Overnight flights must have and must do??
 

Taking an overnight flight to BA, Argentina and it has been awhile since I have taken one.

I was wondering if you still take your neck pillow, your socks to walk around in, and your big bottle of water???

What is the "in" thing to do and take???

Thanks for the great advice!
Natasha

Who cares what the "in thing" is to do. Go for comfort - wear sweats, bring your neck pillow, fluffy socks, bunny slippers, water bottle... the "in thing" is probably to bring a wireless laptop with six iPods attached to it and professional grade headphones, and pretend you're working on an important spreadsheet that will make your career.

My first overnight trip in years was the first leg of our family trip to Belize 3 years ago. We were dressed in our "tropic" clothes and FROZE on the plane, unable to sleep. I'd advise to layer what clothes you have and grab a blanket before you sit down - except in 1st class or business class there are never enough blankets and pillows to go around.

I would take an eyemask to block out the light and a pair of earplugs. I wear a Polar fleece jacket with a hood that I can pull up to keep warm. They have always run out of blankets before they get to me.

I agree with the others - be comfortable!! And it is usually freezing on planes. A lot of the time I'll pack my own pillow too - & defnitely a good book & stack of magazines.

I am not aware of any new fads or trends.

Soft clothes, in layers, eye shades, small pillow (neck or travel), water, snacks, valium, ear plugs or earphones, book, magazine, moisturizer.

Bring slippers, you don't want to walk around in your socks... those bathrooms floors!

i take that back... like saltshaker mentions... DVD players, laptops, i-pods are all the rage.

What airline are you flying?

We are flying American airlines, Thanks for all the tips, I guess it's still the same ....Be comfortable!!!

Nat

I see women on many flights wearing sandals and thin-strapped t-shirts or sundresses--I would be freezing! I like layers of soft, forgiving fabrics. I am always cold in-flight, feet especially!

I fly "red-eyes" whenever possible since it often allows you to have a full day at home and still get to your destination with most of the day ahead of you. All of the suggestions above are great - especially for those prone to get cold, I can't emphasize enough the need to have some layers. As you walk to your seat, look for blankets in the overhead bins and grab one. I have a throw that doubles as a shawl that I like to carry, if I have room in my carry-on. I also like to throw in comfy pants. If I don't need fleece pants for my trip, I don't want to waste the room for them so I'll carry on my pj bottoms and put them on while in the plane but usually before take-off. If they're plaid or dark, you won't look ridulous but you will feel ready to rest.

If you think you'll be very excited or don't sleep easily (even with all my suggestions, I sleep very little on planes - no matter the length)and have a flight of at least 7 hours, you might want to consider taking Tylenol PM, Simply Sleep, or getting a prescription for Ambien. However, don't take any of these if you haven't tried them beforehand. Everyone has different reactions to sleep medication.

You've already mentioned that you're bringing a big bottle of water - sooo important on these night flights when you want to stay hydrated but don't want to disturb people trying to get water from the flight attendants. And rather than bringing slippers, if you don't need them for your destination, get big stretchy socks to put over your own.

As for the entertainment factor, iPods and personal DVD players are great and, if you'e planning to have them for your trip anyway, your choice will be much better than what the airline provides. However, it is really the headphones that make the difference on an overnight flight. Try to get a pair of noice-cancelling ones. Then you will actually hear whatever is playing - on the airline's screen or yours! You will also be able to tune out crying children, snorers, etc. Just make sure that you also bring an adaptor for them if you want to be able to use them with the airlines system. Many jets have a two-prong connection for earphones and you will need a tiny adaptor (which comes with some of the better sets) to convert your one-prong into two.

Flying American...bring FOOD! I flew overnight Hawaii/NYC and no food entire trip. Probably better international, but bring your own supplies.

Natasha, I have read the blankets and pillows are not cleaned between uses. I carry a large pashmina stole which I use as a blanket and wrap around the pillow if need be. I am planning a trip to BA in November. One of my most anticipated parts of the trip will be shopping in BA. I understand there are glorious shawls and blankets sold there....so if you are overnighting home, come back in style. Oh, and please post a trip report. Buen viaje.

American provides blankets, pillows, earphones and a meal in all classes of service from the United States to Argentina. The evening meal is not great, but serviceable...breakfast is also included....although I usually wait to eat until I arrive in BsAs, since the medialunes are much better in BsAs than on AA....

American flies both 777 and 767's to Bs As ....go for the 777, if possible. The 767 shows a movie, but the 777 allows several choices. After a movie, dinner and two small bottles of wine (bring your own if you can find small bottles), I snooze away until morning....

We just flew in last night from the redeye from South America on Delta. I always try and pack a sandwich with me as the food is always hideous.

There is a fantastic thread at the beginning of this "Talk" section where everyone weighs in on what they bring to keep them comfy.

I love to sleep but not on a plane. I wasn't able to sleep even after taking Tylenol PM, but just rested my eyes.

Enjoy your trip!

We flew from Miami to BsAs last November and loved the 2-4-2 configuration of the plane. We were fortunate to have a window and aisle in both directions. We had back of seat screens, so I watched a movie and a few other features after the drink and dinner service and then fell asleep off and on.

On this trip I wore knit pants with elastic waistband (about the weight of a good t-shirt) short sleeved T and a lightweight cardigan sweater. I always wear slip on sandals (summer or winter--unless there's snow on the ground) so can slip them on and off as I wish.

I agree with cmc fong, I prefer not to use the pillows or blankets on a plane as I know they're not regularly cleaned. Recently heard some airlines are considering charging for pillows. What next? Coin toilets!

I too put a pashmina in my carry on bag to use if I get cold, which I rarely do. More often I'm too warm, especially waiting for takeoff. I think my thermostat is broken!

In any case, we prefer redeyes as they offer a better chance of our sleeping, at least enough to keep us going, and for some reason it seems to make these long flights go faster.

Have a wonderful trip Natasha. BsAs is a beautiful, interesting city. We hope to return in the not too distant future, stay there a few days and then do some further travels in Argentina. Incidentally, I have compiled the info I gathered when planning our trip. If you'd like a copy, please e-mail me.