A keen traveler has revealed her key tips on how to survive long haul economy flights.
Tanya Dettorre, from Canada, took to TikTok to detail the go-to methods that helped her endure ‘the longest standing direct flight in the world in economy seats… twice!’
She had travelled from Ottawa to Newark, Newark to Singapore and then Singapore to Denpasar, Indonesia, in a trip that added up just one way to 36 hours of traveling with layovers.
The stretch from New York to Singapore was the longest – with the nonstop flight being about 18 hours and 45 minutes – and Tanya told her 13,500 followers how she got through it.
Tanya Dettorre, from Canada, took to TikTok to detail the go-to methods that helped her endure ‘the longest standing direct flight in the world in economy seats… twice!’
She had travelled from Ottawa to Newark, Newark to Singapore and then Singapore to Denpasar, Indonesia, in a trip that added up just one way to 36 hours of traveling with layovers
In Tanya’s first clip, which has so far been viewed more than 196,000 times, she began: ‘This is everything you need to know about surviving a long haul flight, or in my case, the longest direct flight in the entire world and economy.’
She then wasted little time in reeling off her advice starting with seat selection.
‘The first is actually a well kept secret. You’re probably not even going to know about it until it’s too late.
‘Seat selection is key. Everyone tells you that you have to check-in 24 hours before your flight because that is when check-in is available and then you can select the seat that you want. That is not true.
‘We did that on the dot at 24 hours before check-in. We went to go choose some seats and when I tell you all the windows and the aisle seats were taken at 24 hours notice on the dot.
‘We had no idea what was going on. We were so confused. We called the airline and we tried to figure out what happened.’
Tanya continued: ‘They told us that cause of the length of this flight a lot of people had actually booked through travel agencies and the travel agencies have access to seat selection before 24 hours notice.
‘They recommend their clients to book in advance so that they have the seat that they want. We did not book through a travel agency.
‘If you are doing a long-haul flight, you can actually call the airline ahead of time and book your seats in advance,’ she dished of her experience with Singapore Airlines.
Tanya ploughed on with her advice as she then shared: ‘The next thing that we knew we wanted to do was carry on only.
‘We wanted to do this so that we can hop on and off our flights. We didn’t want any issues with losing our luggage or waiting at the baggage claim.
‘When you’re doing a 35-hour travel day, you do not wanna be waiting for baggage claim, so we were very happy that we did carry-on only, and then you’re not bringing a bunch of junk and hauling that around with you on your trip.’
Her third hack was to invest in a belt-bag in addition to your personal item and carry-on bag.
Her third hack was to invest in a belt-bag in addition to your personal item and carry-on bag.
She explained: ‘It is another place for you to have some easy access to things that you’re going to want more frequently than other things – your AirPods, your passport, your wallet, lip balm – things like that.
‘And when you get to your destination, it is a great alternative to a purse, because you’re gonna have your stuff with you. Its gonna be right there in front of you.
‘The belt bag came very handy on the flight. It was in the front pocket so if I needed something really quickly without having to get up and get it, those essentials were with me at all times.’
Her fourth tip included having noise cancellation headphones and she added: ‘This is important, dare I say, critical.’
She explained: ‘If there’s a crying baby on a flight and it is a 13-plus-hour fight, you’re not going to sleep.
‘Some airlines will have these ready on your seat. In our case, we had headphones ready for us… just check ahead of time maybe you don’t even have to pack any because your airline could supply them for you.’
If you don’t have noise cancellation headphones, she advised taking a ‘natural sleep aid.’
‘Having something that can help you out, you’re gonna be very, very, grateful,’ Tanya concluded.
But viewers were keen to hear more of her invaluable advice and so the content creator soon posted a follow up clip with yet more suggestions.
She began by suggesting travelers download ‘movies, music or podcasts – specifically things that you have wanted to learn and have put off for a very long time.’
‘You are on a floating tube, thousands of miles in the air, why not take the time to learn something new,’ Tanya added.
Next up, she suggested that you always ‘have a change of clothes with you.’
‘About half-way through the flight – or three-quarters through the flight – you are going to want to freshen up a little bit. This is a game changer.
‘You’re going to feel like a new person. Being in the same clothes for 35 plus hours is really gross and uncomfortable.’
When it came to the choice of clothing, she urged: ‘Do not wear jeans. Do not wear tight leggings. Wear something that you are comfortable in and wear a lot of layers.
‘So wear a tank top, t-shirt, zip-up sweater, cardigan – even if you’re not cold and you are comfortable, you can use those things as a pillow or neck support when you’re sleeping.
But Tanya’s insights did not stop there.
She dished: ‘Next tip, bring big socks or slippers. If you don’t have space for slippers, just bring a nice, good pair of wool socks.
‘That’s going to keep you warm because it is much cooler on a plane and being cold for that many hours is not that fun.
‘Compression socks are really great because you are not going be able to elevate your feet – so compression socks are really good for blood flow.’
Tanya then suggested keeping a toiletry bag handy packed with a ‘toothbrush, hand cream, medicine, lip balm, disinfectant wipes – just the basics you would use every day.
‘It is very dry on a plane so you’re going to want to keep your lips and your face and your hands moisturized especially if you’re in a middle seat – you don’t want to go up and down and get things from the overhead compartment. This is a really nice thing to have.
‘If you’re washing out your hands in the washroom every time, they’re going to dry out.’
When it came down to food and drinks, Tanya suggested ‘to bring Fiji water or any alkaline type of water.
‘That’s going to be absorbed better and you’re not going have to go to the washroom as much, so for those middle-seat people, this is a great tip.
‘You’re going be more hydrated and not have to run to the bathroom more often though. It’s just a win-win for everybody.
‘A lot of people don’t know that you can bring your own snacks on a plane, so make sure you have a lot of food because they are going feed you but sometimes it’s not enough.
‘Depending on the airline, they may not feed you as much as you think they will.
‘Especially since Covid, meals have gotten smaller and less frequent, so just bring your own food. If you didn’t know you could, you can.’
Tanya’s video was flooded with comments with viewers who rushed to praise her suggestions as well as adding their own thoughts.
Tanya’s video was flooded with comments with viewers who rushed to praise her suggestions as well as adding their own thoughts
One person wrote: ‘AIR FLY! It is a little Bluetooth gadget you connect to your entertainment system, and can then listen to everything with your noise-canceling headphones.’
A second person commented: ‘Tie a large knot in both ends of a sarong, scarf or light blanket.
‘Open your tray table and place the knots onto the outside and close. Pop your feet up and relax.’
Someone else said: ‘I keep a small bag of “plane snacks,” more for layovers because I find (most) airline food enough.
‘It’s protein/granola bars, chewy candies, in case my layover is too short to grab a bite.’
Another shared: ‘Most airlines charge for seat selection. On long hauls it’s worth it.’
One commented: ‘Why would you take [a] carry on only, just to save 10 minutes at baggage?’
Someone else added: ‘Sorry, but carry on only – that only works if you are going to the same temperature you are in, or hotter.’
