Tips for your Long-haul Flight
Don't wear a skirt or shorts. After 12 or 14 hours, aeroplane seats rub the skin raw on the back of your legs. Wear jeans or tracksuit bottoms.
Do fly business class if you're lucky enough to afford it. The seats are spaced much further apart than economy class and they can fold backwards so you can lie down.
Avoid Heathrow Airport if you can - it's a horrible, horrible place.
Avoid Los Angeles Airport if you can - it's even worse than Heathrow.
Do fly Singapore Airlines. Their computer games and mini-TV's are great.
Don't travel non-stop. Being stuck in seats and not being able to lie down for 36 hours is agony. Especially don't travel non-stop through Los Angeles. You get shoved into a dirty, uncomfortable transit lounge with hard seats for hours until the connecting flight is ready.
Do get your parents to book children's meals on Singapore Airlines. A lot of the adult meals are too spicy (for me anyway). Children's meals have to be booked in advance. If you leave it until the day of the flight you'll be too late.
Don't get stuck in a queue for the toilet. The children's meals are served first. So if you need to visit the toilet after eating you'll beat the queues of adults. They all go after they finish eating too but you've eaten first. (Sneaky but true.)
Do take an overnight break and have a sleep in Singapore.
Don't take a flight that arrives in Singapore during the morning. If your hotel is in the city itself they won't have a room ready for you. You'll have to sit in reception until one's ready. This is bad news when all you want to do is crash out in a bed. It's much better to arrive late afternoon or evening.
Do spend some time outdoors in Singapore - if you've ever wondered what it feels like being baked in an oven, it's a good chance to find out.
Do take as few flights as you can. All the taking off and landing is hard work on your stomach - a lot of people feel sick.
