Flying Uk to Australia, looking for best tips & advice

[Headabovetheparapets]

Hi planning to visit family & friends in Western Australia later this year with DH.
I’ve not flown further than Mexico before. Would any of you lovely people have any thoughts on
1 the direct flight verses a stop over flight
2 best airline to go with
3 Any tips for making that long on a plane pass quickly!!lol
4 Any tips for essential things to make the holiday easier.
thank you xx

If your flight leaves in the evening try your best to sleep most of the day prior to getting on it - don’t be running around cleaning your house, running errands or packing etc. I found it very hard to sleep on the plane and the fact that I was exhausted didn’t help. I assumed I’d crash out on the journey as I’d be so tired…well it was just too uncomfortable for that. So if I do the trip again I plan to start the journey with as much sleep in the bag as humanly possible. Then spend the time onboard with movie marathons etc.

A stop over can be good but it will use up more time, so it just depends on how much leave you are taking. E.g. my retired parents have lots of time so they always have stop overs each way. It can also add to the cost.

My favourite airline is Singapore airlines but they are often more expensive than some others.

My top tips for long haul flights:

dress comfortably and warmly (e.g. nice joggers and a warm jumper, but with something underneath in case it gets hot) - flights can get really cold

extra socks so you can take off your shoes (feet swell)

don’t eat too much and don’t be tempted to drink much alcohol

take noise cancelling headphones (but with a lead and converter thingy to plug into the entertainment system)

eye mask for sleeping

We’re doing the same so will watch this with interest.

Chose to stop rather than go direct. For us, we could go to an airport 2 hours closer to home if we had a layover so it basically cancelled out the benefit of no stop - and saved us £4k

We’re flying Emirates who we’ve gone with before and loved so hopefully they’ll be good again

Don’t forget your e-visas!

meant to mention - our layover is only a couple of hours (which is why going direct made no sense).

Fly Business 😀

😂 lol if only we could🤗

Sorry, I realise that I was not helpful, although having flown from the UK to Aus and NZ multiple times on different airlines in all classes I can safely say that the Singapore A380 business class seat is superb. I have flown on my own, as a couple and with DC from around 6 up.

My tips
Hydrate, have your own water bottle
Snacks, take your own snacks as not only may the food be to your taste, it often comes when you are sleeping or not hungry.
Timing, my preference is a flight that gets me to my destination mid-afternoon or early evening so I have time to get to the hotel, eat a light tea, then sleep.
Day 1, plan nothing but do try to get up and out for a nice walk/fresh air, by day 2 I am raring to go.
Stopover, I am not a fan of an overnight stop, although we have taken a short break (3 nights) in Singapore before. However, a break in the journey with a couple of hours minimum between flights can be really beneficial, many airports are quite good for a gentle stroll and stretch.

Clothing, the previous advice for comfort and layers is spot on, and I always take my own eye mask, pillow and scarf too.
Entertainment, I get bored and don't always sleep so take reading and puzzles, mostly loaded on my iPad and also usually a bingeable TV series as I find it more distracting than a film.
Sleep, I use relaxation music or a talking podcast to zone out and usually find I fall asleep. If I don't then at least I am relaxing and in my own world.
Moving, I drink plenty which means I have to go to the loo lots, this is good for the circulation and I try to do some stretches etc whilst I am waiting.

I went to Perth from Manchester last year, via Dubai with a 2 hour layover. Just time to do the necessary, go to the loo and get a drink, it was just what I needed - then the hour felt like 2 separate legs and not so overwhelming.

My only tip is to have an aisle seat as if you need the loo and your seat buddies are sleeping that’s awkward.

have the best time, I totally fell in love with WA and can’t wait to go back

Thankyou that’s a good point about airports will look at our options.

We always stop over. Either in Dubai or Singapore. Both Emirates and Singapore are very good. Qantas and BA are fine too and often code share.

DH and I prefer aisle seats although on some planes you can get 2 seats together towards the back of the plane depending on layout. These can be good to select.

Always wear comfy clothes. I’ll usually go with leggings, a t shirt and a hoodie. I’ll wear little ankle socks and my crocs. I take a bigger pair of slipper socks onboard so they are easy to get on and off and into your crocs when you need to get up for the loo or to stretch your legs.

I take a lip balm, hand cream and a moisturiser with me. I find the air very drying. I also take clean underwear with me and a change of clothes. We also have our own headphones.

Before I board, I get a couple of bottles of water. The cabin crew will give you water but it’s never enough. I also take my kindle. I don’t wear any make up to travel in so nothing to take off mid flight.

Then just get on with it. Watch films, try and sleep/snooze. Most airlines show their food options and movie/TV options online so you know what’s what.

Sorry, I realise that I was not helpful, although having flown from the UK to Aus and NZ multiple times on different airlines in all classes I can safely say that the Singapore A380 business class seat is superb

Really pleased to hear this as I'm flying Singapore B/C later this year. Unfortunately they don't do B/C on the Singapore/Brisbane leg 😥

If you do a stopover, check if the airline will put you up in a hotel. When we flew to Australia we had 22 hours in Seoul, and we were put in a hotel in central Seoul so got to see the city briefly too.

You have to call the airline to arrange it, and they would have put us in a hotel by the airport if I hadn’t researched and found they also use one in central Seoul, so we requested that hotel specifically.

@RaisinforBeing yes good points there I don’t sleep well on planes so being well rested going into it makes sense, thinking of staying night before near the airport so we can start off bushy tailed.

@Notcontent yes that’s kind of my thoughts, I think to maximise our time with family we won’t be doing a layover. I’m thinking paying a bit more for the airline will probably make sense for the comfort angles.

@Onthegrid Thankyou, lots of good advice there & a laugh🤣 I also have a short attention span so a mix of activities sounds good & I don’t know much about pod casts but thinking they would be good to have for this so will investigate.
@Sybila thankyou I did wonder that about the 2hr stop🤗

thank you all this is really helpful xx

@Oppositioblue some great points there thank you think I’m going to need to make a list from this post🤗

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain enjoy your trip sounds amazing🤗

@Evanesy thats good to know thanks🤗

when you get there, remember the spiders are more dangerous than the snakes lol

I vote for breaking up the flight. maybe fly Singapore or malaysian Airlines (they are excellent) so you break your flight in Singapore or KL. both are nice cities to spend a couple of days in if you want or just book into the premium lounge to chill before the next leg of the flight.

little things like buying fast track passes and premium lounge access helps make long haul travel more bearable I find. they are not so expensive as the ridiculous premium seat prices and worth the small expenditure.

Some good advice here. I prefer an evening departure (UK time) so you can get some sleep. And it will be morning time in Oz when you arrive. So you can just stay awake on arrival, get out in the sunshine etc.

A stop over of 2 ish hours in Singapore or similar is good. Changi is a nice airport if you have to be there a bit longer.
Don't drink alcohol on flight, hydrate with water a lot. Eat lightly (minimise stodgy bread, sugar etc).
Compression socks make your legs quite comfy (and take an aspirin).
I found melatonin tablets helped set my body clock to the new time zone. I had some from the US but I think you can get some in Oz.
The funny little cushion they give you is no use behind your head but I found it comfy to put it on my lap and rest my hands on it for sleep.
I bought a turtl neck rest thing that was quite good and helped me get more sleep.
Good eye mask is essential.
Keep toothbrush and paste close to hand, as well as lip balm and moisturiser.
Book seats towards back of plane where normally fewer babies and if you are lucky, some empty seats.
Aisle seats the best.
Wear layers on top. Plane tends to be hot at start, then quite cold.
Wear softest comfiest shoes you can.

Qatar are very good. Serve many uk airports and short stop in Qatar before going to Perth. About 7 hours first leg then 11 hours. Don't think I could face the direct flight-like to get off and stretch legs and I've done the journey 5/6 times.

I prefer to fly to Aus with a couple of hours connection time in the Middle East. I used to fly with Emirates but in recent years I've switched to Qatar. I choose a morning flight from London to Doha and eat/drink etc as normal (including a glass or 3 of wine), get to Doha and have a stroll round the airport and shops and a shower and some snacks / juice in the lounge. Then on the flight from Doha to Australia I have a meal and watch a movie and then sleep for the rest of the flight. I take melatonin (10mg) each night in Aus for the first 2 nights and after that I'm completely on Aus time without any jetlag.

When flying I always take a Drowsy silk eye mask, a pashmina (cashmere on one side, silk on the other), my own travel feather pillow with silk pillowcase, Bottega Veneta slippers to wear on the flight, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, a water bottle, facial mist, eye cream, lip balm, hand cream, dry shampoo (helps style my hair before landing), deodorant, perfume and face powder. Plus battery pack, plug adaptor (and charger for my phone and Apple watch), Kindle Paperwhite and iPad (with lots of TV/films preloaded - just in case the IFE isn't working). And some mints plus toothbrush and toothpaste (I hate having dirty teeth on the plane - feel so much better after brushing my teeth!)

I travel a lot (used to travel long haul with work frequently) so I'm a bit of an old pro who keeps a travel bag ready prepared.

Don't forget to include an Air Tag in each of your bags so you can keep an eye on where they are (stops you worrying when you're waiting for bags to come out as at least you can check they made it to the same country before you actually see them).

I don’t think it’s helpful to suggest business class! Sorry to sound grumpy about it but for most people - anyone who is not super wealthy - it’s not a realistic option. It’s several times the cost of an economy seat….

I'm not super wealthy and I saved and budgeted for a business class seat. While it's more expensive than economy, it's an order of magnitude better considering you're going to be in it for 24 hours.

It was my suggestion and I’m also not super wealthy especially by apparent Mumsnet standards, however I am fortunate that I am in now a position where I can afford it should I choose to.

Absolutely. If I can afford it I'm not doing economy, especially not for a flight that length.

Direct flight to Perth is 17 hours I think. I can see the advantage of simplicity but I think I'd go mad spending that long in a cramped plane cabin without a break.

My personal preference is to break up the journey with a fairly long stop, at least 9-10 hours, and book into a hotel for a proper horizontal sleep and shower. Singapore Airlines are excellent and Changi airport is one of the best for this as there is a transit hotel (as well as a few pay-by-the-hour "napping rooms") inside the airport, so you don't need to bother going through immigration.

Cathay Pacific are also good but for a hotel in Hong Kong you need to go through immigration with your luggage etc, so a bit more hassle.

Or you can have a day or two's stopover and see a city a bit. This might mean having to book separate flights ("multi-city") rather than "round trip", but that doesn't usually work out any more expensive, and can give greater flexibility.

I always prefer an aisle seat to a window so I can get up and walk around easily whenever I want.

Stay hydrated!

Not particularly helpful - but we are taking the Cunard ship when we go!

On a more serious note I've flown 12 hours to the USA many times and it's fine, an extra 7 seems far better than a stopover. I don't like changing planes in case luggage misses the connection. If you can afford premium economy it is worth it, leg room is amazing

We fly direct with Quantas, returned recently 😢 and find it much easier and less stressful than negotiating another airport/security checks etc. direct leaves Heathrow at lunchtime & due to time difference arrives in Perth at lunchtime. Time to settle, have dinner and bed at a reasonable time and gets our body clocks into Aus time a lot quicker. Premium is great if you can afford it and get seats on the flight you want- not a huge amount on each flight. Economy is OK, 6' hubby has enough leg room and manages to sleep most of the way 😤I read, have a wander up and down, watch films, pkay games. Cabin crew will make you tea/coffee during the 'night' when asked, snacks available to help yourself. Granted a 17 hr flight is boring but its the same flying time whatever you do, we find it easier to get it done in one hit & get there quicker - have family to hug on arrival 🥰