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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2013 6:01:03 GMT
Only 11 hours? My last flight to London was 22 hours with 2 flight changes but no stop overs (oh well I did do it the cheap way LOL).
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Post by ducatisti on Jan 8, 2013 9:32:04 GMT
this is getting a bit Mony Python yorkshireman isn't it. "of course we had it hard, it were a flight of 47 hours and we had nowt to eat but gravel...2 I've done 28(?) hrs to New Zealand (all stations)... Watched two films each way read a book and listened to some operas I'd not listened to in their entirety for a while. My top tips 1) if you are of that mind, drink enough, but not too much 2) good comfortable headphones (that don't emit too much noise) and a lot of music 3) walk up and down the plane every so often (one reason to drink the booze...) 4) try to keep to the timezone of where you are going (which can be a pain on a connecting flight where everyone is doing the same thing to a different clock) 5) a small prize if you can turn the person next to you into a tube fan  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2013 1:06:02 GMT
Many thanks to everyone for their ideas on what to do!
I have slightly changed my plans and while I still fly to Shanghai on the 15th Jan, I now fly back from Hong Kong on the 23rd! I changed my booking because I have always wanted to see Hong Kong and I figured, if I am only 2 hours away, why not go there for a day or two!
A little tip to anyone wanting to "obtain a Visa for international travel". The thought never crossed my mind until last week for China… I wrongly (why?!) thought China still had a "travel agreement" with the UK. Turns out only Hong Kong does and 4 visits to the embassy, 8 passport photos (£16! in Snappy Snaps!) and a complete itinerary to nearly every hour of the trip later - and £96 down -, they have granted me an express visa!
But back to topic, the flight. My flight to Shanghai will be long and boring, so, I saw my G.P. I put on the "nervous flyer, I hate planes" face and he prescribed be sleeping pills for the flight. I hope this will work for the time difference! I will be wearing loose clothing, thank you; grahemhewwit and kk35348 for your advice… loose clothing will be worn! As for entertainment, the bar service will hopefully suffice - a bottle of wine should send me fast to sleep in no time!
Coming back however I plan to be wide awake! Its a Boeing 747!! I just checked my booking and am rather excited - these planes, from what I gather, are the plane of planes! I shall be awake for all of it and can't wait to travel on one… also… I am in "Premium" Economy. It was cheaper than a standard ticket so I figured why not, eh?
Now just wondering why my fare is £406 but the fuel, tax and travel surcharge is £396? Thats nearly 100%!!!! How much fuel will this plane use? I always thought it was the most efficient method of travelling!!! (No joke)!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2013 6:42:50 GMT
Leaving from the UK at least your APD (tax) is based on your cabin class. So PE is higher than Economy.
An A380 is better than a 747 too! Have flown Economy and PE on both :-)
Which airline are you travelling with?
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Post by grahamhewett on Jan 12, 2013 11:46:25 GMT
@tobywalsh - tempting though the "I always fly completely cut" option may seem - don't do it! 1. Booze and sleeping pills probably won't mix; 2. aircraft cabins notoriously dehydrate you and you will only worsen the headaches etc etc. Moderation OK, of course...
GH
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Post by carltona on Jan 12, 2013 21:43:31 GMT
Graham is correct, DO NOT mix sleeping pills and alchohol. One or the other but not both as this can stop you breathing in extreme cases.
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Jan 12, 2013 21:48:16 GMT
As much as I am looking forward to a week on the Piste with plenty of good plonk, putting my work hat on: Does the label say "Avoid Alcohol"? If so, I would strongly advise avoiding alcohol. Rincew1nd the Pharmacist, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2013 0:04:57 GMT
! Yes; the thought never crossed my mind! After reading this and then the little sheet in the box mixing the two is actually rather dangerous! They're both depressants so I should have thought about that. I'll chose the wine  . Thank you for all your help though. My initial question has certainly been answered! @rbisko, I'm flying with British Airways... it was a direct flight with them or Virgin, OR a 22 hour stop over in Moscow with an airline I have never even heard of :/ . I shall also post back my experience with the MTR in Hong Kong and see whether it is as user friendly to tourists as our London Underground is! - All I need now is an Oyster Octopus Card! I wonder what will happen if I tap my oyster card down on a reader there? Toby |
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Jan 13, 2013 0:17:27 GMT
I wonder what will happen if I tap my oyster card down on a reader there? Probably the same thing as happened when I tried to unlock a Boris Bike in Paris using my Oyster. #fail |
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Post by phillw48 on Jan 13, 2013 11:58:24 GMT
One should avoid alcohol on any flight. The best thing to drink would be fruit juice. The atmosphere in any pressurized aircraft is extreamly dry and can cause dehydration, drinking alcohol only increases that.
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Post by suncloud on Jan 13, 2013 13:28:46 GMT
I've never had chance to fly any better than economy. But the 747 experience did not feel that special the times I've flown on one.. Think its partly the quantity of people you're sharing a flight with...
Another note for those visiting China and Hong Kong, when I visited (some years ago) some of my group tried to arrange a meeting in Hong Kong as a day trip from Shanghai. Unfortunately as we'd all only got 'single-entry' visas they found they would then not be able to go to Hong Kong and then be readmitted into 'mainland' China.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2013 7:21:16 GMT
this is getting a bit Mony Python yorkshireman isn't it. "of course we had it hard, it were a flight of 47 hours and we had nowt to eat but gravel...2 I've done 28(?) hrs to New Zealand (all stations)... Watched two films each way read a book and listened to some operas I'd not listened to in their entirety for a while. Sorry, just a bit of fun. As a veteran of long flights (no Monty Python intended) I usually settle in and watch a few films, if I want to sleep I put on a chick flick and nod off to sleep. I also take my own ear phones, ones that cuts out the aircraft noise, I take adaptors for the aircraft audio and I also take a Ipod with some relaxing music on it, also to nod off to. Keep an eye out after take off for some spare seats in the centre where you may get a row of 5, the arms often fold up and you can lay down and go to sleep. alan. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2013 0:33:07 GMT
A few rules;
1st Rule of travelling on a long flight: Prepare for the Jet Lag. My first day in Shanghai was pretty much met with me being shattered tired, trying to adjust to the time difference! But, all is well now, I think I am adjusted.
2nd Rule: For the flight wear noise cancelling headphones. Every 20 or 30 minutes you will hear the engines make a loud whirring sound and it wakes you up. Also, I was sat in a window seat and it was far to tempting to keep looking out and thus, stay awake.
3rd Rule: You may be told the arrival time is 09:25, but, you will not be off the plane for at least 40 minutes after that and out of the terminal building for perhaps two hours after that! In China, they want to know all your plans; despite you telling them what they were for your Visa, and your immediate plans for transportation from the Airport. Sadly I had none as I hoped to get a train from Pu Dong straight to the centre.
But Shanghai is a great city and I recommend it to everyone. The people are friendly and the language barriers are not what I expected. Almost everyone understands the most basic english terms; left right straight on for example... and the price of everything is much cheaper than in the UK. You will NOT need as much money as you think.
Well, I have just arrived in Hong Kong after spending quite a few hours on an overnight train. Now to buy this Octopus card...
Also, for some reason, my laptop would refuse to charge my battery on the flight. It would run in "AC only" mode... something I have never seen before. So don't expect to be able to charge mobiles and the likes onboard, I think my 75watt laptop was the limit!
And @witzendoz... I think I must have been on one of the emptiest flights around... my entire row, 3-4-3 was empty (apart from me) and so was the row in front. A quirk of the flight was the free bar... far too much wine on offer and too little food!
Toby
Perhaps posting from the greatest distance?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2013 0:41:01 GMT
PS I just hope, after hearing of the snow disruption, the plane can land at Heathrow and not London Gatwick, London Stanstead or London Luton as these are NOT London Airports...
Toby
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. Thank you for all your help though. My initial question has certainly been answered! 
