So, in 4 days time i'm leaving the country for 5 weeks, uruguay is the destination. Just want to know if anybody has any tips for surviving the flight and overcoming jetlag etc...

I've never set foot on a plane in my lifetime and i've only ever been to sydney airport twice.

I fly out of sydney at 10:35 am and arrive in santiago, in chile, at 12:35 pm where I stay for 3 days before moving on to Uruguay.

I hope you can sleep easily with lots of noise while sitting upright.
I can't for the the life of me sleep on a plane. It needs to be dark,quiet, and horizontal. If you can sleep, the plane trip wont be so painful or feel so long. Take lots to keep you entertained (stock up on some VW mags)

Ash x

spend the next four days learning to speak chilean so you can atleast communicate with the people are you going alone?

take lots of ear plugs and drink as much water or soda water as u can stand try not drink too much beer and sleep on the plane

When you get to the destination stay awake til yr normal sleep time if u can

Get an inflatable neck support pillow. It's very difficult to sleep if your head is in an uncomfortable position.
Above your head will be an airjet. There is one for each seat. Point it at your face. I can't fly without that jet of cool air in my face.
Have a brimmed hat to shade your eyes when you doze or some eye shades.
Wear loose fitting comfortable clothes like a light weight track suit or baggy trousers and a loose T shirt, with a warm jacket to help sleeping..
Take your shoes off as soon as you settle down and loosen your belt.
Wear socks that will keep your feet warm as the plane can be made cooler at night.
Ask for an extra blanket and pillow to get really comfortable.
If you want a window seat ask for one away from the wing so you can see things. So that you will not be blinded by the sun get a seat on the right hand, shady, side going and the left side returning. The opposite of POSH as you will be travelling in the southern hemisphere. It's much easier to slouch when sleeping if you have a window seat as you can slump up against the fuselage.
Walk around the plane every hour or so, to minimise the possibility of embolisms. No-one will think that you are weird if you do a set of push ups. sit ups and deep knee bends every time you walk around. Embolisms are a serious problem and if you stay still you increase your chances of getting one.
Drink lots of water as the air at high altitudes is very dry and the interior of the plane is very dry.
Do not drink alcohol in any form especially beer. That's the worst thing you can do. NO GROG. Watch how miserable the drinkers become.
Take an easy to read book. That's why airport shops are full of thriller novels.
If there are any empty seats side by side in your section, grab them quickly to get proper sleep. First in first served.
Sleep as much as you can.
Stay awake until normal sleeping time in your destination to reduce the effects of jet lag. One good full nights sleep will usualy get rid of jet lag, but if you drink grog and have a hangover it will take days.

PS
Race off a hostie and join the mile high club.

Have a good time.

Get on and have one glass of bourbon, put on those eyeshades and get a good sleep, they'll wake you up when you get there. If you can't sleep then bring a good book or a rubiks cube or something. It's not too bad unless you're flying for 24+ hrs.

Enjoy yourself, it'll be an experience!

Hang around over there till Carnivale in Rio. That'll make you want to do the trip again.

oxycontin, if not, strong antihistamines or sleeping tablets.... mix with 2 strong drinks...
has done me wonders flying to the US and back, and around the world.

and yes, always stay awake until the night time once at the destination. Sleeping during the day will cause jetlag.
I have never really had 'jetlag'...

oh and as soon as the plane gets to altitude, go and look for a few seats free, to lie down!

when i flew to new zealand recently, got an hour into the flight and was told there was going to be a delay of 3-5 hours before we could land due to fog. being 2am already, hit the bourbon hard and was awoken to the sweet voice of a purdy flight attendant

Not when I went to the US. On our Qantas flight....they were all blokes (term used loosely).

people, he is leaving at 10:35am, he won't be sleeping anytime soon in that flight, unless he uses drugs!

Flights aren't so bad, but depends who you are going with? QANTAS, too easy, plenty of stuff to watch and do until sleep time.....JAL(which you won't be), no comment!

I can't sleep on plane at all. Depends how you go with that sort of thing, but as said sleeping upright, next to some random, with noise and lights aint easy!

Get to the airport early, like 2 hours prior to check in, be polite and ask nicely if you can have a exit row seat, and stretch out....always works for me.....worth the extra 2 hour sit at the airport! Unless you are 5 foot, then they won't give it to you

Flight attendants are NOT always good looking, QANTAS use some pretty girls but most are old, or male!

I've done quite a few long flights, they are pretty easy, jetlag aint so bad on the way over, its more coming home you'll gte hit hard!

Have fun!

virgin blue girls are hotties, get the odd gay bloke

use drugs

all of the above and get some valium to make you go sleepys..
works a treat on long haul flights as well as bourbon..
have a great time os..

Virgin girls USED TO BE all hotties. I'm almost 100% certain that you had had to have a C cup chest and be willing to stuff it into a B cup blouse. Blondeness was desired but not essential. I think Sir Richard might have got a tap on the shoulder because it doesnt seem that way anymore. Not to say they are ugly girls these days but they seem to be happy to accept some average ordinary lookers like the majority of us. excluding birchall.

Must be a crap job at times. I've sat on a tarmac for an hour because of a mechanical fault with a plane, other passengers going off their nut saying they have to go NOW. Idiots like that drive me insane. As if she could get out and fix the fault instantly, or perhaps the plane should just take off and we cross our fingers it lands in one piece.

If a stewardess can smile, doesnt whack you in the elbow with the trolley or spill a drink on your lap she's probably OK. Going with a church youth group probably rules out mile high activities anyway. Dont imagine thats the image they wish to portray. You can take laptops, electronic games and things these days. Take a laptop with your choice of movies.