1. Before Booking Your Ticket

   
   
   If you are flying economy (as most of us poor worker bees do) you want to first visit Seat Guru. This terrific website allows you to type in your airline and get a list of the best and worst seats in there entire fleet of planes. You have to decide if being too close to the bathroom is worth the trade off of having extra legroom.

2. Booking Your Ticket

   The second tip is when you book your ticket. Most tickets are bought online now and you always have the option of choosing your own seat. Now if you are travelling alone always look for group of seats where an aisle or window are already taken. You then take the other aisle or window seat, leaving the middle free. These middle seats fill up last so you have a greater chance of having a free seat. And I don't need to tell experienced economy travellers how valuable a free middle seat is. Now if you are travelling as a couple, choose both the window and the aisle leaving the middle open. If the seat gets taken, no one will mind changing from the middle seat so you can sit together and if it is not taken, it's a much more pleasant flight.

3. Booking Your Meal

   
   
   When you book your ticket you can also choose from a variety of meals (low fat, vegetarian, kosher, etc). I quite often will order one of these meals because you get served first (more sleep time) and often they are fresher.

4. Before You Leave for the Airport

   A lot of people will tell you to check in online. They say it's quicker and you don't have to get to the airport as early. It might be quicker if you have no luggage but if you have bags to check, that line is often just as long as the check in line.
   
   Also, if you check in you have the opportunity to ask for an upgrade. Don't be a jerk about it, dress well and ask nicely. I always say “if the flight is booked and you need to bump someone to business I'd be willing to change seats”. They usually smile at you and tell you they will see what they can do. Quite often you won't know until boarding, when they take your boarding pass and issue you a new one (in business!!!).
   
   I would say I have gotten an upgrade about 10% of the time just by being nice and polite. Also if you are pregnant, tell them. I flew 4 times during my second trimester and got an upgrade on every flight.

5. At the Airport

   Arrive early and bring a book. I try really hard not to work when I travel on long haul flights. I find if I relax at the airport beforehand I am much more likely to sleep on the flight.

6. Boarding

   
   
   As soon as they call your plane boarding, use the restroom. This reduces the amount of airplane washroom trips. And then just relax until the line is finished. Why rush to get on the plane and sit in those cramped seats before you have to. Stay in the boarding lounge and watch the line. I always get up when I see about 6 people left to go through. I have never understood the rush to get on the plane first. I wonder if those people think they will get there sooner.

7. On the Plane

   Before you even sit down get out everything you want for the flight and put it within your grasp. Book and bottle of water can go in the pocket in front of you. Laptop (if you HAVE to work) can go under the seat in front of you.

8. Dinner Service

   Hopefully you pre-ordered your special meal and you will eat first. This is perfect if the middle seat is free. You can finish your meal; put the tray in the middle seat and watch a movie and drift off to sleep. My big secret here is to take a Nyquil tablet with my dinner (not when I am pregnant though!). Its amazing how much more likely I am to sleep. I don't take sleeping pills at all but that Nyquil puts me out and I wake up feeling great.

9. Sleeping

   
   
   Your Nyquil should be kicking in. Put on your headphones even if you aren't watching the movie so that people won't talk to you. Put your seat back as far as possible. Don't worry about the guy behind you; the guy in front of you isn't worried about you. Pull out the foot bar from under the seat in front of you. Unbutton your pants, pull up the blanket up to your chin and head off to dreamland before the guy beside you starts snoring.

10. Arrival

    
    
    Here it pays to get off the plane quickly. If you can walk fast do it. You have to get ahead of all the rest of those passengers or you will be stuck behind them at passport control/customs. Use the moving sidewalks and walk on them!

11. Passport Control/Customs

    
    
    Your journey is almost over. You have made it this far. You are well rested, well fed and just got some great exercise racing to customs. All you need to do here is have your documentation ready, be courteous, be polite and avoid the line with a slightly chubby, dark haired Canadian woman because I NEVER get through without a hassle.

So next time you have an overseas or other long haul flight try these little tips and maybe you can find a little of the magic that exists above the clouds.