To the Land Down Under!

[Aussiegal]

Hi ya"ll I'm planning a trip next year to Australia to go see my friend. However I've never been to Australia much less on a international flight. I'm just curious with whats it like it over and other peoples experience with flying etc.

[Moon]

The BEST piece of advice I can give you is do not get a middle seat! Pay extra if you have to, but MAKE SURE you aren't stuck in the middle for such long flights, it sucks and you'll be miserable by the time you land. I like to fly and have no problems with my international flights, as long as I'm in a window or aisle seat. Allow plenty of time for your connecting flights, be flexible and patient, and you'll be absolutely fine.

[differentcountries]

I once read a business man 's advice which I try to follow : Always drink, eat and pee while you can. Also, I tend to overheat and sweat a lot in international airports, so I bring extra clothes in my bag to change. I also like to take off my shoes and slip into some comfy socks while on the long flights. If you can, get your travel info on sms as well as paper, then you often get gate updates too. Make sure to book yourself and your luggage in all the way.

If you want to bring your so a gift, I reccomend getting a combination of a personal gift and something from your country, I like to bring food to literarily give him a taste of my country. Something from the tax free is popular too. Any food must of course sustain the lenght /heat :-)

[Aussiegal]

Thanks y'all for the tips! It looks to be a 19 hr flight so I don't think any food would make it. Also whats a SMS? Another question to what do y'all do to make the flight shorter ? I was thinking of getting a laptop but I'm open to suggestions.

[BabyGund]

SMS = short message service. It's basically what we call text messages. Sign up for text message alerts -- I don't know if you're in DFW or IAH and if you get direct flights to Sydney from either. But if you have to connect through LAX, you'll want the text message alerts for any changes in gate or travel delays.

Laptop, tablet, portable DVD player, books, magazines -- consider purchasing wi-fi for the flight.

[Moon]

They'll have an in-flight entertainment system, most likely. Watch movies, listen to music, play games, read and sleep. It's no so bad, really. You could buy interesting local snacks during your layover, or a newspaper or magazine, if they're in English. If you have something like a Nintendo DS, you could bring that along, too. It might get kind of boring, yeah, but that's when you can sleep to kill a few hours.

[Tooki]

You'll definitely get flight entertainment. I also know that you can fly directly to Australia from DFW.

Australian immigration shouldn't be an issue for you. Just be very careful to not bring any unallowed food products or agriculture as Aussie Customs are very particular about it.

Also, depending on where you're flying to and when, you may need to bring warmer clothing.

[AussieAmericanGirl66]

I find this an interesting thread, for obvious reasons, with the Aussie connection. One thing I have wondered is how far in advance should I get a passport, and how long does it take to get a visa?

[Aussiegal]

I'm curious about this as well!

[AussieAmericanGirl66]

You'll definitely get flight entertainment. I also know that you can fly directly to Australia from DFW.

Australian immigration shouldn't be an issue for you. Just be very careful to not bring any unallowed food products or agriculture as Aussie Customs are very particular about it.

Also, depending on where you're flying to and when, you may need to bring warmer clothing.

I'll keep that in mind, for future reference, too. I've flown to DFW on my way to Las Vegas before. Good to know it's a direct flight to Oz from there.

[Zapookie]

You'll need to apply for your passport I'd say at least 2 months in advance. They usually take a few weeks to process and you want to be sure you've given yourself enough time- you'll need a passport before you book your international flight anyway. US citizens can apply for visas online from www.immi.gov.au

[Jaac]

I always have a small bag in my handlugage that I can grab quickly when I find my seat and put my bigger hand lugage in those overhead things.
It's got everything I will need during the flight.
Socks, book, music, phone, those eye things you put on for sleeping, neck pillow, laptop...
That way I don't have to feel awkward and make everybody stand up an hour into the flight to get my things out of my bag.

I also always get a window seat (I've once slept 7 hours in a row, leaning against the window!).
I always ask for a window seat when I check in. Last time i went to Australia I had the middle seat on all my flights.. That was 34 hours! It was the most awefull thing ever.

And for the jetlag. It really differs per person wheter you get a jetlag or not.
I never get one... I think the trick is to never look at the time. I mean, you have to look at the time to catch your flight.. But I mean, when you have a transfer, don't check what time it is where you came from or where you're going to.
I always see my traveling as neither day nor night
Spleep as much as you can on the plane.
Or not.. When you have to go to bed when you arrive (so you're tired when you get to your destination).

That's about everything i've found out..
Oh.. And organise all your travel documents and your passport. Nothing worse than having a heart attack because you don't know where you put your passport. Or you spend hours trying to find the right documents somewhere in your things...

[AussieAmericanGirl66]

Thanks y'all for the tips! It looks to be a 19 hr flight so I don't think any food would make it. Also whats a SMS? Another question to what do y'all do to make the flight shorter ? I was thinking of getting a laptop but I'm open to suggestions.

I haven't had my international flight yet...that's off in the future, but for my domestic flights to visit my family, I've found it very nice to have my Nook with me. Right now, I'm visiting my family in Las Vegas, and I bought a new NOOK HD, which is much nicer than my old NOOK 1st Edition, because it lights up, which is very handy at night, and has apps for Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and Facebook, and my other favourites, games, and of course my book library. That will make my flight back home to Arkansas, and the long layover in Houston, more enjoyable. I also have my laptop with me, but I haven't used that on flights, although I might on an international flight. And the fees, I've found out are very reasonable. For the in-flight Dish Network TV and Movies on one of my United Airlines flights here to Nevada, it was only $5.99 for a short flight, and $7.99 for a flight that was over 2 hours, so for $7.99, I was able to watch Frozen, plus a bit of Soccer News on the International Sport Channel.

My Android phone comes in handy, too, for photos. Be sure to have your Smart phone with you, for photos and for messaging. Also, there are apps you can get for your phone that help you keep track of flight information, hotels, and even check in. When I was switching planes, I noticed one guy had his smartphone ready to scan the barcode flight info to check in.

And the other thing I use is my journal. It's good to either have a note book or an online blog to write your thoughts, impressions, feelings etc. as you travel, and if you have an online journal, you can also post photos to it. That gives you a treasure of memories you can always have.

[AussieAmericanGirl66]

I always have a small bag in my handlugage that I can grab quickly when I find my seat and put my bigger hand lugage in those overhead things.
It's got everything I will need during the flight.
Socks, book, music, phone, those eye things you put on for sleeping, neck pillow, laptop...
That way I don't have to feel awkward and make everybody stand up an hour into the flight to get my things out of my bag.

I also always get a window seat (I've once slept 7 hours in a row, leaning against the window!).
I always ask for a window seat when I check in. Last time i went to Australia I had the middle seat on all my flights.. That was 34 hours! It was the most awefull thing ever.

And for the jetlag. It really differs per person wheter you get a jetlag or not.
I never get one... I think the trick is to never look at the time. I mean, you have to look at the time to catch your flight.. But I mean, when you have a transfer, don't check what time it is where you came from or where you're going to.
I always see my traveling as neither day nor night
Spleep as much as you can on the plane.
Or not.. When you have to go to bed when you arrive (so you're tired when you get to your destination).

That's about everything i've found out..
Oh.. And organise all your travel documents and your passport. Nothing worse than having a heart attack because you don't know where you put your passport. Or you spend hours trying to find the right documents somewhere in your things...

That is very helpful advice for future reference. I've added it to my Spring Pad Notebook that I'm creating for my future Trip to Australia. Thank you. And I agree with you, I always ask for a window seat. I can't stand being stuck in the middle. I can't even imagine being stuck in the middle on a long international flight.