re: First international flight: what to bring/ any advice?

Just got back from Europe.

See some great tips above.

I'd echo:

*If you can spring from Economy + or higher, DO IT! So frustrating being in the back of bus. Last to get on. No overhead space. Cramped leg room. Often, you can ask for an upgrade at the gate and it might be available and possibly cheaper.

*Depending on the plane, see if you can get a "two by two" seating (i.e. you and the seat next to you only, vs. being in say a row of 4). NO bulkhead for me (overhead space). Aisle preferably.

*Echo compression socks. You can potentially get an embolism. Keep getting up periodically to keep the circulation flowing.

*I find going over is harder than coming back.

*Get a good pair of headphones with a jack to listen to movies.

*Personal preference, but drinks are free internationally, so you'll enjoy them and probably feel them later on. I do anyway.

*Wear something light or have the ability to shed layers. It can get hot on the plane going over, so don't dress for 40 degree weather and sit on the plane dressed like that.

What to bring?

Obviously your passport. If you didn't get Global Entry, DO IT NOW! We literally just walked right through the airport from our flight from Amsterdam and just had to fill out an online questionnaire and show our passport to the guy going out for the transfer.

Make copies of important documents (passport) and keep and give one to a close friend or relative just in case.

I don't take a wallet. Some do. Use a money belt that hides under the shirt pretty easily for cash and the cards I take.

Buy an international (two prong) converter. I just use that and a USB chord for charging my phone in the room.

If you don't have a back up power source for your phone, buy one. You don't want to run out juice while taking all those great pictures.

Have fun!

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Echo compression socks. You can potentially get an embolism. Keep getting up periodically to keep the circulation flowing.

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This is probably this most important yet most ignored piece of advice. Sitting for that long on a flight puts you at risk for getting a blood clot in your leg that could kill you. And yes...this doesn't just happen to old people.

Take a couple melatonin and drink more water than you think is "plenty of water".

OK, let's talk about classes of service, because it can be confusing for people who don't normally fly internationally.

What we normally call "first class" on domestic routes inside the US largely consists of a bigger seat with more legroom, maybe some edible food, and some free booze. On a transatlantic or transpacific flight, this experience will normally be sold as "premium economy." You need to be careful, though, as "premium economy" might just mean a regular seat with slightly more legroom, which is normally referred to as something like "economy plus."

Above "premium economy" is "business" class. On transatlantic or transpacific flights, "business" means that you get a seat that folds or reclines into a flat bed. You get delicious meals and good liquor, and you get lounge access before departure. I would say that this normally costs $3000 - $5000 on most transpacific and transatlantic RTs.

Above "business" is international "first." Not all airlines still do international first. For example, Delta doesn't and United is in the final stages of getting rid of it. That's because business class has gotten consistently better over the last decade or so. International first means caviar, it means that your seat is something more like a private suite, etc. Many airlines incorporate special experiences into international first. For example, Emirates has their famous shower in the sky on their a380s, Thai has their famous spa services at their lounge in Bangkok, Lufthansa has a separate first-class terminal in Frankfurt and drives you to your plane on the tarmac in a Mercedes or Porsche, etc. International first often goes for $10,000 or so for roundtrip transatlantic or transpacific flights.

I don't have money, but I do collect airline miles. In the last three years, I've flown coach on long international routes three times, once in premium economy, and three times in business. "Is it worth it?" is a difficult question. I would say that it depends on your priorities, budget, and time available (to rest and recover from jetlag).

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Not a subtle brag, but does flying to Europe first class make a big difference?

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It's obviously more comfortable. I usually fly Delta One for work and economy when I'm paying for it. The socks are a good idea for economy but not as necessary for business/first class since you can lay down and are generally able to get up without bothering anyone to do so.

The last time I went over I actually started acclimating while I was here. Went to sleep around 5pm the day before and woke up at 1am. I think my flight out of ATL left around 4:30pm or so. I asked for them to bring my food all at once instead of slow-rolling it so I could get to bed. They obliged (but not sure if you'd get this in economy). In business class they provide sleep masks if you don't have yours. They also provide an electrical outlet in business class which is nice if you use a CPAP machine.

If I'm asleep, economy looks exactly like first class...

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I’ll echo some things we found helpful on our first trip over.
-go on amazon and buy a power converter and money belt. I hung the money belt over my neck and inside my shirt. You couldn’t see or notice it and it kept us from worrying about pickpockets near tourist attractions

- get a CC with no foreign transaction fees

- warn your cell carrier you are going over so you can use your phone and not get shut down

- drink water (tons) as dehydration makes jet lag worse

- not sure about France, but the general advice for Italy was just to get money once we landed as the exchange rate would be current and we wouldn’t have to pay a fee at a money exchange

- power bank is useful, but you won’t need it on the plane. I’d also echo eating before you board as the plane food is generally salty and iffy at best

The flight between China and the US is 13 or 14 hours, and I bring eye drops because my eyes feel really dry on the back half of the flight. Maybe it is the cabin air? I also get super thirsty and like having my own water bottle in my seat pocket during the flight. Buy a big water or bring a bottle and fill it up after security.

See if you have in-flight entertainment screens on your particular flight. That keeps me occupied, and I don't have to set up an iPad or a computer on the tray table.