The ultimate guide to surviving a long haul flight

“The perfect flight does not exist” apparently. But a new definitive guide from travel experts Hotel Club has perfected a formula for making your long haul flight as comfy and tolerable as possible.

The company behind the guide said: “Spending 15 hours sardined in a large metal tube with bad food, minimal space and insomniac babies isn’t conducive to creating a breezy travel scenario. But take a handful of forward-thinking and precautionary measures before and during the flight, and you’ll avoid an endless stream of travel headaches throughout your air-bound journey.”

The advice is based on the world’s current longest flight – Qantas’ service between Sydney and Dallas – which covers 8,578 miles in just under 17 hours.

The guide suggests breaking up the seemingly endless hours spent trapped in a tiny metal box in the sky by changing into PJ’s, having a wander in the aisles halfway through and avoiding getting drunk. Apparently “a plane hangover is infinitely more brutal than one experienced on land”.

Or, you could just try to blag an upgrade.