Whoever said “It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey” never flew on a long haul flight. Those flights can be painful, tiresome, jet-lagging, and not to mention absolutely boring despite whatever Disney movie is playing above you on the TVs. As someone who has flown from Europe to the USA countless times, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks on flying long haul. Here are my long haul flights tips and tricks!
Pack your personal item wisely.
Sure, you get to bring your carry on bag on board, but you don’t want to be that person who has to constantly get up to dig something out of the overhaul bin – especially if your carry on is a suitcase. That would simply be a mess.
Instead, pack your personal item carefully. Whether it’s a backpack, tote, or handbag, you’ll want to make sure you fill it with all the things you may need during your flight.
Bring a scarf or jacket.
A scarf especially can act as a blanket or pillow during your long haul flight. Nowadays it’s becoming less common to have a blanket included on your flight, and sometimes the cabin doesn’t even have enough for everyone. The best advice is to bring something functional just in case. A relatively thick, large scarf will almost always do the job.
Pack a memory foam neck pillow.
Once again, you want to be comfortable on your flight and no matter if you’re in the window, aisle, or middle seat, a memory foam neck pillow will make it all the more comfortable and relaxing for you.
Tip: Some people are hesitant to pack a neck pillow because of space. But most neck pillows have a snap closure, meaning you can easily snap it onto your carry on handle or strap it to your personal item. When it doubt, you can always wear it around your neck. No shame.
Bring an eye mask for sleeping.
If you’re flying through the daylight, an eye mask will be extremely helpful in getting some relatively normal shut-eye. If you’re flying on a red eye flight, it’s less necessary, but honestly every little bit helps.
Here’s a great purchase! This set comes with a fantastic memory foam neck pillow, an eye mask, and ear plugs.
Put headphones and a portable charger in personal item.
This one is crucial for keeping yourself entertained or productive. Headphones for jamming or listening to podcasts and a portable charger for keeping your mobile devices charged. Sometime flights have the USB port, but you can’t always count on them to be functioning… Yes, I’m serious. Pack headphones, a portable charger, and your cord just in case.
Download podcasts.
Fun, educational entertainment! Podcasts have become one of my favorite pastimes for flying. I just download a few interesting ones before my flight and enjoy them while I’m on board.
Pro Traveler Tip: If you’re traveling somewhere new, I love listening to podcasts about that country or location to start getting inspired and excited about my adventure. You could totally download a couple of podcasts that teach you some essential words or phrases in your destination country, too!
Be productive.
If you don’t want to sleep on your flight, what’s the best way to make the most of the time? Do some productive work! What’s something you’ve been wanting to do? Write? Draw? Edit photos? Learn French? Do that on the flight and make the most of your time. Just remember to pack the essential items in your personal item or within easy access in your carry on.
Do some stretches before your flight.
Huh? Yeah! Do stretches. You want to try to release some of that energy because you’re going to be sitting down for quite awhile. Exerting some energy beforehand will help you sleep better on the flight and avoid Restless Leg Syndrome.
Do you experience Restless Leg Syndrome while you fly? Let me know how you deal in the comments!
Stay hydrated.
Bring a reusable water bottle with you. The air pressure on flights drys out your skin and your body.
Pro Tip: Do not bring a water bottle that has one of those silicone straws in it. The pressure the plane makes it spew everywhere when you try to open it. Take it from someone who has done this not once, but twice. The German man beside me the second time was far from pleased by having his leg spewed with water. Sorry, pal. It’s just a bit of water.
Pack socks and take off your shoes.
Who wants to sit on a plane with their shoes on for 6+ hours?! Not me. Even if you think it’s gross, even if you think the person next to you is going to be offended by the odor of your feet, pop on some socks and go about your life. Don’t worry, you can always put your shoes on when you go to the toilet.
Set the clock.
Go ahead and set the time on your watch and phone to the local time. It will give you a better idea of how much longer your flight is and give you that peace of mind for surviving a long haul flight.
Bring snacks.
Nuts, a sandwich, chips, whatever. Pack it in your personal item. Airlines like Iceland Air, West Jet, and Wow air, for example, do not feed you for free on the flight. There’s nothing worse than feeling nauseous on a flight cause you’re so hungry.
Have a couple of toiletries handy.
When the flight is nearing landing or right when I get off the flight, I go brush my teeth and maybe reapply my deodorant. It makes me feel immensely fresher and gives me that necessary confidence boost to counter balance my massive, inevitable eye bags.
Wear sunscreen.
. . .what? Yes! UVB rays are strong up there in the sky! Don’t believe me? Check out this article for the details.
There you have it! That’s my long haul flight survival guide and how to make the most of your time! Safe travels!
Note: Some of the links above contain affiliate links. This doesn’t increase the cost of any item to you, but simply means that I’ll receive a small commission of any sales from those links. But don’t worry — I only share products that I love and trust!
