What to Expect on the Flight

Airplane Food is discussed on a separate page.

Your long international flight to and from the United States can be divided into three phases:

1. Departure Time
2. Transition Time
3. Arrival Time

Let's look at each phase in some detail.

What happens during Departure Time?

The first third of the flight should be thought of as departure time. The sunlight outside the plane, your internal circadian (24 hour) clock and your wristwatch are all in sync with the time of your departure city. The airline service personnel provides an environment that reinforces this sense of departure time, but prepares you for the change in time zones.

If your flight leaves in the mid-afternoon or evening, you will be shown video clips that one would normally view around dinnertime. You will see news and information, travelogue and situation comedies. Many planes are equipped with individual movie mini-screens, even in Economy Class. You can pick and choose your video program from an extensive menu. The dinner service on international flights is usually more substantial than that on domestic flights. 

If your flight leaves in the morning, you will be shown "breakfast TV" video clips and will be served a nice breakfast.

Following the meal service, you should feel full, drowsy and ready for a nap, just like you do after a hearty holiday meal at home. The flight attendants will pick up the dirty dishes and the plane hunkers down for the next phase.

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What happens during Transition Time

On west-to-east flights, transition time usually takes place at night. It is pitch black outside the plane and you are encouraged to sleep. On east-to-west flights, it is broad daylight outside the plane during transition time and seasoned travelers pull out their eyeshades to sleep.

The airline procedures usually call for movies during transition time, and the flight attendants ask window seat passengers to pull down their window shades, creating a restful environment for movie viewing and sleeping. This is an excellent time to reset your wristwatch to arrival time and switch your foreign and US currency in your wallet. 

You should try to get as much sleep as you can during transition time. If you can't sleep, then perhaps try to watch the movie. It is helpful for some, but not all, to watch the movie without headphones, to avoid getting too interested in the plot. Let the movie lull you to sleep. Be a Couch Potato. Alternatively, just close your eyes and let your mind wander. This is surprisingly restful. Books on tape or CD with a personal stereo is another good way to relax.

Here's a tip from our friend Merrill: When you are settled in your seat and want to watch the movie, be aware that there are various language channels in the headsets. If you are flying, for example, to France there will be a French channel and an English channel for your headset. You can find the English channel by either rotating the channel selector through all channels or just look in the "In-Flight Entertainment" section of the airline magazine, located in your seat pocket. Your flight attendant will be happy to help you if you still can't figure it out. There are music channels with selections ranging from classical to jazz to rap. Look in the airline magazine for details and channel numbers. Finally, there is a volume control which can be adjusted for your comfort.

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What happens during Arrival Time

The beginning of arrival time comes around the end of the in-flight movie and, on west-to-east flights, the break of dawn outside the airplane. This is the time you should start telling yourself to wake up and start being alert for the challenges that will face you when you arrive. The flight attendants will offer you a choice of beverages, which is an excellent time for coffee or tea. Caffeine is a powerful circadian clock resetter. If you do not usually drink caffeinated beverages, request what you usually have in the morning - juice or milk, perhaps. Orange juice is full of fructose, which will jolt your blood sugar up a notch or two, making you feel more awake.

If you are on an east-to-west flight, arrival time will probably be late afternoon or evening. Request coffee or tea only if you normally drink coffee or tea at that time of the day. If you are morning-only coffee drinker, then skip it.

The airlines usually offer a light meal, such as a fruit breakfast or mid afternoon snack. This is exactly right, as it gets your blood sugar up without being too heavy. 

If possible, consider a mini-wakeup routine in the airplane lav. Wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair. Men can shave with electric shavers in the lav or in their seat. Women can apply makeup, put on earrings, spritz perfume and fix their hair in their seat. Sweaty people of either sex might consider a change of shirt or blouse in the lav. The stuff you need for this mini-wakeup routine should be packed in your in-flight carry-on bag, stowed underneath the seat in front of you.

Following your light meal, coffee or juice and personal fresh-up routine, psych yourself into thinking you are wide awake and ready for arrival. Forget about being really dead tired. Look at your watch and think of local time and how you usually feel around that time of day. Mind games and self-delusion (!) are the keys to fighting jet lag at this point.

As the aircraft approaches the destination airport, the flight attendants pass out landing cards to all passengers. On flights returning to the United States, they pass out US Customs cards to everyone and appropriate forms to non-US Citizens. They sometimes show an arrival video of how to navigate the arrival airport and find arriving passenger services, such as rental car counters and public transport.

Finally, all carry-on baggage is stowed and the plane is prepared for arrival. Taxiing to the gate seems to take forever, but eventually you will be out of the plane and ready to face Immigration and Customs.

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Updated 08/09/03