First long haul flight

[andym]

Apart from greeting a friend named Jack at the top of my lungs mid flight..... what do I need to know?

At 43 years and 6 months old I'm finally getting my first holiday and I am shitting myself to be honest, I've done a few flights in the UK (Bristol to Glasgow and Bristol to Dublin), they were all white knuckle flights... and they were less than an hour each.

I'm going from Glasgow to France to Boston to North Carolina..... my flight prep movies is stuff like Alive, Final Destination.... any other plane disaster movie that's recommended.

Stuff I need to know:
If I buy an unlocked phone in the UK can I put a US sim in there?
Can I take a power bank on the plane... if I'm sitting listening to music the whole way?
What can I include in my hand luggage, since I've been told I might need to play for my bags.

Any other advice...

[hellkat]

Don't give in to the temptation to get pissed.
There truly is nothing worse than a jet lag hangover.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[andym]

[thx1138]

go business class (or better) or not at all

that's my motto for long haul flights

well, it's more of an aspiration

okay, I went business class once and never stopped going on about it

don't like long haul, I'm 6'2"

[RPM]

Hi

Check the phone specs to see if it will work in USA (Quad band etc)

Whether you can take a power bank on board in hand luggage will depend on the airline rules, I took mine from Heathrow to Bali with Garuda without any problems.

Look at the airline website, they usually give you the baggage weight allowance for checked in bags and hand luggage.
They also tell you what the cost will be per kg for overweight baggage.

Take anything in your hand luggage that you really value, money, phones, tablets, laptop etc.

[mentalboy]

[Baggyman]

[Ben90]

What mobile network are you on? Three has a feature where you use your existing tariff abroad at no extra cost, including the states. Calls/texts back to the UK are free (in your tariff), but calls to the country you're in are charged as if you were in the UK. At least I think that's how it works, the same deal applies for their pay as your go SIMs - worth picking one up.

No need to buy other SIM, your current one will just temporarily change to a USA network when you get there.
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Yamaha FZ6 S2

[BumpingUglys]

Plane will no doubt have full on film/TV/music streaming going on in the back of the seat in front of you with a surprising amount of variety. USB charging sockets are usually part of this entertainment panel.

Power dumps can, and I believe must, go in hand luggage. Don't think you'll need it for the flight though.

Take note of the hand luggage liquid allowances. Maximum 100ml in any one container, this doesn't mean 100ml left of a 500ml bottle.
Also, all toiletries to be in a 20x20cm max resealable see-through bag i.e zip-loc. Not a carrier bag or a bin liner.

Anything that looks remotely dodgy I'd consider leaving or be prepared to forfeit. Saw a guy in Dubai losing his shit when he had a stack of custom made, apparently very expensive vaping gear taken off him. Security were doing an admirable stone-face and didn't even engage, just kept on adjusting their MP5s.
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[bamt]

[Rogerborg]

I would fly to the US again if you paid me, but it'd have to be a hefty amount. Sheep on the way to the abattoir get more room and better treatment. +1 for Septic immigration being hostile meat robots. Do not attempt banter.

Medicines in sealed containers or blister packs rather than rattling around loose.

Depending on when you're going, and therefore the temperature, a lone heterosexual male should be able to get by for 2 weeks with a carry-on bag, plus your pockets stuffed.

Walk around as much as possible on the flights. Aspirin as a talisman against DVT (better than nothing, but might be counter-indicated with your medical history). For the love of allah, don't travel to the USA without decent medical cover including repatriation expenses.

Eye mask and earplugs for both the flight and the hotel.

If you're invited to go cornholing, do not start punching throats.
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GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[BTTD]

Noise cancelling, or at least good seal ear bud headphones made a huge difference for me. Planes are noisy.

Do not sit next to a small child that keeps fidgeting and digs into your ribs countless times while you're trying to sleep. It'll really annoy you, and no matter how much you want to, you can't kill them.

As soon as you get on the plane, change time zone in your head. If your new time zone is evening, go to sleep straight away. Give yourself a head start on the time zone change.

Don't drink - although the plane is pressurised, it is at a lower pressure than sea level. Your body will not metabolise alcohol well, maybe half as efficiently.
You will get twice as drunk.
I've seen groups of lads sink a few pints before the plane, then a couple of shorts on the plane and some of them passed out. It was a short flight, one of them got aggro and was calling everyone a cunt when we landed. Plenty of children on the flight, was told to shut up so obviously started offering everyone out.
Once off the plane one of his own group decked him before reaching the baggage area and they left him there. No one else stopped to help him.

[Ste]

"Each year Britain's airports make roughly £2 billion from shops in their terminals. Harry Wallop investigates how the airports make their money and reveals the tricks we should all be prepared for."
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/on-demand/65224-001

Refer to info given by the airline as to what you can't take in hand luggage. It's easier just to buy some shower gel and toothpaste in North Carolina instead of fucking around having a maximum of however many ml of each and the container being in a clear plastic bag of an exact size.

Don't be the dickhead who makes a stupid joke when going through security / customs and ends up having lots of guns pointed at him whilst getting arrested.

[arry]

What's the longest stint there - 7 hours or so? That's not so long haul.

By the time you settle in, they've served a drink and snack, you'll get to watch one film and a couple of episodes of telly programme of your choice - interspersed with 'dinner' and then you're on the way down to land again.

A friend of mine does a couple of diazapam every time he gets on a plane cos nervous. Seems to help him through.

I just get on the beers at the airport and carry on the theme. But I'm a hardened traveler (total journey time on last trip home over 20 hours incllvkng 2 boats, 3 cars and 3 planes).

[Polarbear]

+1 for the jokes to security/immigration. There was an orchestra player who had a violin in a case. Straight faced immigration officer 'What's in the case?' Player 'What do you think, a fucking machine gun?' Cue player in court the next day. (Source - reality TV)

I've done many long haul flights over the years and I can say business class makes a hell of a difference, trouble is it does to your wallet as well. I was on company business so free

Have a drink if you want, but just 1 or 2. Nowadays drunkenness on a plane is almost as frowned on as carrying a bomb on.

Be prepared for security nightmares. If they take a dislike to you they will make you suffer so be polite however much you want to punch the jobsworth.

Every long haul plane will have multi entertainment. Don't bother with electronic gizmos you don't need in your hand luggage.

Your phone will be fine presuming it's anything modern. If you just want to put a yank sim in obviously will have to be unlocked or just get a PAYG phone over there.

I found the yanks really friendly. I was 6 months at Norfolk, North Virginia working in a refit yard. I think i got invited to someones house for dinner just about every day.

And the birds at Hooters were lush
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[MarJay]

Leave enough time to get to your gate. Don't drink beforehand. Buy water in the terminal after security and drink it on the plane. Take all of your luggage in a hand luggage sized bag - this is different for each airline so investigate and buy beforehand.

You won't be able to sleep on the plane no matter how tired you are, but you need to give it your best shot. Travelling by plane is tedious and mind numbing but if you want to go on holiday it's worth it.

I've been to the US approximately 7 times and most of those were work trips. The actual US itself is pretty boring and homogeneous apart from somewhere like Miami. Whether you go to Portland Oregon, Hartford Connecticut or San Jose California it's still all strip malls, terribly designed freeway junctions and huge intersections. There isn't much else there in all honesty. I'm surprised more Americans don't die of boredom.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Rogerborg]

[skatefreak]

Flew to Australia last year, Thailand the year before, it seems USB charging points and extensive TV entertainment is the norm on long haul. Lots of movies, programs and documentaries to choose from. The food... always going to be quiet meh.
I usually try to schedule it so I stay up the first night so I can crash in the morning and by the time I arrive I've somewhat adjusted (kind of...).

That will settle me in for the 2-3 week's away. Same ball game coming back. Messed it up coming back from Thailand (although I consumed a horrendous amount of M-150 the entire time out there) and felt like I was properly dying for 3-4 days when I got back... hmmmm.

On layovers, try to find food. It will taste better and settle easier than at high altitude!

[grr666]

My flight out to Canada last year, the movie player on the plane hadn't updated or something and as a result there
were no movies on a 10ish hour flight. British Airways later sent 30 quids worth of Amazon vouchers to everybody
on that flight as compensation. Wear shoes you can on and off easily, there isn't much room for tying laces, I swear by
velcro fastening shoes for this purpose, my feet swell a bit when flying and it's easier than sodding about with laces. Just
bought some new ones actually. Oh and pro tip, if you smell the in flight food, then you'll be getting fed soon,
so use the loo asap!! Firstly there's always a queue after the food is served and it's a also a while until it's
been cleared away again so you're stuck with your food debris on yourlap until then. Then usually it's a few women
leading the inevitable stampede for the crapper as soons as the trays are gone. Window seat is best if travelling alone
because you will have to ask strangers to get up so you can get out to use the loo but you'll be able to stay put when
they want a piss. You may get fed twice on the longest of your flights.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[hellkat]

Expect the American immigration people to request that you submit to fingerprinting and an iris scan.

Definitely buy flight socks and definitely wear them, with your medical history.

About the joke-making re bombs, etc., its not just America who don't have a sense of humour. Even Glaswegan airport staff probably won't find it amusing either. Nobody does. Just assume that they all take it very seriously.

And yes, leave yourself plenty of time to get to the gate.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Ste]

[DrSnoosnoo]

[myvision]

[hellkat]

[The Artist]

1. Go business class if at all possible. Economy is just horrible for long haul flights unless you are lucky enough to not have someone next to you.

2. Valium really helps

3. Boston is not really long haul so you won't have so many of the issues that plague the 12+ hour flights which are horrible.

4. Did I mention Valium is great?