How to Survive a Long Flight and Airport Dilemma

On my way to California, my flight was two hours delayed in Boston and we missed our connector in San Francisco. Long story short we had to drive seven hours to the mountain after flying across the country because there were no more flights. We spent over 20 hours traveling, so I decided to write about how to deal with all the issues that come with flying.

1. Download a Movie (or two) the Night Before
Movies are a great way to make the flight go by faster, especially if it is a long one. It is very important to download the movie the night before because some times it can be painfully slow and you want it to be all ready to go when you are on the plane. If you have an iPad I highly suggest watching the movies on that, the battery life is amazing! (I watched a movie and it only used up 4%)

2. Pack Lots of Food
This is pretty self explanatory, you will be so thankful that you packed snacks because there are not a ton of options on the plane! My favorite things to pack are pretzel crisps, an apple and something sweet (a candy bar or cookie).

3. Hydrate 
I don't know why, but flying always makes me so thirsty, dehydrated and tired. Once you get past security by a bottle of water, or bring an empty water bottle with you and fill it up at a water fountain. On most flights they offer drinks, take advantage of that and get something other thank water, I love getting a Diet Coke! Staying hydrated will make your experience so much more pleasant and you will not feel as drained by the end of the day.

4. Pack Chap Stick 
I always find myself using so much Chap Stick on the plane because my lips gets so dry. Chap Stick is something that can easily be forgotten, but it is such a necessity. If your destination is hot the sun can dry out your lips and if you are traveling somewhere cold the dry air and wind will also dry out your lips, having Chap Stick will be so nice!

5. Bring a Head Rest Pillow 
I'm actually not sure what the exact name of these pillows are but they are awesome! Try to get some sleep on the plane, you will feel rejuvenated and time will pass quickly. I know sleeping on the plane can be awkward and uncomfortable, plug in you head phones and listen to some calm music and try to fall asleep or at least try to relax.

6. Try to Stay Calm and Use the Waiting Time to Your Advantage 
At the moment when you realize you are going to miss your flight or you flight was canceled it is hard not to panic, just try to stay calm. Dilemma at the airport happens all the time, planes have mechanical issues, weather causes delays, 99% of the time everything will work out (it might just take more time than you expected). When you are stuck in the airport use the time to your advantage, I cannot stress this enough! Currently I am sitting in San Francisco for a four hour layover, I have used the time to write this blog post and a few others to post when I am busy. Waiting is such a pain, sometimes its what you have to do to have an awesome trip. In the long run all the issues will not be what you remember, but the amazing memories you made on vacation!

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

How to Survive a Long Flight and Airport Dilemma by preppybythesea on Polyvore