Leaving on a jet plane?

November 3, 2010, 1:59 pm

My staff and I have been spending far too much time on planes these days. All for good reasons, of course — business meetings and vacations. But still, flying (and the jet lag that comes with it) is pretty unpleasant! We did a survey around the office and here are some of our favourite ways to make the in-flight and post-flight experience a little less… well… awful.

“Mints will help if you feel nauseous after turbulence.”
-André

“Find a way to tire yourself out before flying so that you can sleep through it. Maybe a cardio-kickboxing class pre-flight? Or put yourself into a ‘carb-coma’ by stuffing your face with bread and pasta.”
– Reiko

“I change my watch to my destination’s time as soon as I get on the plane. From that point on I operate on that schedule… even if it means staying up for 28 hours straight, which I did when I flew from Amsterdam to LA.”
– Cat

“Drink lots of water!”
-Nicole

“Bring your own headphones and snacks—there’s infinite pop on board, but snacks are hard to come by. Pretzels and Twizzlers are good, but chips are too messy.”
– Dzeneta

“Don’t fly. Har har.”
– Corinna

“I like to drink lots of apple juice. Also, I try to fall asleep before takeoff.”
– Rebecca

“I bring my own sandwiches because no matter how many times I check off that “gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, egg-free” box, I still end up with the fried freakin’ chicken.”
– Emily

“Find the closest local coffee shop when you get wherever you’re going. You’ll get an energy boost and a taste of local culture!”
– Sarah

“To be best prepared for an early AM meeting, travel in sweats and dress for the meeting when you land at the airport.”
– Aimee

“Only fly in one direction. (Jet lag is much worse going west they say.) If you just continue flying west to get to your destination you never ‘lose’ any time. Financially it might be be prohibitive, however! Oh, and get very drunk on the plane! (You won’t know the difference between the hangover and the jet lag!)”
– Jeannette

I could have used these tips earlier since I’ve just been on four flights in 18 hours!! I’m sooo over flying right now! As for mine…
– Stay hydrated with Fiji water. They sell it at the Toronto airport Starbucks!
– Charge up your cell battery. By my second flight, mine was dead.
– ALWAYS bring candy on the flight. My favorite is Haribo assorted.
– Hopefully have a nice seat mate.
– Wear comfy clothes. You’re not on the runway!

Happy(ish) flying!

XO Natasha