How to Travel Comfortably on a Long Flight
This may be unpopular opinion, but I really enjoy a long haul flight day. This is because I have a few routines and must pack items that I always do to help me travel comfortably for a long plane trip ahead.
Most people don’t think about preparing for a long flight because all the time and energy has been going into the hotel bookings, itinerary planning and restaurant bookings in their destination city. Even though your flight is only a small portion of your trip, if you have a long travel day, these tips can really make a difference in your long haul flight experience.
Imagine it’s the start of your trip when you’re feeling the most excitement to have made it through a long work week. You arrived to the airport on time, passed through the rush of security and made it on board. Now it’s time to relax and get comfy! This is the first point in your trip when you can either catch some Z’s, wind down from your work day or binge watch that new Netflix series that you were looking forward to.
Oh wait. Did you pre-download your Netflix shows? What about that podcast episode you wanted to listen to? Where did your neck pillow and sleep mask go? The list goes on of forgotten items, but it doesn’t have to be this way if you come prepared. Here are my top tips to help you travel comfortably on your upcoming trip.
1. Pre-pack your in-flight essentials
Ensure all your in-flight essentials are kept in your day bag that fits under the seat in front of you (not packed away in the over head bin). By preparing what you need on the flight before hand will be really helpful once you get on board.
This allows you to easily access your belongings at anytime without having to wait until the seatbelt sign goes off. You can avoid the discomfort of needing to dig into your bag that’s tucked away into the overhead bin during your flight. I’d suggest making a comprehensive list of all the things that you think you would need to easily access duration of the long flight.
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2. Choose your preferred seat
Most flights will allow you to choose a seat for free or upgrade your seat for a fee. I always opt to choose my seat rather than have it randomly assigned. This will avoid you being seated at the back of the plane where boarding and landing takes forever or squished between two strangers in the middle seat.
To ensure you get the best pick of seats, check in right when you are able to. This is generally 24 hours before your flight time. Set an alarm to get this done as soon as check in is available. If you wait too long, you may not have many options left for seating.
My personal preference is to sit along the aisle seat. Sitting on the aisle allows you to be able to get up and walk around at your leisure without feeling like you are disturbing your neighbours every time you want to get up. If you like to stand, stretch and take hourly walks, this is the seat for you. It also feels less cramped, as there’s no wall or person along one side of you.
I will touch on those who would vouch for the window seat. If you’re someone who sleeps really well on a flight and want to lean up against the wall, the window seat may be a good fit for you. This seat will be a good one if resting is your priority on the flight and you don’t want to be disturbed by your neighbours every time they want to get up for a walk. Being able to take in the views of the clouds is also another perk.
3. Wipe down your seat & tray table
The first two tips are all about what to do prior to your flight. Upon boarding my flight, one of the first things I do is wipe down my seat, head rest and tray table. Remember the first tip about pre-packing your flight essentials? Ensure your wipes and hand sanitizer are in the front pocket of your bag to make this process quick and easy.
Sanitizing my seating area allows me to feel the most comfortable and settled in. Especially on a long flight where meals are provided and I’ll be using the tray table. Having my seat wiped down also helps me with a better sleep. Oh and don’t forget your hand sanitizer, as this is also a must on the plane.
4. Pack snacks
Depending on the length of your flight or the airline, there are usually meals provided for you. I find that for me, they actually serve a lot of food and I typically stay full throughout the trip with just the on-flight meals. But it also doesn’t hurt to bring a couple snacks with you just in case you get hungry or miss the meal service because you were sleeping.
Having a few snack option for that movie you’re watching provides that in-flight comfort that you’re looking for. Also purchasing snacks on the flight is also quite expensive, so it is better that you bring your own.
5. Your long flight sleep routine for comfort
Depending on what time the flight is or when you expect to land in the destination city, I will do my best to sleep according to the new time zone to help with jet lag. For example, if my flight plan is to land in Maui at 7:00 am, then I will be sure to catch some sleep prior to landing. This allows you to (hopefully) combat jet lag a bit better, no matter how tempting it is to stay up on the flight.
If you have a difficult time getting comfortable or sleeping on your flight, here are some essentials that help me with getting some good shut eye:
- a travel neck pillow
- travel blanket
- slippers or cozy warm socks
- sleep eye mask
- ear plugs
- roll on essential oils
- long pants + bring extra layers
- warm tea
6. Get in some movement and stretch breaks
Walk around every hour that you are awake. It is especially important to keep moving and get your circulation going during a long flight. In our daily life, we aren’t typically sitting for 8+ hours at a time. We are moving, walking, stretching throughout our day to day and being on a flight shouldn’t be any different.
I like to do a couple laps up and down the aisle. And in some of the wider spaces, you can add in a couple stretches and calf raises to preventing getting too stiff from prolonged sitting. This will be better for your overall health and may help keep you pass the time during this long flight.
7. Fill up your water bottle
Bringing your own water bottle for a long flight is a must pack. Although there is in-flight service where drinks are served, you’ll want your own bottle of water to help keep you hydrated throughout the flight.
I typically bring a thermos so that I can head over to the flight attendants kitchen and ask for hot water. I bring my favourite tea bags and this gives me the coziest vibes on the flight. Especially tucked in with my favourite book.
8. Unwind with your skin care routine
In addition to staying hydrated by drinking lots of water throughout the flight, one of my favourite ways to travel comfortably is to ensure my skin is also hydrated. The air on the flight is often extremely drying and that’s why I will always pack my skin care essentials on a long flight.
I really enjoy this routine as it helps me really get relaxed on my flight. It’s like I create a mini spa day for myself. I’ll bring makeup wipes to take the day’s make up off, as well as my daily creams and serums. I find this really helps with breakouts, as there’s nothing more comfortable than waking up on a plane with a fresh face.
9. Pre-download your favourite shows or podcast episodes
When you’re on a long flight, there is honestly nothing more satisfying than having all your favourite shows and podcasts pre-downloaded for a binge watching session. Most flights offer their own in-flight movies and shows, but sometimes it’s not the selection you are looking for.
I like to be prepared with lots of options to keep myself entertained if I can’t sleep on the flight. And this includes watching the latest shows or even having the option to listen to music while I’m on the flight.
10. Bring your notebook and pen
I love keeping track of my trips and experiences through journalling. Journalling is part of my morning routine and when I bring a piece of that with me on my travels, it immediately puts me at ease. If you’re not into writing journal entries, maybe bring your bullet journal for some on-flight doodles. Or perhaps you enjoy a good old pen to paper puzzle to keep you busy on your flight.
You need different options on the plane, especially for a long flight. I am definitely someone who can binge watch an entire season in one sitting, but it’s nice to have a couple different options to keep yourself busy and comfortable.
11. Snuggle in with your favourite book
In addition to the pre-downloaded audiobooks, podcasts or Netflix shows, I love bringing a book to read. In order to be the most comfortable on a flight, you want to ensure that you have a variety of things to keep you busy on the flight. It gets difficult on a long flight when you keep looking at the remaining flight duration, only to realize that only 10 minutes has passed since the last time you checked.
For those who enjoy a physical book, my tip is to bring your own reading light that clips on to the book. I find it’s so much better than using the over head light on the plane, especially when you don’t want to disturb your sleeping neighbour or if you prefer a certain hue of reading light.
I hope this helps you in preparing for your long haul flight. If you have any other must packs or flight routine that I missed but help you with travelling comfortably, let me know in the comments below and I’ll add them in! Happy travels 🙂
