We are retired and would love to visit Hong Kong and spend a couple of months in Thailand. The longest flight that we have ever had is about 4.5 hours. It was very uncomfortable in economy class
We are retired and would love to visit Hong Kong and spend a couple of months in Thailand. The longest flight that we have ever had is about 4.5 hours. It was very uncomfortable in economy class. We have had flights in first class and it was better. Can anyone comment on what it would be like for 15 hrs in economy? Do you think we could make it? We would be leaving from Los Angeles and wonder if there is any way to shorten the lengths of flight, even if it means to have layovers. Is the difference in business class worth it? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you to anyone kind enough to reply. Thank you again.
There is nothing comfortable about flying 15 hours in economy. You do it to get to the destination, certainly not for the journey itself.
I have made this trip at least 8 times and have managed in economy. I always make sure I have an aisle seat -- for a little extra room and the ability to get up and walk around if I want to (it's important on such a long flight to prevent getting blood clots in your legs). Also, try to sleep if you can. Usually you will be served 2 meals on the journey across, one close to L.A. and one close to Asia. I typically try to sleep on the leg between these two meals and usually have modest success with this but I'm a pretty good sleeper. Most flights have movie systems built into the seat in front of you so watch movies -- it definitely makes the flight go faster. Bring a book, your iPod, anything that will help you pass the time.
When I reach my destination I will make sure to have a car/limo waiting to take me to my hotel. I make a point of splurging a little on a comfortable hotel room especially the first few days after this long flight so I can linger, deal with my jet lag, and pamper myself a little.
Easiest if you can afford it is to fly business class. If you are financially comfortable enough to afford these tickets without it impairing your lifestyle then by all means do so. After all, what's the money for? If you can't then bit the bullet. Tens of thousands do it each day -- so can you.
My husband and I routinely fly 12-13 hours at a hop, haven't done 15 ns, yet. It is about all I can stand to do it that long, but like the Dr says, it's a mean to an end, you just have to do it, if you want to get where you want to go. My husband gets the aisle seat, of course, I am jammed into the seat next, but I do get up, walk around, etc., I can't really sleep, maybe cat nap. It's miserable, no doubt about it. When I flew to Chile last Feb., there is no jet lag so that helps, a lot. Flying north to south is much much easier.
Yes! I've survived 33hr. Going NY to Bangkok in two weeks. Cautions: blood clots are serious business -- move your feet and ankles around. I agree -- have an aisle seat and try to walk some at least every 3 hours. My doctor insists that long flights (NY to Australia/Asia) make it extra important to sleep on the flight. He prescribes sleeping pills. Plan out in advance when your sleep period will be. Also plan out when to take any medication you may be on. Drink water. I take a snack with me because meal times are all crazy. There are wonderful, interesting things to be seen and experienced at the end of the ride. It is not easy but is doable! Have a great time.
I've also flown to Asia from the west coast a number of times and will say that, yes, business class is worth it. Not at the rack rate but if you can find bargains like I've done using a consolidator like AirTreks http://www.airtreks.com/ then I do recommend doing that. It makes a world of difference and not sure I could do it in coach anymore.
I am retired and I do these flights pretty often. You already have some good pointers but one thing to keep in mind is to get up often and walk around. Do some stretching, flex your legs so you do not get any blood clots.
While you are still at home try to reserve your seats ahead of time. I do not like seats in front of walls. Those seats have trays that come out of the armrest and that means your seat area is smaller. Also, no place for your bag or sometimes you legs are cramped in front of walls, (With a wall in front of you that means no underseat storage too.) First thing you do is to take all of the junk out of the pocket in front of you except for the emergency card and the barf bag. Throw that junk up top in the overhead bin. That gives you more knee room and you can use the seat pockets for your junk. When you find your seat and put your bags away also make a head call. Some airlines take off and do not shut off the seatbelt signs for a long time. When you are in the head also grab some paper towels. When the meals come out there is never enough napkins. Pull the blanket over you when the food is served and if you spill something you will not have a big browny-yellow stain on your crotch for 15 hours!
If you are a reader bring paperback novels. When you are finshed give them away or stand them up in some airport so other readers can get them. If they are cheap, flea market used novels no need to bring them back home. Do not bring some huge library book all over Asia - something that you must safeguard and bring home long after you read it! I go through a novel or two on flights from N. America to Asia.
Never forget to get up and stretch your legs! This is a safety thing that you must adhere to! With a Silver or Gold card you have preference for seat choices - use it! On some airlines some of the seats are a little bigger than other seats (premium economy) that some passengers pay extra for but with a Silver or Gold card you get for free. Flying to Asia and return home will give you a lot of free miles - collect them by signing up for the frequent flier program if you have not done so already. With a Silver card you can also get on the plane with the Business Class passengers when all the seats are available. Check your perks out and see what you qualify for if you have a long standing with your airline. I always have a Platinum or at least a Gold card all the time. This means free lounges when on overseas flights. Also, first on the plane and free premium seats. If any free upgrades happen they often go to the passengers with elite cards.
Well yes would I do it no try premium economy or even business or even split with stopover Posted by Marget Fen
I get premium economy for free with my card. I would not pay for it but since it is available, and free for my card level, I take it! (Gold and above is free on my airline.)
On my last flight from the US to Japan the flight attendants were keeping other passengers out of this premium economy seat area.
Every now and then, with my card, I get free upgrades to Business Class when the airline is oversold or maybe feeling generous. I welcome those free upgrades! But I would never pay a couple thousand dollars more just to sit up front unless I was a really big winner in a lottery or my company was paying for the seat!
If you fly United Airlines, you can pay a bit extra and get Economy Plus, which is basically economy but gives you a few inches of extra legroom. That is the only way I can survive a trans-Pacific flight.
SOME of the Asian airlines have more legroom than others. Go to SeatGuru.com for information on the seat pitch on various types of planes. 31" is cramped, while 34" is bearable and 36" is wonderful.
Other airlines have so-called Premium Economy, which is halfway between Economy and Business class: more room, economy food, and free drinks.
Figure out what airlines fly the route you want to go, and then see which ones have a generous seat pitch and/or premium economy.
These two seniors have done it, and I highly recommend SeatGuru--you can select specific airlines and see the different types of planes they fly. Once you select a specific plane, a map comes up showing all of the seats and indicating the best and the worst. On our last flight LAX-Sydney, I was able to pick a pair of seats at the back of the plane, so we didn't have to share our space with anyone else. There was a little more room between the seat and the wall, so we didn't feel quite as crowded. Make sure that you get up and walk around a bit--I would stand in the back and swing my arms and legs, do some stretches, anything to feel a little bit better. Attendants come through frequently with water, and make sure that you drink it to avoid becoming dehydrated. There is a really big price differential between economy and business, but in this instance you are paying for a lot more comfort. We couldn't travel nearly as often if we paid that much for the tickets, so we just make the best of it that we can.
If you are up for a nice, relaxing, exotic layover on your way over to Hong Kong, why not fly over to Fiji on Air Pacific. It's a 9.5 hr non-stop flight leaving late at night from LAX and you wake up in a friendly tropical paradise! There are many islands to choose from for a nice layover for a few days to a week and then take Air Pacific from Nadi (Fiji) over to Hong Kong as they fly there a couple times per week. Air Pacific often offers inexpensive stopovers in Fiji on your way to Australia, NZ & Hong Kong.
As I live in Fiji, I make the trip back & forth to LAX several times a year and have found that aisle seats are best for getting up and stretching plus drinking lots of water, wearing ear plugs and taking a Benadryl helps me sleep. Have splurged on Business Class a few times during low season and it is wonderful!! Air Pacific also offers upgrades at check-in which are worth asking about. Air Pacific will be getting new A300's in the next year or so to add to their fleet of 747 long haul planes.
On our last flight, I purchased three economy seats for the two of us. This was far less expensive than two business class seats. This made the flight much more comfortable. With every other seat in the section full, we felt like royalty!
We can recommend cruising for senior travel. We take short flights to the coast, criuise the ocean and return home by air to recover jet lag in comfort or we wait for another ship. Makes the world much more fun. Retirement gives us time as well as money.
I would also recommend considering a foreign carrier vs. the legacy US Airlines. In my experience the service and experience has been better and sometimes that can make all the difference. Flight attendants tend to be friendlier and more attentive and the in-seat entertainment has enough movies and tv shows to keep you occupied.
Singapore airlines is one of the best but may not work for your destination. For Hong Kong I would recommend Cathay Pacific. I have not flown them on that route but have heard good things. Breaking up the trip through Tokyo would be a good choice.
Finally, make sure you are signed up for the airline newsletters and frequent flyer programs so that you get their latest offers and earn points. They often have deals for business class flights especially if your dates are flexible.
As others reported, check about seats ahead of time. We recently flew to Africa and were able to purchase seats with extra legroom, etc. The cost ranged between $30 to $120 extra for the seats. You can sit together, but both of you should sit on the aisle across from each other.
All of these suggestions are good. I do one more thing and that is really look at what plane each airline is flying. On a flight this long, my wife and I will always try to fly on a plane that has two seats - window and aisle on each side of the plane. A 2-4-2 or 2-5-2 configuration, etc. That way we are not sharing with anyone else. This provides us with ultimate flexibility for getting up whenever we want to. These configurations also tend to either have more room, or at least feel like more room. 15 hours is a long time, no matter how you cut it. Being with someone that you are comfortable traveling with, and knowing that the destination is worth the trip makes it all worthwhile. Of course, the trip home is always a downer!
Be honest when answering. Are you big people? If so, get out of economy, please.
If money isn't a consideration, business class on flights to Africa, Europe and Asia is a wonderfult luxury (or essential, if you answered "yes" up above).
A good book, an MP3 player and Ambien are my solutions. On your flight there will be a couple hundred people who travel in the economy section and they will do just fine except those stuck next to large people.
We are in our 70's and fly every year to Shanghai or Beijing. We try to avoid Tokyo and prefer non-stop. Otherwise, all the advice given above is great. SeatGuru is a must!
