20 Thoughts That Go Through My Head When Flying To Australia

During the 4 years I lived in Australia I tackled the long-haul flight home to the UK at least twice a year but I have to admit it doesn’t get any easier the more you do it!

If you’ve ever flown long-haul you might relate to some of these thoughts I jotted down on one of my flights between London and Sydney.

1.Great I’ve got 24 hours in which I won’t have to worry about social media and emails.

2. I’ll just send this last tweet before turning on airplane mode though. Oh wait you can pay to use the internet in the sky. Tempting..

3. I’m not quite sure what to do with a hot towel. (Holds it limply whilst half cleaning fingers.)

4. So if I watch 3 movies, then 2 episodes of Westworld,  I’ll have filled approx 1/5 of my time on this aircraft. (Gulps.)

5. I’ve totally ruined a whole show by watching those 3 random episodes from season 4 of Suits/Homeland/GOT when I’m only up to Season 2.

6. My face is leaking. This movie was nowhere near as emotional on land.

7. I think I’ll watch Pitch Perfect 2. Again.

8. Yes, I will accept that hot snack despite eating 5 meals in 20 hours.

9. When will they be feeding us again?

10. What is in this ‘salad’ exactly?

Emotional stages of flying from UK to Australia

11. Please come through the cabin with water. My throat is closing up.

12. When will the man in the aisle seat move/wake up/stir/ LOOK AT ME  – I’m going to pee in my seat.

13. I love it when the child in the row behind bops me on the head or, better yet, I’m sitting next to a small child who keeps pinching me. (True story.)

14. Of course you can put your leg, bag, rubbish in my footwell. I didn’t need it anyway. (Eye roll.)

15. First flight done. Only 14 hours to go! Yay!

16. It’s 6am in Abu Dhabi but cocktail o’clock in Sydney so yes I will have that glass of sparkling wine, thank you.

17. Will it look odd if I wear a blanket on my head?

18. If I put my right leg in the gap between the seat in front, my left under the armrest, twist to the side and put the pillow against the plane window I can almost achieve a comfortable sleeping position. Almost.

19. Who am I kidding. I can’t feel my right hip, thigh or bum now.

20. Oh, the unbridled joy of a shower followed by lying horizontal.

Have you made the schlep to the land Down Under? What would you add to the above?

You might also like:

How to sleep on a plane: 8 top tips for getting more kip

Hand luggage essentials for long-haul flights

Annoying things people do on airplanes – passenger habits that drive me crazy

12 things I wish they had on airplanes

Flying to Australia with a baby: Our experience and top tips

About the author

Iā€™m Jayne, a travel blogger, content creator and mum to a 4-year-old son. Iā€™ve been blogging since 2010, travelled to 65 countries and share travel guides and tips to help you plan stylish, stress-free trips.

18 thoughts on “20 Thoughts That Go Through My Head When Flying To Australia”

  1. I haven’t exactly flown Sydney to London (or vice versa), but I have gone there to and from Toronto a couple times.

    Usually my number one thought is, “why can’t I fall asleep?”, followed closely by, “what is THAT?” (referring to the meals they serve). Gotta love those long haul flights. šŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. Ha, I get obsessed with food. Before I get on a long flight I’m all like ‘ah I’ll have something healthy in the airport and then not eat on the flight’. As soon as I smell that food I want it there and then, and then I want it again a few hours later. I hate it when they run out and you’re in that in between time when the people around you are eating but you don’t have yours yet. And then they take ages to take it away and you’re imprisoned. The drama of food and flights hey?!

    Totally feeling all the others too. I remember watching Fault in Our Stars on a plane, jeez, I was absolutely bawling crying. Very embarrassing.

    Reply
    • Ha I’m always the same thinking that if I eat before I won’t eat on the plane and yet somehow that tray ends up in front of me. I gave up on watching ‘Me, Earl and the Dying Girl’ on the way back from London – there was no way that was going to end well.

      Reply
  3. Number 11. NUMBER 11!!
    Why oh why do they only ever give you a shot glass sized drink of water!? I’m always parched on a flight and when I ask for a drink of water I actually mean I’d like at least a pint of water, not a flipping thimble!
    I also have the leaky face thing. Life is much more emotional when you’re in the clouds.

    Reply
    • Haha so emotional.

      On my flight over with Virgin they actually gave us a full sized bottle of water and there was a tap to refill it near the toilet. Only problem was I needed the toilet a lot more!

      Reply
  4. hahaha I know that the flight isn’t as long but I have these exact same thoughts going from the USA to Europe (and vice versa). You nailed this perfectly!

    Reply
  5. Happy New Year Jayne,
    I love the flight – and this from a woman who was always terrified of flying! Not now – and I really enjoy the long haul.
    Stand at the back and look out of the window more. You can see so much and connect with other travellers doing the same.
    šŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. HA! Working out a viewing schedule is a must, I do it as soon as I board but don’t know why I bother as goes out the window after the first film! Also constantly working out what time it is where I left, where I’m heading and where I am now and what I should be eating / when I should be sleeping. Buying the compulsory load of magazines and not being bothered to get them out of your bag, oh and making an itinerary for my first day ….

    Reply
    • I always tell myself I’m going to get lots of work done and plan my trip etc and then watch 8 crappy movies in a row instead!

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  7. Haha – these are great! I’m preparing for my longest flight yet next month – Chicago to HongKong – 14 hours. No matter the flight length, I always travel with my own water bottle…for one thing, I hate having an open cup of anything that could spill!

    Reply
    • That’s a great idea. I love it when airlines give you a full size water bottle – Virgin did on a recent flight and there was even a tap near the toilet so you could refill it yourself – but bringing your own is also genius!

      Reply
  8. I get really anxious at Heathrow when I’m flying to Auckland, for some reason it gets to me. Once I’m on the plane and in the flow it’s fine though. I also eat too much and actually cried at the end of The Suffragettes when they showed each year women got the vote (mainly cos NZ was first and I was somewhere over the Middle East and Saudi was so recent). Nothing to do with vodka of course.

    Reply
  9. I’m doing this flight in May. I’m scared. I can’t believe it’s 23 hours non stop. I think I’ll try not to sleep for the week before so I just pass out. And I am setting 10 alarms for 24 hours before. There’s NO WAY I want to be on a middle seat.

    Reply

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