chrisall

Can any of you seasoned travellers offer any top tips for flying UK <> AUS? Perhaps there's a certain item you find essential to take in your hand luggage, or something that you always take from home that's ridiculously expensive at the airport?

Cheers,
Chrisall

mvagusta

I always take my laptop.

RedT

I take mini toiletries, face mask etc to give myself a proper facial on the plane. It's nice and relaxing and it takes up half an hour! Also big water bottles to fill up in the galley, snacks (I never seem to be fed when I'm actually hungry), a book and magazine, my own earphones and a neck pillow.

Oh, and enough valium to take down a rhinocerous

Tx

Pollyana

Clean t-shirt and underwear - can freshen up anytime you want then, and is very handy if your luggage gets delayed!

DadAgain

Noise canceling headphones.

Expensive - but worth every cent. They allow you to hear the in flight entertainment without straining and cut out 24 hours of engine rumble that is a major source of fatigue.

Bermudashorts

A book of sudoku puzzles, nintendo DS, ebook reader, clean t-shirt and underwear.

quoll

I travel really light and if it doesnt fit in my handbag (shoulder bag or small backpack depending on my mood) it doesnt go! Some things that I do squeeze in - lip balm, the lubricating nasal spray (sorry forgot its name), small tube of hand cream, spare undies, noise cancelling headphones, iphone set to flight mode with a season of Midsomer Murders (or some other similarly mindless but enjoyable drivel) and a library of audio books with my mophie juice pack fully charged), a small book of sudoku puzzles and some knitting (usually socks, they dont take up much room). Oh yes, and spare travel sick pills - an absolute necessity! If you still have space then wet wipes are good for freshening up.

Nothing worse than travelling with the kitchen sink I reckon when it's only 24 hours of your life and you are sleeping for most of it. I always use the toothbrush/toothpaste they provide, most of them give you a bottle of water when you get on so you keep refilling it, there is a load of entertainment on demand these days which tends to be OK.

I would like to find a nice detailed little atlas so I can be clearer about where we are flying over in conjunction with the entertainment system map but have yet to find one that gives me the detail I want but doesnt weigh a ton and take up too much space in my single bag.

Centurion

First thing I would say is consider your choice of airline carefully. They are not all created equal and sometimes the best airfare can mean a few hours in a crap airport with you, a vending machine and 300 other people with little to no inflight entertainment or a ridiculous stop overtime.

If you do have rubbish transit times then sometimes I just take an even later flight and spend the night at the airport hotel and make a proper evening of it all and have a nice dinner and drinks.

Loose, light PJ bottoms and tee shirt in your hand luggage, nothing that will get too hot when they crack the heating on some flights. Get on the plane - head to the bathroom and get changed. Enjoy a long haul flight in comfort rather than sitting there in your jeans for 10 hours and turning up the other end looking like you just slept in your clothes - because you just did and are about to do the same on the second leg as well.

If your not flying in a premium cabin consider your lounge options at the airports your travelling from and transiting in. Many offer paid access and some credit cards offer complimentary lounge access as well. The difference between sitting in a crowded lounge or enjoying some nibbles and a drink before the flight after a nice hot shower. Eg. Changi has a paid access lounge, as well as KL and HK, all popular transit airports.

That and an ipad loaded with enough movies and stuff for me to while away the hours in lounges and on the plane in peace and saves me having to lug around a laptop.

hilasbat

They let you take needles on board now? Last time I tried, they got taken away incase I went mental and tried to take the plane over by stabbing the hostess with one

My must haves are a lip salve, nivea creme moisturiser - despite having very oily skin, it still manages to get very dry in the recycled air, massive empty bottle for water so I can drink whenever I want, travel slanket, squishy beanbagy pillowy thing, origins peppermint calming balm stuff for inhaling, echinecia (can't spell it) drops, tissues. Alongside a library of books/mags etc but generally ends up just watching the films...

Kooky.

My tips (and others) here http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=566739

bcworld

At Singapore & Hong Kong, perhaps others you won't be able to take empty water bottles on the plane, even those purchased airside. Some people get away with it but thems the rules.

Kooky.

No idea about empty bottles but Singapore is still extremely strict, while some others have eased off a bit. Boots on? Boots off? Belt on? Belt off? Does a Kindle count as a laptop? You never know for sure but, at Changi, it's almost a certainty they've got to come off so easier to get ready before you get to screening.

Heathrow seems slack by comparison these days (although I had to take off my cardi - dangerous things, cardis).

Even getting off the plane at Changi while it refuels, you have to go back through screening machines to get back to the gate at which you just landed. And show your passport and boarding pass to 4 or 5 different people within about 10 metres.

(Changi's so good in other respects, I'll let them off.)

KJCherokee

I definitely second that - and they needn't be that expensive. I've had a pair of Sennheisers for years and they are great but expensive - ~$300. Forgot to take them once on a trip Brisbane-Perth and saw (and bought) a pair of TDK ones at the airport for $69 which honestly seem pretty much as effective as the Sennheisers.

One day (maybe!) I'll treat myself to a $500 pair of Bose - if they are as good as the sound system at home they'll be fantastic!

Kooky.

It amuses me that, a couple of years ago, you had the smallest in-ear headphones you could get. Now the flights are full of people looking like they're about to do a set in Eyebeefa - my husband included.

I still wear in-ear phones, decent ones that fit well but have to say, after a 13 hour and 7 hour flight, my ears feel bruised for days

quoll

I've got neat little Shure ones - the other tip there is to take an adapter with you as some airlines have two pronged entertainment systems and others only have the standard headset jack. NOthing more frustrating than wanting to watch a movie on the entertainment menu and finding your earphones dont fit!

As for knitting needles - yup, OK now if you take bamboo (or I prefer birch) needles. Havent tried it with metal needles but I hardly ever use them so not a big deal.