A keen traveler has revealed her key tips for surviving long-haul economy flights.
Tanya Dettorre, from Canadatake from Tic Tac to detail the favored methods that helped her endure “the world’s longest-running direct flight in economy seats…twice!”
She had traveled from Ottawa to Newark, Newark to Singapore then Singapore to Denpasar, Indonesiain a trip that totaled a one-way trip to 36 hours of travel with stopovers.
The journey from New York to Singapore was the longest – with a non-stop flight lasting around 18 hours and 45 minutes – and Tanya told her 13,500 followers how she got on.
Tanya Dettorre, from Canada, took to TikTok to detail the go-to methods that helped her endure “the world's longest-running direct economy flight…twice!”
She had traveled from Ottawa to Newark, from Newark to Singapore, and then from Singapore to Denpasar, Indonesia, in a trip that totaled just one way, or 36 hours of travel with stopovers.
In Tanya's first clip, which has so far been viewed over 196,000 times, she began: “This is everything you need to know to survive a long-haul flight, or in my case, the longest direct flight in the world and in the economy.” '
She then wasted no time in giving her advice, starting with seat selection.
“The first one is actually a well-kept secret. You probably won't even know until it's too late.
“Seat selection is essential. Everyone tells you that you have to check in 24 hours before your flight because that's when check-in is available and you can then select the seat you want. This is not true.
“We did it immediately, 24 hours before recording. We went to choose seats and when I tell you all the window and aisle seats were taken 24 hours in advance.
“We had no idea what was happening. We were so confused. We called the airline and tried to figure out what happened.
Tanya continued: “They told us that due to the length of this flight, a lot of people had booked through travel agents and that the travel agents had access to seat selection up to 24 hours in advance .
“They recommend that their customers book in advance in order to get the place they want. We did not book through a travel agency.
“If you are flying long-haul, you can call the airline in advance and reserve your seats in advance,” she shared of her experience with Singapore Airlines.
Tanya continued her advice by then sharing, “The next thing we knew we wanted to do was keep going.
“We wanted to do this so we could get on and off our flights. We didn't want to have any problems with losing our luggage or waiting at baggage claim.
“When you're doing a 35-hour travel day, you don't want to wait for baggage claim, so we were very happy that we only used carry-on luggage, and you don't bring a bunch of trash and do not carry them with you during your trip.
Her third tip was to invest in a belt bag in addition to your personal items and carry-on luggage.
Her third tip was to invest in a fanny pack in addition to your personal items and carry-on.
She explained: “It's another place for you to easily access things that you'll want more often than other things – your AirPods, your passport, your wallet, your lip balm – things like that .”
“And when you arrive at your destination, it’s a great alternative to a handbag because you’ll have your stuff with you.” It will be right there in front of you.
“The fanny pack came in very handy during 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.
His fourth piece of advice was to have nnoise-canceling headphones and she added: “It’s important, dare I say, critical.”
She explained: “If there's a crying baby on a flight and it's a 13-hour-plus fight, you're not going to sleep.
“Some airlines will have them ready on your seat. In our case we had headphones ready for us… just check in advance, maybe you won't even need to bring any as your airline might provide them for you.
If you don't have noise-canceling headphones, she recommends getting a “natural sleep aid.”
“Having something that can help you, you will be very, very grateful,” Tanya concluded.
But viewers were eager to hear more of her valuable advice, and so the content creator quickly released a follow-up clip with even more suggestions.
She began by suggesting travelers download “movies, music, or podcasts — especially things you've been wanting to learn and have been putting off for a really long time.”
“You're on a floating tube, thousands of miles in the air, why not take the time to learn something new,” Tanya added.
Then she suggested that you “always have a change of clothes with you.”
“About halfway through the flight – or three-quarters of the way through – you'll want to cool down a bit. This is a game changer.
“You're going to feel like a new person. Wearing the same clothes for 35+ hours is really gross and uncomfortable.
When it came to choosing clothes, she insisted: “Don’t wear jeans. Don't wear tight leggings. Wear something you're comfortable in and wear lots of layers.
“So wear a tank top, a t-shirt, a zip-up sweater, a cardigan – even if you're not cold and you're comfortable, you can use these items as a pillow or neck support when you sleep .
But Tanya's ideas don't stop there.
She explained: “Next tip, bring big socks or slippers. If you don't have room for slippers, just bring a nice, good pair of wool socks.
“It’s going to keep you warm because it’s a lot cooler on a plane and being cold for that many hours isn’t that fun.
“Compression socks are really great because you won't be able to elevate your feet – so compression socks are really good for blood circulation.”
Tanya then suggested keeping a toiletry bag on hand containing a “toothbrush, hand cream, medicine, lip balm, disinfectant wipes – just the basics you would use every day “.
“It's very dry on a plane, so you'll want to keep your lips, face and hands moisturized, especially if you're sitting in a middle seat – you don't want to be going up and down and retrieving things.” the upper compartment. It's a really nice thing to have.
“If you wash your hands every time in the toilet, they will dry out.”
As for food and drinks, Tanya suggested “bringing Fiji water or any other type of alkaline water.”
“It will be absorbed better and you won't need to go to the bathroom as much, so for people sitting in the middle, it's good advice.”
“You’ll be more hydrated and won’t have to run to the bathroom more often.” It's just a win-win situation for everyone.
“A lot of people don't know that you can bring your own snacks on a plane, so make sure you have plenty of food because they're going to feed you, but sometimes it's not enough.
“Depending on the airline, they may not feed you as much as you think.
“Especially since Covid, meals have become 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 from viewers who rushed to welcome her suggestions and add their own thoughts.
Tanya's video was flooded with comments from viewers who rushed to welcome her suggestions and add their own thoughts.
One person wrote: “AIR FLY! It's a little Bluetooth gadget that you connect to your entertainment system and then listen to everything with your noise-cancelling headphones.
A second person commented: “Tie a big bow on both ends of a sarong, scarf or light blanket.
“Open your tray, place the knots on the outside and close. Put your feet up and relax.
Someone else said: “I keep a small bag of 'airplane snacks', more for layovers as I find (most) airline food to be sufficient.”
“These are 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 trips, it's worth it.
One commented: “Why would you take (a) carry-on bag only, just to save 10 minutes with your luggage?”
Someone else added: “Sorry, but just keep going – it only works if you're going to the same temperature as yours, or hotter.”
