flight "comfort" suggestions
 

My sisters and I are traveling to Italy in June. Several of my sisters have done limited flights and only of durations of up to 3 hours and are "nervous" fliers. I am looking for suggestions to make the flight more comfortable for them. I am thinking of sleep masks ( any you prefer? - Rick steves, Magellan, etc) and any other suggestions you have for them. Thanks.

I take a pashmina which I wrap around my pillow and me. The blankets on planes are not very clean. I always take a pair of socks and some of the cleaning towelettes. Enjoy the trip, it sounds like fun!

Thanks for the suggestions. Have you ever used sleep masks? One of my sisters feels if she could sleep that would help!

I always use the pillow, it's U-shaped and I can blow it up as soft or hard as needed. Some people on this website hate them, but I love mine :)

Also, don't wear tight clothes for better circulation.

British Air hands out eye/sleep masks in their little kit. Yes it does help me relax (although I do not sleep). Also I use the provided earphones and listen to quiet music to block out the noises in the cabin. Slippers are another nice thing to have (little ballet style isotoners work well).

I like more than socks, is why i suggest the slippers, because of the state of the bathrooms later in flights.

Myself I don't bother with pillows or blankets but use what the airplane provides.

Comfortable clothing is another real help. I usually wear cotton knits of some sort. Definitely not jeans.

Julieann:
I use the sleep mask sometimes. Try it at home to see if it bothers you.

I've had flights where I couldn't sleep and I ended up with jet lag. But now I've learned the key: pack several days early and relax, relax, relax the day/night before departure. Since then I sleep like a babe all the way across the pond. Once the meal is served, I exchange my shoes/socks for those soft fleece slipper-socks.

I use an infant blanket for long flights: satin on one side, soft fleece on the other. To sleep, I roll it into a log and wrap it around my neck. It's also nice when my feet get cold (as they always do). I use it to cover not-so-soft pillows at a hotel. And it packs in a quart ziplock. Hmmm, I should've called myself "Linus"!

i love a sleep mask, and also moldeable ear plugs ( not the spongey ones they give you on plane sometimes).

my mission on every flight is to rest. period.

Thanks - these are great ideas. Any certain sleep mask you like to use?

You may want to book your seats so that 2 people are sitting together with one on the aisle and the third person sitting accross the aisle. If you sisters are nervous flyers this may allow for them to get up and walk around a little more easily.

I never thought of that good idea!

Last time I flew to Europe a woman came out of the bathroom wearing flannel pajamas and then changed again before landing. Very strange. However, I personally would not suggest doing it

David

some masks are really thin and a little stiff. but i was given one on a flight once that is a little thicker and very soft on the inside.
i have never bought one though, sorry.

We splurged on Bose Quiet comfort headphones. They mask out the airplane drone and make the flight more restful. However, the model we bought is quite bulky and would be hard to sleep in. There is a new smaller model and also other brands. You can use them for the airplane entertainment, an MP3 player, or watching a DVD on a laptop. Being able to listen to soothing music might relax your nervous sisters.

Yes, Julieann, I do use a sleepmask. I have several which I received from USAIRWAYS. They are relatively thin, but do the trick.

I have a cozy fleece lined toque and I wear it and my fleece jacket - this helps a ton as I get really cold on planes. Nice warm socks so I can kick my shoes off too. In addition, last flight I used an eye mask (I have no recollection of where I got it sorry) and ear plugs. I also tried sleeping pills, but to no avail.

I like clothes that are comfortable, but not too baggy and relaxed as I always feel rumpled and disheveled after about an hour.

I think I got my mask at Wal-mart or some such random place - it worked just fine.

Cheers,

Murphy

I never even thought to look at Wal-Mart - good suggestion.

All the airlines I've flown internationally have provided sleep masks and they are pretty much the same except for the color.

I've used them but the last time I flew I just put the silk scarf I'd been wearing around my neck over my eyes; sometimes the elastic on the mask bothers me.
If you think your airline won't provide them, check a AAA office or Target, both carry travel articles (locks, money belts, appliance/camera adaptors, etc.) You shouldn't have to do mail order to find them.

How about an aromatherapy eyemask?
The lavender scent is very relaxing and the little sachet pads can be removed.

http://www.dreamessentials.com/a_mas...m_essence.aspx

flight and comfort do not belong in the same sentence if you are flying in tourist. All the above suggestions are helpful but be prepared to have a miserable night (though you might be pleasantly surprised). I find 2 glasses of wine help. I also always bring heavy socks and a warm sweater as I find the cabin tends to ba a bit cold for the first half of the trip.

Big floppy socks so you can replace any shoes. Floppy clothes so you can relax. Noise killing earphones but check do you sleep on your ears. If pillows are not given out something like a pillow. Don't drink coffee, tea or fizzy drinks, cheese or potato chips. Aisle seats let you walk aound more but mean you will be disturbed more. Check out small children near you (tears in the night drive me barmy). Turn up tired and fall asleep before you take off.

Wine before sleep. Need to think about this one

How long until someone jumps all over poor Murphy89 for DARING to venture into Walmart?

Hey, I'm with you there buddy. A lot of times "cheap" is good. In fact, even though there's some nice threads going on about buying the right luggage and how long it should last, I buy the cheap stuff at Walmart for about $30 and get maybe a month of travel use out of it before replacing it. It's a lot more economical than buying the 22" Piaggio 949 model for $800 then getting upset when the baggage handlers inevitably wreck it.

I bought a Bucky pillow several years ago and also purchased their eye mask and earplugs. They add tremendously to comfort and allow me to actually sleep on the plane a bit. The eye mask is soft and flexible and the strap hooks with velcro so it can be adjusted for comfort. The eye mask also has a small pouch attached to hold the ear plugs so they don't get lost and are readily available. I wouldn't travel without them and they came in very handy at a hotel with light shinging through the window and street traffic as well. Good luck withe the nervous sisters and have a great trip.

I try to avoid the wine, instead I opt for a couple of Tylenol PM. They put me right to sleep and unless I have a really restless seatmate, I will sleep right thru the flight and arrive rested. I find eyemasks, inflatable pillows etc to be annoyances. I do carry a pashmina in my carry on and use it as a blanket or rolled up as a pillow on the plane,

The Tylenol PM sounds like a good idea - might have them try that before we leave to see how they are in am. I find drinking alcohol on flight is a problem for me.

i find an eye mask and u-shaped pillow indispensible. i also bring a pashmina and dress in comfy layers. but the single most important thing i do is make sure i have a piece of carry-on to place on the floor in front of my seat to create a foot rest. this simple little trick takes pressure off the lower back and lends itself to sleeping. lastly, there's a fast acting, short-lasting prescription sleep aid called "sonata" that my doctor recommends for transatlantic or other overnight flights. you may be a little groggy the next day, but much less so than with the ingredients of over-the-counter sleep aids.

julieann- definitely try the Tylonol PM at home, before the flight. for some people the active ingredient makes them 'wired' rather than sleepy (that's what happens to me, it's awful).

imo any eye mask will do. i have a collection of ones from previous flights, as others have mentioned. nothing special or fancy about them (but they are helpful). you might ask your airline if they will be handing them out.

i think bilboburgler has it exactly right...

" Turn up tired and fall asleep before you take off. " !!!

Ambien, don't ever fly internationally without it.
M

The "active" sleep ingredient in Tylenol PM is diphenhydramine..in other words, the same thing as Benadryl.

It works for some because the usual side effect of antihistamines is a feeling of drowsiness.

I can't drink alcohol on a flight(makes me feel crappy); Ambien makes me a zombie for two days; but 1 Excedrin PM works perfectly, as long as I take it a good 8 hours before I need to be alert. I don't like Tylenol PM, for some reason, but do like ExcedrinPM.

Comfortable, loose-fitting clothes, shoes you can slip on & off easily. But I agree w/travelbunny: if you're flying coach, "comfortable flight" is an oxymoron. Just don't put a lot of pressure on yourself to make your first day in Italy anything but mellow!