Flying long haul on LL

[SuzyA]

Hi all

Just wanted to do a separate thread to give you my experiences of flying to Los Angeles recently. I actually flew from Manchester to Heathrow and then to LA so the total time gone was 18 hours so a long time away from a kettle and beloved blender!

I like my packs warm and with coffee in the caramel ones so I went to Starbucks and got a small coffee in a large cup and got it topped up with water. I then used my mini frother to get the lumps out. I have to say this wasn't ideal but it was OK. On the big plane I made two shakes up in the galley. I did this about an hour after they had served dinner so they were quiet then. During the dinner, I concentrated on the film! In the galley I made them up in a teapot using the frother. This worked really well because the spout acted as a sieve! It was really interesting talking to the stewardess because she told me that the crew never eat the plane food. In fact they had fresh strawberries and those to go salads! I also found out Jordan went 14 hours without eating a single thing on one flight! Anyway I managed! Oh I also had a bar as well on the flight.

Anyways I was there for 10 days and one of the first things I did was buy a US kettle and blender. It cost me £25 and was really worth it.

On the way back I slept on the plane so didn't need to make anything up and had a bar when I woke up.

I've made it sound straightforward and obviously it was tough tackling the emotional eating but I did take pleasure in buying new clothes!

Hope this helps anyone who might be flying this Summer.

Suzy x

[tishtosh]

That was really brave, Suzy and well done. It obviously paid off though - what did you buy??

[SafcGirl31]

Well done,
You did fabulously well, you'll be at goal before you know it!!!

[Mrs Lard]

Hi SuzyA

Thanks for posting this; it's really useful. I'd like to know who you flew with. I flew to NYC from Heathrow, so a much shorter flight - with American Airlines. They couldn't have been more unhelpful if they tried. Was not allowed in the kitchen area at all. But I stayed abstinent; it can be done! Also, for those worried about taking packs through as hand luggage, my bag wasn't even checked. Also had a flight letter to accompany my stash of packs!

A really good post, Suzy. Thanks.

Mrs L xxx

[joh117]

I flew Qatar airlines in March via Doha to Sri Lanka. I had a bar and a shake on the flight. I used the shaker which when my husband shakes it gets all the lumps out. I made it up in my seat then washed it out in the galley. I had a 5 hour wait in Doha and there I got some hot water in a mug and made a soup in an empty mug stirring a little water at a time (like I do at work) and it was fine.

I took my blender with me and so could blend shakes in hotel rooms. I had bars for when I was out and about on trips but I again did take my shaker and shake and hubby would shake it for me.

I did this for a month and lost 15lbs so it is possible to stick to LL while away. I even took soups to restaurants and got them to bring an empty bowl and spoon with a teapot of boiling water and made my soups up.

Jo

[katie_oxo]

Mrs L

What is a flight letter? As you know I'm off to Poland next week and am taking a weeks worth but I'm also off to America in July for 3 weeks and that's a lot of packs to have siezed --- is this letter off a doctor?

Suzy you did great - just hope I can cope as well as you did.

Cath

[Mrs Lard]

Hi Cath

Quick response as should be at work!!

My LLC wrote a letter saying that I was on a medically supervised diet and that was what the packs were. It was just in case we got stopped for any reasons.

I can dig it out for you when I get back and confirm.

I suggest you ask your LLC, particularly for the US.

Mush dash.

Mrs L xxxxxxx

[SuzyA]

Hi all

Thanks for the positive feedback. I flew with Virgin and as I said they were really helpful. I do fly quite a lot for work as taking foodpacks in handluggage is fine and I never had a problem. In fact on an overnight trip to Valencia in April on the way back from Spain I took my travel kettle and blender as hand luggage and got through! These last few months, US aside have just been to Europe so at most 3 hours. On these trips I carry 2 days worth of packs in HL (in case suitcase gets lost!) and my travel frother. I have one at the airport once I've been through security and take a bar on the plane. I usually make sure I have another bar in case as well. I always take my hand blender with me as well! If I'm out for lots of dinners I either do something more interesting instead, take a bar and just have coffee and water or I get them to make me a soup up. This is never normally a problem for the restaurant and ususally it comes out with few lumps. One restaurant did drop it on the floor in the kitchen once so top tip, always take 2 soups with you just in case!!!

Shopping - Abercrombie - Can buy stuff and in medium - fabulous!! And then every shop known to mankind from TK Maxx to Saks. I am an equal opportunities shopper!!!

However I did manage an evening in Disneyland and as the LL ads say 'The trouble with losing nearly 4 stone is that roller coaster seats give you a lot more bruises than I remember!!!

[Tiger Girl]

I've also done a long haul - I flew with BA. It was a work trip and I was in business class so it was all very straightforward on the practical front. The crew did find it quite tricky to get their heads around the fact that I wasn't having dinner or any booze, but did ply me with big bottles of water and hot water for my soup. Bearing in mind biz class is like an exercise in comfort eating and force feeding the minute you get on board, I really did find it weird weird weird not to eat. Really tough but then after meals were cleared, immediately thinking, 'well - it wasn't really that hard was it?' I do remember thinking afterwards I'm pleased I dont have to do that again soon, lo and behold I've just found out I have to do the same trip in around 3/4 weeks time. Instead of thinking 'I've done it once I can do it again', it's more like '(gulp), can I do it again??' I think it's more the deprivation thing - I do love BA business class!

Will definitely invest in some of the travel foodie related items as per previous posts though. Really couuldve done with some of those on my last trip

[SuzyA]

Hi Tiger

I was also in business on Virgin so know totally about the grazing aspect. They did give me some water but I bought 2 litres in the airport as well (past security) to take on the plane which also helped.

[AngieBabie]

Thanks for the tips everybody I am flying to Seattle for three weeks in August, I will probably be in management then, but its good to know how to work around things like this. Angela x