I'm leaving to go overseas for a couple weeks, and have a 13.5 hour plane ride.  Was just curious if anyone has any tips on how to get an exit row seat (I'm 6'4 and 200lbs) or any tips on how to cure the bordem.  Thanks

Kevin.

They don't issue out the seating for the emergency aisle until you show up at the airport.  They want to see you first to make sure that you are physically capable of popping the emergency exit.  It's first-come, first-serve after that.  If you want the seat, get there early.

As far as entertainment goes, get a Tom Clancy novel and make the best of it.

Try asking for a bulkhead seat.  More leg room.

I'm 6'6", and could barely tolerate my last 2 hour flight up to New York back in December of 2000.  On the way back, I was involved in an, well, "altercation" with a rude individual who was crushing my knees by reclining his seat back (after I had made numerous polite requests for him not to, and even involved 2 members of the flight crew).  Afterwards, I was relocated to an empty seat behind the bulkhead dividing first class and coach.  Plenty of room to stretch out and relax.

the_reject

Bane:

Take a good book and a portable music player of your choice.  The headphones are not always comfortable and music/movie selection might not be to your liking.  Be sure to get up and move around periodically.  There's nothing like stiff joints and a sore back to get you down.  Airplane air is very dry.  I'm not saying slather yourself with Oil of Olay so that you smell like an old lady, but keep this in mind.  Also, eat fruit if you can and keep hydrated.  These will combat "jet lag," whereas heavy carbs, alcohol, and greasy food are to be avoided.

My .02

-White Horse

I am going to China in June. I am traveling with a guy that has been there many times. He told me to bring four drugs. Antibiotics for obvious reasons, antihistimines (apparently when you are on a plane so long in the dry air when you step off you will be walking around for a week with a runny nose), imodiume for obviouse reasons, and sleeping pills for the flight. Sounded like good advise to me.

13 hours...is that all?  The trip to India involves an 8-10 hour trip to Europe, then another 8-10 hour hour trip to India.  Pretty rough.  Since the flights leave the East coast in the early evening, and don't arrive in India until early morning two days later, I end up missing at least two nights of sleep, which is worse than the sardine treatment in economy class.  I am also 6'4", and have made this trip numerous times.  

I have only gotten a bulkhead seat one time, and it did help a lot.  I also got upgraded to Business Class on one flight and that was great.  For some airlines you can check their seat configurations online and try to request those specific seats (some rows have more room even though they are not an exit row).  If you are lucky the seat next to you will be empty.  On several flights I have gotten my own row of 3-4 seats which means I can strech out and sleep.  Otherwise I do try for a window seat, because I can lean against it and get a little sleep.  Take an interesting book to read--that helps the most to make time pass.  Get up and strech and walk around whenever possible. Some people say you should take a couple of aspirin to prevent blood clots in your legs.  Also try doing some leg and foot exercises in your seat, and take off your shoes.  This will help prevent deadly economy class blood clots.

GunLvr

Whatever you do, I dont suggest reading books such as "Kalashnikovs of Afghanistan, A User's Guide" or "My Mother In Law and C4: How I Came to Love the Bomb" or other similar books.

Kharn

Make sure you take some aspirin to avoid getting a bloodclot in your legs. This is actually the greatest danger in flying, a lot of people die from embolisms caused by lack of circulation on long flights.

taking melatonin helps to overcome jet lag faster.  They should have some in the drug section of your grocery store.

Ear muffs and/or ear plugs.  They greatly cut down on the wind and engine and rude passenger noise.  They will also protect your hearing if terrorists start shooting up the plane.

Be careful with Imodium.  I took it after getting getting sick in Africa.  I had adominal spasms so bad, you could hear my back cracking when it happened.  According to what I read after getting back, it said to never take Imodium as a treatment for "travelers' diarrhea."

From WebMD:
"Lomotil and Imodium, two common drugs used to treat diarrhea, are not effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea.  Lomotil may even increase the risk for it."

My wife's doctor suggested taking half a pill of Imodium rather than the suggested dose of two pills along with a dose of Pepto-Bismol.  I had taken two pills three times over a two day period.  He was of the opinion that a little could still be helpful.z

I'm with zoom on that one.  I took Immodium once in Egypt and I was worse off.  Hurt like hell.

As far as the plane ride goes, there is good advice here.  Bring a good book and a few magazines.  Let me emphasize, do [b]not[/b] drink alcohol.  Fun on short flights, but not anything over an hour or two (although I suppose it's a good blood thinner!).  Drink plenty of water, and try and stretch out frequently.

I hope you have a safe trip.

I'm one of those people who fly so much for work that I take several vacations a year for free on frequent flyer miles and usually have enough miles left over to give my parents free tickets to Hawaii or Europe for their anniversary.

By far the best thing I ever bought for plane travel was a pair of [url=www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/office/accessories/noisecancelingheadphones/mdr-nc20_specs.shtml]Sony MDR-NC20 Noise Cancelling Headphones[/url].

I didn't realize just how fatiguing it is to sit there and listen to that constant rumble and wind noise until I got these.  Now I just flick the switch and all the plane noise drops right out.  Plus, they are much more comfortable for listening to music or the movie soundtrack.

I've never seen them in the US - I bought mine at Norita Airport in Tokyo for 15,000 yen, or about $120 US, and they were worth every single penny!!!!!!!

Search around the net and find someplace that sells these - you'll thank me later!!

One word for long flights - Halcion.... ask your doctor for two. One for each way. You'll arrive refreshed and rested.

Sleep as much as possible.

[left]If the guy in the seat next to you is named Mohammad, try to trade seats with somebody[/left]

Ativan or Klonopin... like Halcion, without all the suicidal tendencies!

[:D]

The precise quote is "That's FIRE!! You can't bring fire on the plane!!"

My advice - do whatever you can to get into business class.  Overseas coach travel is the pits.  If you're stuck with coach, be sure to get an aisle seat.