Down Under Travel

I travel every month to Australia and it’s starting to get a little grueling.  I fly from LAX (Los Angeles) to Sydney which takes around 14 hours, depending on the wind direction.  The good news is that it’s a direct flight. The bad news is that it’s so hard to sleep in an upright position when you’re crammed in an Economy class seat at the back of the plane.  

My goal in this article is to share with you my top tips for increasing your travel comfort.  I learned these the hard way.  Each time I travel I now am a little more prepared and a little more comfortable.  Hopefully some of these ideas will resonate with you:

1. My number one tip is to get a good quality travel pillow.  Have a look at these ones that have been reviewed by Awiderview.com for starters.  I know you will probably get a pillow from the airline, but it really isn’t enough.  My personal favorite is the travel rest pillow that’s worn across the chest.  I like to sleep with my head in a sideways position so it suits me fine.
2. Say no to alcohol.  I know it’s tempting but I feel so much better if I just stick to water when I’m on a flight.  One glass of beer probably won’t do much harm but stop at one serving.
3. Take your shoes and socks off and put on a pair of thick travel socks.  This makes the world of difference to my comfort levels.  It also means I can walk around the plane and into the toilets without worrying that I am getting my actual socks dirty.  
4. Invest in a pair of noise-cancelling earphones.  These are now my constant travel companion.  

And then there is the jet lag.  Which for me is far worse when heading back to LAX than the other way around.  Not much you can do about that I’m afraid.  Except lobby to change the position of the international dateline I suppose.