So..anyone been in a cross-continental plane trip? Is it tough? Anything one should do before they go on a 13, 14 hour trip?

take a wizz, eat some decent food, stock up on reading material... 

I do the SFO-SYD flight frequently, and it's about 12.30 one way and 13.30 the other.  To do's?  Drink lots of water, and get up and walk around frequently.  Before you go?  Dunno, but I usually take the late night SFO flight so I tend to do a normal day's work the day I depart so I'm tired enough to sleep.  If I do it right I'll sleep the majority of the flight, arrive in SYD in early morning, and do nearly a full day before going to bed.  Almost zero jet-lag that way.  Doing SYD-SFO is harder as I leave in mid-afternoon and arrive mid-morning. 

Your mileage may vary!

Water, water, water (without taking the edge off with alcohol) and aisle seat so you can get out and walk up and down the aisle as much as possible .... (the water will help with this !)

And as Erik says get into the new time zone as quickly as you can....stay up as late in the day as you can on your arrival date if heading west; if heading east a small power nap sometimes work.... but make it just that  -- don't  let yourself get into a deep sleep in the middle of the day.

In my trips to Australia/New Zealand I try to play tourist on my arrival day (I usually have taken a Friday night  flight out  and arrive Sunday Morning)  rather than work... then fresh and raring to go early Monday morning...Going the other direction (say to Europe) I'll not be so anxious to get a long sleep on the plane, will read as much as possible, then on arrival take a very brief power nap and then out and enjoy the sites and go to bed much earlier than the clock indicates I should after a light supper.... and wake up earlier than I would at home and work in the hotel lobby until its time to get on the road.

Hm. Thanks! Well, I'll be going on a trip to Germany, the plane leaves at 11:40 in the morning and arrives in Germany at 8:00 in the morning, IAH to TXL. So hopefully it won't be too herendous.

Great advice about water and limit the alcohol or just don't have any. Stretch your legs whenever you can and take lots of reading material. Also have followed similar patterns to those above regarding arrival in places - always spend the day out and about, walking, getting fresh air and seeing the sights. Then it's good to have an early dinner and fall into a deep and well-earned sleep!

Have a good trip.

I carry a shoulder bag (with snacks, apples, bananas, chocolate, bottled water, pen for landing cards & paper for notes etc, crossword book, book, noise cancelling headphones, newspaper, magazine, spare t-shirt, sweater), I wear loose jeans, carry nothing in my pockets that will delay me at the metal detector.  Also, I set my watch on the arrival time, I drink a bit of wine but not a lot, have a snooze and when I arrive I go for a walk - in sunshine if possible, because that helps the body clock.

My seating preference on a 3-4-3 configuration is the aisle seat (d or h) because there is a greater likelihood of an empty seat beside me, there is a max of one person inside me, there is 50% less likelihood of anybody opening an overhead and dropping something on me, I can get up and walk around, I can open a newspaper more easily than at a window, the trolley is generally not in my field of vision, and there is far less likelihood of being stuck beside somebody who has found god or sells toilet brushes for a living. 

I never travel on any US airline - thus hugely reducing the possibility of sharing my journey with a whale who laughs out loud at the tv, while also eliminating the probability of having to deal with cabin crew who will make me feel like commiting extremely post-natal termination.

i assume this is your first trip overseas ... how exciting

i love trips away ... but i hate trips home, cause then i know its the end of my holiday

extremely post-natal termination

hehehe... 

I'm sure the US-Flag carriers are equally relieved at you preference of airline.

who has found god or sells toilet brushes for a living.

That's funny. I remember sitting next to an American couple on a long haul from Perth to London. They were straight out of a Woody Allen movie. Incessant chatter, whining and angst. She did not stopb berating him and then ate like a pig in a trough whenever a meal was served - fast, messy and noisily. She was incredible and I do not remember her sleeping at all.

Drink as much water as possible.  If you are at all prone to swelling when sitting for long period start taking pure asprin a few says in advance.  It reduces the chance of getting a blod clot. 

Move around as much as possible

have a wonderful time

And try not to kill anyone in the mean time

Thank you for flying with us today. We hope you enjoy your flight...

The next time you feel the insane urge to blast across the sky in a pressurised metal tube, we hope you'll consider our airline again

i have loads of time just hope you are on a flight with movies or else bring a psp or a fat book unless you know you can sleep on planes. get prepared for jet lag as people have already said how to!

I find I tend to write a lot on planes.... maybe its the light that makes me....
hmmmmm

i tend to write as well.  Mostly because plane trips mean moping and sadness, usually because i am leaving friends somewhere and I don't really have any kind of expendable budget for plane trips.  This could also be because my plane trips have overwhelmingly been to Europe, thus a much greater distance to mope about

True.....

Or maybe there's nothing to do but sit.... so we need some form of movement

i tend to write as well.  Mostly because plane trips mean moping and sadness, usually because i am leaving friends somewhere and I don't really have any kind of expendable budget for plane trips.

Ah yes. To go, one must leave...  

Writing is the best form of therapy....

Let's sing it now!

I'm leavin on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again.... La la la...

i was just speaking to a friend yesterday who is on the move again. We met in Amsterdam, she is from New Zealand, I Australia. I am back in Australia and she is relocating to Kuala Lumpur. I find the whole global traveller thing exciting and sad too.

She is the second of two close friends who have left Amsterdam. I still remember the city fondly because I made it my home for a while but the feeling changes when you know close friends are no longer there either.

I live in Sydney and my family in Perth. Phil's family live in the UK. We have all this distance to deal with when trying to sustain our relationships. Getting a bit thoughtful for a Friday. Better get a drink and liven myself up a bit...

Kasta, i know exactly how you feel.

case in point: becoming close friends with 1-year international students = emotional wreckage for at least a few weeks after end of school year. 

Tell me abt it.....

My place used to be int students central.... and everyone's gone now

If you are going to drink before you fly, remember that the altitude increases the effects of alcohol, so if your nicely buzzed on the ground.. you might be horizontal in the air. but don't drink too much in the bar before hand or you might be refused entry at the gate.

Regardless of  the planes actual altitude, cabin altitude is maintained at a steady 8,000 ft. (although not below 8,000 ft obviously)

Drinking helps me to sleep, so I like to have a few drinks about an hour or so before I want to sleep... It can also help you deal with being uncomfortable..

Airline Passenger Code of Conduct

This is a weird case occuring onboard, and the responses to what the passenger should have done are hilarious!

One suggested solution:

Start a Bidding War

"Had I been the captain on the porn viewing flight, and had I been approached by one of my crew for a possible solution, I would have suggested that my crewmember make a brief announcement as to what the passenger was viewing and auction off the lady's seat to the highest bidder who wanted to swap with her," suggests Beau Sweetwater, a retired airline captain.

What a jerk..