Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!!!
Just returned from UK and Portugal -
Got a double upgrade to first class DFW-LGW over and to Business (Club World) RT on BA.
I would never fly economy/coach on a flight to Europe or Asia.
M

Mikemo, not an option for many....
I would love to though. Have had a few complimentary upgrades and it's wonderful!

I am another person on whom Tylenol or T PM has the opposite effect and keeps me awake.

I did get a neck pillow made with some kind of little beads for my last trip. My husband strapped onto a carry on, and the airline people didn't say a word. It worked great, but I do have a hard time sleeping on a plane. I think I will get a mask, ear plugs, and the socks you all recommended for my next trip--which will be to London the first of October, a ten-hour flight. Meet for tea, Kavey?

Well, obviously, my husband strapped the pillow onto the carry on, not himself.

Carolyn - as long as he doesn't schlepp
his own bed shits in the strapped on
carry-on everything will be just fine!

A couple of ideas I received from physician friends last time I flew to Europe: take daily aspirin, starting a few days before departing, to thin blood and to help avoid clotting problems (be sure to ask your own physician first); drink water, and move around the plane regularly to keep blood flowing. We tried Valerian root to relax and sleep, with relatively good results. Also, my doc friends suggested getting on the time-schedule of your destination as quickly as you can-- by sleeping on the plane and not napping in the middle of the day after you arrive.

I have always used a blow up neck pillow and bucky eyeshades (they are thick and have a pad at the bottom that keeps them from getting too close to your eyes). With those and some earplugs have been somewhat successful in getting a bit of sleep in the past but this year I added a Bose Noise Cancelling headset and a cd player with a white noise CD set on repeat. Even breakfast service did not wake me up and I am a really light sleeper even at home.

If I am on a daytime flight and don't plan to sleep I try to book a plane with a seat back movie screen. A few movies can make the time pass quickly. If that is not possible a great novel will do the trick.

In any case I bring lots of water. They never come around often enough to bring water in my opinion.

Polishing nails would be totally inappropriate. Many people are sensative to the fumes. It would definitely trigger a migraine for my daughter.

Margaretlb-

I second you on the polishing nail. I was actually surprised nobody has said anything about it earlier. I saw a woman polishing her nails earlier this year in one of my "shorter" domestic flights. She was asked to stop by the flight attendants -which was the right thing to do. The fume from the polish would be a torture to a lot of the nearby passengers!

detravler - What do you mean by white noise? The only white noise I have heard of is as a method of torture/interagation!!

"bring your own ... "nips/wine". " I don't know about the US, but in my experience airlines don't allow you to consume your own alcohol.

They might not allow you to bring your own alcohol, but tequila or vodka in a water bottle looks the same as water. But you needn't do that since beer and wine is almost always free on international flights.

Hello to all.
I'm glad that you are having fan over my typo...I realized it when already sent the message but did not get the chance to correct an error...
BTW good laughter is another way to shorten a long flight, No? My favorite book is O'Henry...his short stories are just what the Doctor's ordered.
Pard me, English is my second....
Happy flyght and fan travel to everyne.
PS. Btw why Fodors would not invest in a ''spell check" hah?

1. Excedrin/Tylenol PM

2. Dell DJ (like iPod) - I also use the earbuds instead of the headphones the airline provide for the movies - better sound, not as bulky.

3. A good book

4. If I'm traveling with my laptop, I play Spider Solitaire - very addicting.

5. Drink lots of fluids. Limit alcohol.

Carolyn
Sorry I didn't notice your message to me, would love to meet you when you come to London. Please email me at the email address above.
Kavey

I'm a 'we're all in this together' kind of personality, but I will POUND anyone who used nail polish or strong perfume while on the aircraft >

I'm with travelnut... I'm very rarely offended by what other people do on planes but I would be prone to violence too if someone on my flight were to open a bottle of nail polish. Strong perfume is just as bad... unfortunately most people wearing strong (and strong bad) perfume have no idea how bad it is.

so many good ideas

baby pillow is first one new to me I'll try, also throwaway books.

For reading I find I do best in the "guilty pleasures" category - gossipy magazines I don't usually feel good about spending the money on [but love, of course], "chick lit" books [got across ocean 3 times on the Shopaholic series], etc.

For skin: I got a product at Kiehl's here in NYC that has a title like "emergency repair." Tho it looked unquestionably awful I covered face with it & for first time in life didn't have 3 days of "airplane skin" on arrival.

[Also: at the Kiehl's store they will always give you a sample of something when you buy something: so I get samples of the million-dollar face-repairing "masque," which you can also slather on skin for length of a plane-ride. Note tho Kiehl's stuff has no rpeservatives so must be used w/in 6 months or goes rancid.]

I do sit and envy the people who have little dvd players with them. I'll buy one when the price seems okay & take it when I'm going to be sort of stationery, or at any rate not dragging own luggage around.

Oh: I have an amazing sleep mask from Brookstone. Molds itself to your face. Still can't sleep on plane tho.

Thanks everyone. I worried about being bored out of my mind on the way over to France and the irony is that now I DO NOT remember the flight over. I did grab some old pillow cases from home at the last moment to cover the airline pillows, took a sleeping pill, listened to some books on tape and have a slight memory of the meals being served. . . but thqt is all. I hope the way home is as painless. Happy flying everyone.