A flight attendant’s secrets to surviving long-haul flights
Any air travel can be stressful, but facing down a long-haul flight can be especially intimidating. Should you prioritize sleeping or eating, or both? Should you attempt to exercise in the aisle? Is it ever acceptable to take off your shoes? Kris Major is a British flight attendant with 24 years’ experience.
He’s worked short-haul hops and spent 14-hour stretches in the sky. He’s endured journeys with an unenviable number of layovers, and he’s become an expert in refueling via power naps at 30,000 feet. As many of us prepare for long-haul trips over the holidays, Major tells CNN Travel his his tips and tricks on surviving multiple hours in the sky.
Should you eat before or during an overnight flight?
If you’re catching a night flight and you want to maximize sleep on board, Major suggests eating before boarding. This is particularly important if the flight is on the shorter end of the long-haul scale: if you’re traveling from New York to London, for example, at best you’re looking at around five or six hours sleep, so you want to make the most of that rest time.
Major, who also represents European flight attendants and pilots as chair of the European Transport Workers’ Federation’s Joint Aircrew Committee, says it’s telling that most business travelers shut their eyes as soon as they get on board. “The seasoned travelers, after takeoff, you go down the cabin and you can see that they’re gone – they’ve covered themselves up and they’re asleep,” he says.
Still, Major admits that eating before flying isn’t always doable, because of long security lines and busy airport terminals. Even if you have the best intentions, you can end up settling for a sad-looking sandwich as you run to the gate. If you’re flying business or first class, you also might be tempted to make the most of food and drink offered on board – it’s hard to turn down complimentary champagne, after all.
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