How do you handle the long flights?

[tj_shopper]

I'm thinking about doing one of the Asia cruises going from Hong Kong to Singapore or vice versa.  I live in Illinois.  The flight to Hong Kong is about 15 hours.  How have you handled long flights like this?  I am not inclined to go business class or first class and I don't have any points to use lol.

 

I've also seen those neck pillows and wondering if that helps or if they are just gimmicky items.

 

Let me know what you've done on long flights sitting in Economy.  Also, if there is a flight that splits up the time?  Flying to California would only relieve about 4 hours.

 

Looking forward to hearing suggestions.  Thank you in advance.

[Mrs. Claypool]

Not to sound like a delicate little flower, but in 50 years of taking long-haul flights across the Pacific, I have never found any way to sit comfortably or sleep peacefully in Economy class.  All I could do was put up with the discomfort until we finally landed. 

 

I just couldn’t make it happen until we started booking Premium Economy or Business. 
 

See if you can find a decently-priced Premium Economy flight to your destination.
 

I think EVA’s Premium Economy class is just great. They fly to all points East, generally with a stopover in Taipei. 
 

Emily

 

 

[tj_shopper]

7 minutes ago, Mrs. Claypool said:

Not to sound like a delicate little flower, but in 50 years of taking long-haul flights across the Pacific, I have never found any way to sit comfortably or sleep peacefully in Economy class.  All I could do was put up with the discomfort until we finally landed. 

 

I just couldn’t make it happen until we started booking Premium Economy or Business. 
 

See if you can find a decently-priced Premium Economy flight to your destination.
 

I think EVA’s Premium Economy class is just great. They fly to all points East, generally with a stopover in Taipei. 
 

Emily

 

 

I have not traveled to Asia because of the long fight.  However, it is on my bucket list.  I just don't know how I'm going to handle this.  I guess I'll have to check out the difference in pricing for Premium Economy.  Thanks!

[Philob]

Flying on one of the Asian airlines will provide the best experience in any class. Singapore is probably the top, with any of the Japanese airlines. Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) used to be on par with Singapore, but they've been on a downward spiral lately. EVA (Taiwanese) is the up and coming. Asiana (Korean) and Korean Air comes next. Skip China Airlines(Taiwanese) and any of the Chinese ones unless you're going to Shanghai or Beijing and the price is right. 

 

YMMV.

 

 

[wpas1]

I’ve only done it once so by no means an expert.  Flew from Detroit to Korea on delta, premium select seats.   They were kind of like a lazy boy and had delta one food and drinks.  The final flight was on Korean Air and we were in economy, but their economy is so much nicer than us economy.  We just tried to sleep as much as possible on the flight.  We’re in our mid 60’s and doing it again 2 years later, it’s worth it!

[shecritic]

Don't blame you for being apprehensive about such a long flight in economy! Premium economy is definitely the way to go if you can swing it, those extra few inches of legroom make a big difference. And I agree with the others - try flying one of the Asian airlines like EVA, Singapore, or ANA since they'll treat you better in any class. Don't forget your neck pillow, noise canceling headphones, and comfy clothes too. Just try to relax and get as much rest as possible. The destination will be worth it, I'm sure!

[BruceMuzz]

1. Fly Business or First Class

2. Do not fly a US Flag airline

3. Choose your airplane carefully. A380 is best

4. Choose your seat carefully. Forward and away from toilets and galleys.

5. Adjust your body clock a few days in advance with diet and sleep changes.

6. Lay off the free champagne during the flight

[cruiseaholic78]

Agree with all of the above but to me the most important thing is to book non stop direct flights. Spitting flights might seem the way to go but adds on quite a lot of extra waiting time as well.
We flew back from Australia to The Netherlands 5 hours wait in Tokyo 5 hours wait in Frankfurt and even the luxury of business class lounges gets boring when all you want is to get home.

 

When/if booking and you decide to book P.E. Make sure it is a proper premium, some airlines have economy comfort which is just a little extra recline and nothing near real P.E. Look at each airline and check the fotos and seat plans first.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy Asia it is definitely worth the long flights.

[Simon-t]

We also try to fly Premium Economy on longer flights  - the extra leg room and seat width makes a big difference.

 

I've also tried one of those meditation apps through noise cancelling head phones, but in truth I always struggle to get any sleep on a plane. 

[marwood]

Try not to watch any TV.  Sleep whenever your body wants to, don't go according to the clock.

[monkey@cruise]

On 4/14/2024 at 4:28 PM, tj_shopper said:

I'm thinking about doing one of the Asia cruises going from Hong Kong to Singapore or vice versa.  I live in Illinois.  The flight to Hong Kong is about 15 hours.  How have you handled long flights like this?  I am not inclined to go business class or first class and I don't have any points to use lol.

 

I've also seen those neck pillows and wondering if that helps or if they are just gimmicky items.

 

Let me know what you've done on long flights sitting in Economy.  Also, if there is a flight that splits up the time?  Flying to California would only relieve about 4 hours.

 

Looking forward to hearing suggestions.  Thank you in advance.

I did travel on Business, Premium Economy and Economy on different carriers between Central Canada and Hong Kong. Mostly I used points for my flights, so I have exposed to different environment. There are small tips to survive long haul on Economy.

- Avoid North American carriers, I met some Chicago cruisers in Singapore and Hong Kong, mostly they flew on JAL (Japan Air Lines)
- Eva Air is one of the top notch on Business Class, their flights from North America to Asia are late night departure, Jason Wu design unisex pajamas amenity.
- P/E seats are < 2 inches wider than Economy, if your adjacent economy seat is empty, raise the armrest to make your own P/E seat.
- Wear loose clothing with layers.
- Wear slip on shoe.
- Wear compression socks.
- Try to travel at night, also Weekday flights usually had lesser passenger load and fares are less.
- Don't sit near the bathroom.
- Aisle seat for easy stretching legs when needed.
- black-out eye mask. 
- Airbus 350 or Boeing 787 are high tech aircrafts, better flight environment.

 

The biggest challenge for you will be overcome the 13 hours time zone jetlag and climate. Singapore temperature is 35C or 95F with 95% humidity. Hong Kong temperature is also warm mid-twenties C or 77F, also high humidity in 80%.

[rogueriver]

I'll be flying to Singapore in October and not looking forward to the long flight. I saw on Amazon an inflatable pillow with a hole in the top and sides.  You set it on the fold-down tray and then rest your head and arms in it to sleep.  My back always gets sore on long flights and I feel better if I can lean forward, but just not sure if this will work for me.  Has anyone tried this type of pillow?

[tj_shopper]

15 minutes ago, rogueriver said:

I'll be flying to Singapore in October and not looking forward to the long flight. I saw on Amazon an inflatable pillow with a hole in the top and sides.  You set it on the fold-down tray and then rest your head and arms in it to sleep.  My back always gets sore on long flights and I feel better if I can lean forward, but just not sure if this will work for me.  Has anyone tried this type of pillow?

Yes!  My daughter bought that pillow for our trip to Portugal.  I borrowed it on the trip home.  It did work okay and I initially really liked it.  However, I guess I’m not used to sleeping like that - leaning forward.  I ended up getting a headache and wanted to sleep sitting back but then my head kept falling sideways.  I might have to try it again if I don’t have any other options.  By the way, it’s collapsible.  If I recall my daughter blew it up like a balloon.

[monkey@cruise]

11 hours ago, rogueriver said:

I'll be flying to Singapore in October and not looking forward to the long flight. I saw on Amazon an inflatable pillow with a hole in the top and sides.  You set it on the fold-down tray and then rest your head and arms in it to sleep.  My back always gets sore on long flights and I feel better if I can lean forward, but just not sure if this will work for me.  Has anyone tried this type of pillow?

Though airplane etiquette is only recline your seat when necessary. But during long haul flights, lots of passengers will recline the seat all the way back to rest, that will encroaching your personal space and your comfort on the tray.

[tj_shopper]

4 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Though airplane etiquette is only recline your seat when necessary. But during long haul flights, lots of passengers will recline the seat all the way back to rest, that will encroaching your personal space and your comfort on the tray.

Yes, I experienced this on my Aerlingus flight to Ireland.  It was awful.  I don't know if it was my seat but I had no room at all.  The guy in front of me could care less when I asked if he can not recline all the way back.  On the flight from Ireland to Milan, it was much better.  I felt like I had more leg room.  This really gives me anxiety thinking about the long flight to Asia.  

[monkey@cruise]

4 hours ago, tj_shopper said:

Yes, I experienced this on my Aerlingus flight to Ireland.  It was awful.  I don't know if it was my seat but I had no room at all.  The guy in front of me could care less when I asked if he can not recline all the way back.  On the flight from Ireland to Milan, it was much better.  I felt like I had more leg room.  This really gives me anxiety thinking about the long flight to Asia.  

Flyer Asian carriers, leg room is better. SEATGURU dot COM is a website that features aircraft seat maps, seat reviews, and a color-coded system to identify superior and substandard airline seats.
The in thing on flight is seat assignment, some passengers are too cheap to pay advance seat selection or web check in to select seats, and expecting someone will move seats for them. Don't Budge !

[rogueriver]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:04 PM, tj_shopper said:

Yes!  My daughter bought that pillow for our trip to Portugal.  I borrowed it on the trip home.  It did work okay and I initially really liked it.  However, I guess I’m not used to sleeping like that - leaning forward.  I ended up getting a headache and wanted to sleep sitting back but then my head kept falling sideways.  I might have to try it again if I don’t have any other options.  By the way, it’s collapsible.  If I recall my daughter blew it up like a balloon.

Thanks for your comments. It seems like this pillow may work ok for some people but not so much for others.  I figure since it isn't too spendy, I'll give it a try.  It sure would help if could get a little sleep on these long flights!

[thehowlingroad]

I've been doing LAX-HKG for 14 years; at its worst, it was a 16-hour flight. I also just came back from our Japan cruise, with a week-long stop in Hong Kong.

 

Agree with lots of the advice above: fly an Asian carrier, first of all. They tend to have newer planes, roomier seats even in economy, and better service. Try to find an airline that uses Airbus. I was very disappointed by Cathay Pacific this time around (unusual for me, I loved their 2010-2019 product), and very impressed by Korean Air (which code-shares with Delta). I've also flown Xiamen Airlines, but wouldn't recommend it for going to HKG; the hassle of trying to do a transfer in China isn't worth it.

 

Flying red-eyes will help as well; most of the West Coast flights will be red-eyes, as it'll get you to Asia around sunrise, and you'll be able to sleep overnight in a mostly-natural rhythm. I'm usually able to sleep 6-7 hours on one of these flights, in smaller chunks, if I can get a window seat.

 

Many Korean Air flights will layover in Seoul, but that's still going to be a 12-14 hour flight to get there in the first place. Sometimes you can get a layover in Honolulu, but that requires flying an American brand.

[tj_shopper]

2 hours ago, thehowlingroad said:

I've been doing LAX-HKG for 14 years; at its worst, it was a 16-hour flight. I also just came back from our Japan cruise, with a week-long stop in Hong Kong.

 

Agree with lots of the advice above: fly an Asian carrier, first of all. They tend to have newer planes, roomier seats even in economy, and better service. Try to find an airline that uses Airbus. I was very disappointed by Cathay Pacific this time around (unusual for me, I loved their 2010-2019 product), and very impressed by Korean Air (which code-shares with Delta). I've also flown Xiamen Airlines, but wouldn't recommend it for going to HKG; the hassle of trying to do a transfer in China isn't worth it.

 

Flying red-eyes will help as well; most of the West Coast flights will be red-eyes, as it'll get you to Asia around sunrise, and you'll be able to sleep overnight in a mostly-natural rhythm. I'm usually able to sleep 6-7 hours on one of these flights, in smaller chunks, if I can get a window seat.

 

Many Korean Air flights will layover in Seoul, but that's still going to be a 12-14 hour flight to get there in the first place. Sometimes you can get a layover in Honolulu, but that requires flying an American brand.

Thank you - very helpful.  We're going to Alaska in a few weeks and that will be a cake walk compared to this.

[tj_shopper]

On 4/17/2024 at 9:38 AM, monkey@cruise said:

Flyer Asian carriers, leg room is better. SEATGURU dot COM is a website that features aircraft seat maps, seat reviews, and a color-coded system to identify superior and substandard airline seats.
The in thing on flight is seat assignment, some passengers are too cheap to pay advance seat selection or web check in to select seats, and expecting someone will move seats for them. Don't Budge !

Thanks for this info.  For sure, I will be checking out SEATGURU dot COM.  I feel like this is going to be one trip we can't go cheap on for the flights.  The flight will set the tone for the whole vacation.  Now, just to convince my better half.

[tj_shopper]

On 4/16/2024 at 10:14 AM, monkey@cruise said:

I did travel on Business, Premium Economy and Economy on different carriers between Central Canada and Hong Kong. Mostly I used points for my flights, so I have exposed to different environment. There are small tips to survive long haul on Economy.

- Avoid North American carriers, I met some Chicago cruisers in Singapore and Hong Kong, mostly they flew on JAL (Japan Air Lines)
- Eva Air is one of the top notch on Business Class, their flights from North America to Asia are late night departure, Jason Wu design unisex pajamas amenity.
- P/E seats are < 2 inches wider than Economy, if your adjacent economy seat is empty, raise the armrest to make your own P/E seat.
- Wear loose clothing with layers.
- Wear slip on shoe.
- Wear compression socks.
- Try to travel at night, also Weekday flights usually had lesser passenger load and fares are less.
- Don't sit near the bathroom.
- Aisle seat for easy stretching legs when needed.
- black-out eye mask. 
- Airbus 350 or Boeing 787 are high tech aircrafts, better flight environment.

 

The biggest challenge for you will be overcome the 13 hours time zone jetlag and climate. Singapore temperature is 35C or 95F with 95% humidity. Hong Kong temperature is also warm mid-twenties C or 77F, also high humidity in 80%.

Thank you.  Great information.  Love this forum!

[tj_shopper]

On 4/15/2024 at 1:52 AM, cruiseaholic78 said:

Agree with all of the above but to me the most important thing is to book non stop direct flights. Spitting flights might seem the way to go but adds on quite a lot of extra waiting time as well.
We flew back from Australia to The Netherlands 5 hours wait in Tokyo 5 hours wait in Frankfurt and even the luxury of business class lounges gets boring when all you want is to get home.

 

When/if booking and you decide to book P.E. Make sure it is a proper premium, some airlines have economy comfort which is just a little extra recline and nothing near real P.E. Look at each airline and check the fotos and seat plans first.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy Asia it is definitely worth the long flights.

So very true.  I really don't like layovers but just thought this might be the time to do it to break up the monotony.  A friend recommended doing a 5 hour layover in Japan and use the lounge to take a shower during this time to freshen up.  I have Chase Sapphire Reserve so we could do that - we never use this benefit - maybe it's time to try this.  Thanks.

[SelectSys]

I would suggest that you also look for advice on the "Cruise Air" forum.  I have found really good advice from the people in that follow that forum.  Their are several posters there with lots of good airline information.

 

On 4/14/2024 at 2:28 PM, tj_shopper said:

Flying to California would only relieve about 4 hours

I actually don't think a stop in CA would materially change the flying time.  Google suggest the difference between flights times from LA and Chicago is only 20 minutes.  In the end a stop on the west coast will result in a much longer total travel time.

On 4/16/2024 at 8:14 AM, monkey@cruise said:

The biggest challenge for you will be overcome the 13 hours time zone jetlag and climate

The actual absolute time change is 9 hours.  This is the same for me as flying between Paris and San Diego.  That said, the OP should review dealing with jetlag and come up with their strategy.

 

10 hours ago, tj_shopper said:

checking out SEATGURU dot COM

My understanding is that seatguru.com is no longer maintained all that well and that aerolopa.com has more up to date seat maps.  I would look at both.

 

10 hours ago, tj_shopper said:

A friend recommended doing a 5 hour layover in Japan and use the lounge to take a shower during this time to freshen up

If you have access to a business class lounge and sufficient time this is a nice idea.  I will do this is my flight schedule supports it.  Especially if I have two long haul flights back to back.

[monkey@cruise]

5 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

The actual absolute time change is 9 hours.  This is the same for me as flying between Paris and San Diego.  That said, the OP should review dealing with jetlag and come up with their strategy.

Hong Kong is 13 hours ahead Central Time zone. Distance between IL and HK is 7800 miles, is more than 9 hours time zone. Because of jet stream, west bound flight time is longer than east bound. Before Russia/Ukraine conflict, flight path fly over North Pole for shorter distance.

[tj_shopper]

1 hour ago, SelectSys said:

I would suggest that you also look for advice on the "Cruise Air" forum.  I have found really good advice from the people in that follow that forum.  Their are several posters there with lots of good airline information.

 

I actually don't think a stop in CA would materially change the flying time.  Google suggest the difference between flights times from LA and Chicago is only 20 minutes.  In the end a stop on the west coast will result in a much longer total travel time.

The actual absolute time change is 9 hours.  This is the same for me as flying between Paris and San Diego.  That said, the OP should review dealing with jetlag and come up with their strategy.

 

My understanding is that seatguru.com is no longer maintained all that well and that aerolopa.com has more up to date seat maps.  I would look at both.

 

If you have access to a business class lounge and sufficient time this is a nice idea.  I will do this is my flight schedule supports it.  Especially if I have two long haul flights back to back.

Thank you - all great suggestions.