How to stay well during a trip overseas?

[iancal]

That may be so but we travel like this at least twice a year and often for several flight segments.  Never had a problem getting acceptable seats.  Never been stuck in the middle seat, at the back beside the lavs or near the serving areas on longer flights.  Flying to Athens this fall we had our choice of many good seats....about 12 hours prior to blast off.

 

The airline will allow it presumably if you phone in.  Our experience if you do it on line many will not allow it.  Just a easy for us to log in twice.  In Canada it most certainly was the case with Transat and as I recall Westjet.  On one of our recent flights I was asked to switch from aisle to middle to accomodate a young couple.  Response was negative.   IF we know the plane will be crowded, and the flight will be long we willingly pay for seats.  Did that last winter on a Thailand-Oz flight, and OZ-HNL.  For us it depends on the airline, the flight, and the date or time.

Edited November 12, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

7 hours ago, iancal said:

Quite a few airlines will not let us check in together and select an aisle and a window on three across.

You don't have to reply, but where do you live?  I've not experienced what you do.  Bummer.

[ilikeanswers]

8 hours ago, iancal said:

Quite a few airlines will not let us check in together and select an aisle and a window on three across.  The seat selection option forces us to sit together.  Neither of us wants a middle seat.

 

I'm curious but could you name an airline where this occurred? Is this a recent phenomenon? I've have travelled on many different airlines and never come across this issue. 

[iancal]

In the last two months...three times on Air Transat, probably five times or more on Aegean/Olympic.

 

I go to on line checkin.   Check off the box for both of us.  Then try to get an aisle seat and a window seat in the same three seat row.  The system changes the assignment so we are sitting side by side which is not what we want.  In the past we have been able to get aisle across from each other but never aisle and window.

 

Without paying  advance fpr seats we have were able to both get good seats, within 24 hours of flying, on two Transat transatlantic flights and one Transat cross country flight.  And on both of our 3 1/2 hour Aegean Airlines flights. Aegean would let us do it on the Dash equipment of course where the seating is 2X2.  And on the past three or four Transat flights to Mexico.  We have experienced this before on one or two other airlines.  I cannot remember which...we do a fair amount of air travel.

Edited November 13, 2019 by iancal

[SRF]

16 hours ago, clo said:

I usually don't want bulkhead but deliberately got it on Norwegian in the spring upon rec from friends. It was great.  I've seen people do that lean forward thing.  I wouldn't be able to sleep like that.  I always want the window seat so I can take my pillow(S) and lean against the wall.  If the person in front of you reclines fully, can you still do that?

 

Actually it works better if they recline.  It is OK in Economy if they don't.  But in the premium economy, if the person in front does not recline, it is hard to do.

 

I also prefer window.  So I can lean against the cabin side, plus, I have the extra space where the cabin side is curved.  I will take a window in regular economy versus an aisle or middle in premium economy.

[SRF]

On 11/11/2019 at 1:16 PM, clo said:

So if it's not a 2-2 or 2-2-2 configuration I'll book us in an aisle and a window.  And I'm guessing 75% of the time or more it's remained unsold.  Great extra space.  And if it is sold I can always offer the window and move to the middle.

 

I have done the same thing for years.

 

Also, when I select a seat, I pick a window where the aisle is assigned.  Less likely to get a middle seat person.  With an empty seat next to me, I can sleep quite well.

 

Two stories of traveling with my boss. 

 

We were flying out of Frankfurt via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian.  I was chatting with the young lady at check in.  I asked about upgrades, and was being generally pleasant.  As we walked away, he commented about me chatting up the agent.  And I said, why not be nice, they put up with obnoxious people all the time.  We boarded, my in the window, him in the aisle.  The plane fills and fills and fills.  But the middle seat stays empty.  Door closes.  We look around, and there is ONE empty seat on the plane, between us.  I looked at him and said, you can thank me now.  He smiled and said, THANKS. 😄

 

The other, we were coming out of Capetown with a plane change in Joburg.  When we checked in, was asked about the Joburg to DC flight, and it was not very full.  So we both asked about a window with the aisle empty (2-4-2) seating.  And we both got them, but that it could change.  So I asked my guy (we were checking in with two agents side by side and had been chatting with them), isn't the seat next to me broken or something?  He smiled and said no, but to check in Joburg.  So we get to the lounge in Joburg and my boss checks into the lounge, then asks about his seat.  And is told, yes sir, the seat next to you is empty, it seems there is something wrong with it, as it is marked Out of Service.  WOW.  I check in, and get the same response.  The agents in Cape Town DID mark the aisle seats next to us as out of service, so we had two seats each for the 17+ hour flight.

[iancal]

Our experience is that by and large the airline personnel are very good.

 

My spouse cracked several vertebrae in Kuala Lumpur mid trip several years ago.  Rather than flying home she decided that we should carry on with our plans continue on to Australia.  It was a 10hr flight to Gold Coast vs. 17 or more to get home.

 

She told the AirAsia folks on check in about her condition.  They assigned her a seat, blocked off the other two seats in the row AND told her lie across just as soon as the seat belt light went out.    

Edited November 13, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

7 hours ago, SRF said:

I also prefer window.  So I can lean against the cabin side, plus, I have the extra space where the cabin side is curved.  I will take a window in regular economy versus an aisle or middle in premium economy.

I would also whereas Bob just closes his eyes and sleeps.  Bugger-head 🙂

[iancal]

I can sleep on planes.  Lots of business travel in the past.  Not unusual on some flight for me to get to the zzz's before we take off.   DW is very envious of this though it as hardly a skill.  Just luck.  Many of our fights are 10 hours or more so sleeping a little really helps me to be in better shape on arrival.

[clo]

8 hours ago, SRF said:

17+ hour flight.

Tell your boss that Bob's former employer's policy for business travel included that if it was more than a five hour international flight they could go business class.  It put them in better shape to start work right away.

[SRF]

16 hours ago, iancal said:

I can sleep on planes.  Lots of business travel in the past.  Not unusual on some flight for me to get to the zzz's before we take off.   DW is very envious of this though it as hardly a skill.  Just luck.  Many of our fights are 10 hours or more so sleeping a little really helps me to be in better shape on arrival.

 

My ex used to get mad because I would nod off during boarding (have status will all major groups, so board early).  I kept telling her, I am on planes so much, my body says, AIRPLANE = SLEEP. 😄

 

[SRF]

16 hours ago, clo said:

Tell your boss that Bob's former employer's policy for business travel included that if it was more than a five hour international flight they could go business class.  It put them in better shape to start work right away.

 

We used to go over 14 hours first take off to last touchdown was business.  No longer. Now we get rest stops.  Which can be nice.  Last trip, 3 overnights in Paris. 😄  On Per Diem.

 

My boss would be happy with business.   The problem is the much higher ups.  Who DO fly business.  Or the very high up, who fly with the 89th Airlift Wing. 😄

[Joebucks]

lol @ a discussion of how you stay healthy while traveling turns into seat selection. Like you can select to be away from illness.

 

People like to make themselves crazy over silly topics. For one, it depends on the time of the year. When the weather is cold, more people are going to be sick. When you are on a plane for 16 hours with people who are ill, you are worsening your chances. When you only get 4 hour of sleep the night before, you are worsening your chances. When you get all stressed out, you are worsening your chances.

[SRF]

And that is why this discussion.

 

Seating on the flight may allow you to get some sleep/rest, and therefore be less likely to have a depressed immune system.

 

Not much you can do about the people around you.  But, you can make yourself less likely to get sick, even when exposed.

[iancal]

Since retiring we are overseas about 4 months each year.    Lot of different countries and living conditions.

 

We don't wipe down anything.  Eleven flight segments over the last two months.  Never wiped down anything on the plane.   Same for buses, rental cars, ferries, trains, you name it.  Nor do we carry a bevy of cleaning products with us when we take a cruise. Never have.  Nor do we carry around a suitcase full of just in case OTC products and bandages.   One little bottle with a few pills of this and that.  Anything else we can buy locally.  The only exception is sunscreen-we take 100ml with us always.

 

We eat local food, often street food.  Especially night markets. 

 

Once in a while we return home with a cold, perhaps from the airplane.  But that is it.    I am convinced that this wiping down business is more about product advertising and what is does to us rather than either common sense or science.   

 

So far the only illness or discomfort one of us has suffered has been the result of a physical injury.    The one thing that we do practice is to wash our hands-wash them well and wash them often.  And on cruises absolutely avoid certain foods in the buffet that are subject to improper handling and pawing by customers.

Edited November 14, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

40 minutes ago, SRF said:

Seating on the flight may allow you to get some sleep/rest, and therefore be less likely to have a depressed immune system.

 

I'm one who has a really, really hard time sleeping when not lying at least somewhat down.  I've joked that all you would have to do is deprive me of sleep for two days and I'd tell you all manner of government secrets. (Except I don't know any!)

[chipmaster]

My 2cents on sleeping it is very personal, starts with your personal habits and then how your body cycles do with change.

 

For a few years now do a 12-14 hour flight changing time zones between US and China, do this by flying out Saturday, land Sunday ( Local ) night, work M-F then fly out Friday and land Friday.  Work Sunday-Thursday in US from 4pm to about 2am, then on Saturday fly back to far east.    

 

As noted before starts with eating and exercises, I never sleep on the plane, and then crash when I arrive, not sick once in more than three years.   BTW I'd used to get sick but also exercise and eat less disciplined.   

 

Always here about people who can't sleep or wake up and take days or more to flip time zones,   If you got to flip every week, you go cold turkey and at least for me never sleep on the plane, read a lot of books and also saw every movie worth seeting, read mostly standing up, sitting not so good for your circulation and health.

[SRF]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Since retiring we are overseas about 4 months each year.    Lot of different countries and living conditions.

 

We don't wipe down anything.  Eleven flight segments over the last two months.  Never wiped down anything on the plane.   Same for buses, rental cars, ferries, trains, you name it.  Nor do we carry a bevy of cleaning products with us when we take a cruise. Never have.  Nor do we carry around a suitcase full of just in case OTC products and bandages.   One little bottle with a few pills of this and that.  Anything else we can buy locally.  The only exception is sunscreen-we take 100ml with us always.

 

We eat local food, often street food.  Especially night markets. 

 

Once in a while we return home with a cold, perhaps from the airplane.  But that is it.    I am convinced that this wiping down business is more about product advertising and what is does to us rather than either common sense or science.   

 

 

I am the same way.  And since April I have been to Central Asia, South America, Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Africa again, and Europe again.

 

I do watch street food, only eating things that are cooked, and severed on a disposable stick or paper.

 

I do carry a number of OTC things, but small amount.  Imodium, Ducolax, Pepto.  And due to back issues, ALWAYS ibuprofen.

[SRF]

25 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

Always here about people who can't sleep or wake up and take days or more to flip time zones,   If you got to flip every week, you go cold turkey and at least for me never sleep on the plane, read a lot of books and also saw every movie worth seeting, read mostly standing up, sitting not so good for your circulation and health.

 

I do it differently. I sleep on planes.  I will watch a movie and have the meal, then I sleep. Even on daytime flights.

 

When I arrive, if it is a morning arrival, I may take a nap, but never more than 90 minutes.  Afternoon arrival, I do not nap.  I stay up until at least 8PM local time.  Then I take my Ambien cocktail and go to bed.  

 

I use Ambien for 2 - 3 nights to make sure I sleep during sleeping time, then I am good to go.

 

But my experience is, those of us who do this a lot, like you and me, have less trouble than the occasionally travel. Your body learns to deal with the time change.

[iancal]

We watch what street food we eat.   We won't eat the those processed mini wiener-don't know what is in them and don't want processed foods.  Other than that, the only other street food that we don't eat, and probably never will, is the roasted bugs  of various types on a stick that you see in SE Asia.  A definate no go for us-psychological more than anything else.  

Edited November 14, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

57 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

I do it differently. I sleep on planes.  I will watch a movie and have the meal, then I sleep. Even on daytime flights.

 

When I arrive, if it is a morning arrival, I may take a nap, but never more than 90 minutes.  Afternoon arrival, I do not nap.  I stay up until at least 8PM local time.  Then I take my Ambien cocktail and go to bed.  

 

I use Ambien for 2 - 3 nights to make sure I sleep during sleeping time, then I am good to go.

 

But my experience is, those of us who do this a lot, like you and me, have less trouble than the occasionally travel. Your body learns to deal with the time change.

That's what I do, coming and going.  And definitely set the alarm.