time features of Google Maps, as an offline map (download your own maps and remove when not needed) it is super accurate, often offers better routes than Google Maps, has higher accuracy hiking and walking paths, and is also privacy-focused. It also offers excellent maps and routes even in places Google does not really operate such as South Korea.
General Tips
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Melatonin is fantastic and has made long flights for me much more palatable. As someone who suffers from hayfever i often have antihistamines available anyway, so my go-to has been to take a strong antihistamine that will usually get me drowsy, and then melatonin to go to sleep and stay asleep.
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If you are flying like me from mostly European locations to the east to places like Singapore, it’s always best to try and find morning flights and stay awake as much as you can. This is mostly because the flight time and time difference will get you there usually by evening-time and you’ll be ready to go to sleep. The other way mostly works as well, as a flight from London to New York of 8 hours with a 5 hour time difference means leaving in the evening can net you a good few hours of sleep and you’ll be waking up around the same time as most peopel are waking up. Even though it might mean your hotel isn’t ready for a few hours.
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Where possible stick to newer jets like the Boeing 787, Airbus A380 and A350. They keep their cabins pressurized at a lower equivalent elevation, meaning you get fewer harmful effects from oxygen deficiency. Lower cabin altitude = more oxygen available = less physiological stress.
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Separate layover tickets is often cheaper than direct flights. This may seem obvious but i’ve also found that most people are averse to the small (albeit real) risk that having separate flights and possibly short transfer windows offer. It’s why whenever i do book such flights i leave at least a 3 hour difference between my flights but the sweet spot for me is often 7-8 hours if i intend to leave the aiport.
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Following the above, i have a strict 6 hour rule for transfers. If the transfer window is less than 6 hours, i never leave the airport regardless of how short and quick a trip to the city might be or however easy the immigration and exit process is. It’s simply not worth running around trying to do things and worry about getting back in time. Usually though 6+ hour transfers are enough to get out of the airport area and check out something for at least 2 or 3 hours at minimum.