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For
visitors who live in UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other lands far away, the visit to Barbados would be considered a long haul flight.
This would be typically, a plane journey which spans seven, ten, twelve hours or more. It is highly important that you prepare yourself for this kind of journey as it inevitably has its own challenges, which can easily be handled with careful planning. |
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BASIC STRATEGY & ORGANISATION |
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TIMING |
It is a good background start to arrive as early as possible when taking a long haul flight. First to begin with they'll normally be quite well booked, so late arrivals will have long waits in the queue, which can be stressful and exhausting. Early arrivals have the opportunity to choose their seats, which is particularly useful if you have preferences like frequently needing to visit the bathroom or a penchant for the window seat. When you arrive early you can relax, enjoy the airport facilities and spend any extra time making plans.
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COMFORT |
This is one of the foremost considerations if you are traveling coach/economy class, as the facilities can be very narrow. However with a little forward planning you can make your trip not only bearable but even pleasurable.
Use online facilities to find information on the various airlines and what exactly they have to offer so you know what to expect; features include entertainment, legroom/personal space, food, general service and other issues. Don't forget to inquire as to how any special offers would affect the quality of the service. Inquire as to how much more comfort you would have if you're willing to pay an extra for a higher class, some airlines offer something in between in the form of a club or business class flight facility, which can be quite satisfactory. |
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PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS |
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SHOES
Be mindful of your choice of footwear, especially the ladies, as the high heeled elegance that worked beautifully for your wedding, might not work well when traveling for long hours towards your honeymoon. You can always resume your sense of style later, at a more appropriate time, when your comfort and well-being is not an essential issue
Wear comfortable shoes with which you are already familiar as your feet will swell.
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| * Please note: That you now have to remove your shoes when going through security at the airport. Wearing shoes which are fiddly with buckles and fastening would cause you delay and inconvenience. It would be more streamlined for you to use footwear which you can easiy take off and put on to suit. Slides, court shoes, vamp and other slip on styles would be very suitable. |
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CLOTHING |
When traveling long haul you will be bustling from one area to the next and then sitting down for very long time, it is highly important that your clothing is comfortable. Loose clothing is a better alternative than tight, restricting, fashionable clothing however good it may look. This does not mean that you should lose your personal sense of style just adapt it a little for the journey at hand.
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APPEARANCE |
Most airlines provide a small package of toiletries for your use; however you can also pack in your carry on, travel selections to keep yourself looking fresh. Apply a damp cloth on your facial skin to retain moisture. Take the opportunity to relax with a soothing eye mask. A small container of mineral water with spray attachment is very useful to spritz your face at regular intervals, so you arrive at your destination looking fresh |
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USING THE INTERIOR SPACE
This is not the time to just sit down and let it all happen around you, it is far better to enjoy the flight and actively participate in the facilities. You are not restricted to your seat, get up every now and again and walk up and down the aisle to keep the circulation flowing (you want to avoid DVT Deep vein thrombosis, which is rare but dangerous), enjoy the movie and other entertainment and take some time to catch up on sleep. The use of earplugs will go a long way in drowning out excess noise and improve the quality of your rest, use the cushions and blankets provided for your comfort and to ease back pain. |
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FOOD |
Be prepared for the fact that this is not going to be cuisine of the year. However most airlines offer you a choice with your meals and you can be selective and effective with what is provided under the circumstances. It is very important that you eat, as a long flight combined with hunger can make you very agitated. Remember that you can always bring along a suitable selection of your own favourite snacks and foods, which are from those permitted, in your carry-on luggage. |
HYDRATION |
Dehydration is a major problem when taking a flight; try to avoid tea, coffee and alcohol as they can exacerbate the problem, if you simply must use such, keep it to a minimum. Water and fruit juice are far better alternatives. However there are people who are worried about frequent visits to the bathroom which can also be annoying and inconvenient, you can help alleviate this a little by hydrating yourself a day or two before the flight but remember it is better to visit the bathroom than to be dehydrated. |
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ABOUT JET LAG
Jet lag is the disturbance of the body's regularity sequence with travel across time regions, and the challenges which came with it. Try to adjust early by synchronising your timepiece to the destination time whilst on flight and making mental adjustments as well as physical ones like sleeping according to the schedule of the destination. However you may find this harder than it seems as the body will naturally need to adjust. Making immediate adaptations to the destination routine will go a long way to assisting in this process but it will be tough because you will be fighting sleep when everyone else is awake, or wide awake when everyone else is sleeping. The best advice is to just go with it as best you can, until you recover.
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