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How to Sleep on a Plane and other Long Haul Travel Tips

Children's stories often talk about the magic above the clouds; unicorns, giants, golden harps and the like. Seasoned flyers know the truth though, it's just recycled air and bad food. Flying is a large part of our busy lives, whether it's holidays with Grandma or closing the big deal. The following tips will help you get through it without turning into a troll.

1. Before booking your ticket.

If you are flying economy you want to visit www.seatguru.com. This terrific website allows you to type in your airline and get a list of the best and worst seats in their entire fleet of planes. It is up to you to decide if being too close to the bathroom is worth the trade off of having extra legroom.

2. Booking your ticket.

Most tickets are bought on-line now and you always have the option of choosing your own seat. If you are travelling alone, always look for group of seats where the aisle or window seat is already taken. You then take the other aisle or window seat, leaving the middle free. These middle seats fill up last so you have a greater chance of having that valuable free seat buffer between you and the other passenger. If you are travelling as a couple, choose both the window and the aisle leaving the middle open. If the seat gets taken, no one will mind changing from the middle seat so you can sit together and if it is not taken, it's a much more pleasant flight.

3. Booking your meal.

When you book your ticket you can also choose from a variety of meals (low fat, vegetarian, kosher, etc). If you order one of these meals you get served first (more sleep time) and often they are fresher.

4. Before you leave for the airport.

A lot of people will tell you to check in on-line. They say it's quicker and you don't have to get to the airport as early. It might be quicker if you have no luggage but if you have bags to check, that line is often just as long as the check-in line. Also, if you check-in you have the opportunity to ask for an upgrade. Don't be a jerk about it, dress well and ask nicely. I always say "if the flight is booked and you need to bump someone to business I'd be willing to change seats". They usually smile at you and tell you they will see what they can do. Quite often you won't know until boarding, when they take your boarding pass and issue you a new one (in business!). It is surprising how often you are upgraded just by asking politely. If you are pregnant, tell them this

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