Travelling around the world and discovering new and exciting destinations is what we’re all about, but let’s be honest, most of us don’t enjoy long-haul flights in economy.
The cramped seating, the ups and downs in temperature and the constant background noise from the engines can put your system under a lot of stress, and it’s super common for travellers to need a day or two afterwards to catch up.
Since getting on a long-haul flight is the most common and affordable way to reach far away destinations, we wanted to share a few methods we always use to make our journeys a little more manageable. From our ideal clothing to wear, to the best seating and what we prefer to eat before and during our trip, these small tips have definitely helped us during some very uncomfortable flights.
Let’s get started.
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Comfort is everything
First things first, you should get comfy. Loose and breathable clothes are absolutely essential when travelling over long distances.
We usually wear joggers or baggy, flowy pant instead of jeans, since they don’t constrict the blood flow as much and reduce cramping, in addition to helping with the stomach bloating you might feel due to the pressurised air in the cabin. We also always pack a baggy sweater, since the interior of the cabin can get pretty chilly at night, especially if you don’t move around for a while. A hoodie is also a nice alternative to keep our heads and ears nice and toasty.
Another item of clothing that we always find super helpful during long-haul flights are travel compression socks, as they greatly improve your blood circulation and can, along with regular walking and stretching, massively reduce cramping and swelling in your legs and feet.
We also always pack a change of clothes in our carry-on. It just feels so great to be able to switch into a clean and fresh outfit after sitting in the same clothes for hours on end. Plus, it’s a good backup in case the airline looses your checked luggage.
What we do to sleep better
While sleeping in an economy seat is never comfortable, there are a few items that can make it easier for you to get a somewhat decent rest.
A good travel pillow is a must-have for us, although which kind depends on how you prefer to sleep and where you sit. A square pillow is easier to prop up against the wall and will provide better support and cushioning, while a neck pillow is the better choice if you prefer to sleep upright, and especially if you sit in the middle or aisle seat since you won’t have a window to lean against.
Face masks are another useful item to bring on your flight, since the light coming from outside during the day or the cabin lights at night can be very disruptive to your sleep. For ours, we try to find a good compromise between the light reduction and how much pressure the mask applies on our eyes and face, so that we can be as comfortable as possible.
Along with a pillow and a face mask, we also like carrying a lightweight blanket to get more cozy and protect our legs from the cold. Alternatively, we find that a large scarf also doubles perfectly as a blanket.
When it comes to blocking out the noise from other passengers and the plane’s engines, we recommend getting a simple pair of earplugs. There are several varieties with different levels of noise reduction, so you can choose what best suits you.
For ourselves, we prefer downloading some music a couple of podcasts from Spotify and use noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones. Whichever method you prefer, just remember that the higher the noise reduction the more likely you are to miss out on important communications from the crew, such as turbulence warnings. That’s why we always make a point of keeping our seatbelt fastened if we can’t hear what’s going on around us, and especially before going to sleep.
Keep yourself entertained
Sitting for hours on end without anything to do except looking out of the window and chatting endlessly with your neighbour (shudders) is a sure-fire way to drive yourself completely insane.
For us, podcasts and music playlists are our go-to choices to keep our minds busy, and we always download a couple of our favourite movies from Netflix to watch offline, especially when flying with low-cost carriers that don’t have on-board entertainment. We also love reading a good book before getting some shut-eye, but since we travel light and books occupy too much space we sometimes carry a basic e-reader instead.
Another item that we always make sure to bring on our travels is a Nintendo Switch Lite. We grabbed one for a bargain price at the Plaza Low Yat mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it’s become one of our favourite ways to pass the time during long-haul flights and layovers, so we definitely recommend checking it out if video games are your thing!
Now, with all these electronic devices you’ll need a good power bank to keep them charged. If you only need to recharge your phone and other small devices, then a 10.000 mAh power bank should offer you more than enough power, and is a great compromise between weight and battery size. If you need to recharge larger devices such as laptops, then it’s best to get a 20.000 mAh with a power output that matches what your device needs.
Finally, we enjoy having cards and mental games such as sudoku or crosswords, as they are a great way to pass the time and take your eyes off the screen. Not only, games that challenge your thinking skills are a great way to tire yourself out and ensure a good night sleep.
Bring a water bottle and a few snacks
While most airlines provide on-board meals, with the exception of some low-costs, we still like to bring a few tasty bites to keep our morale up during our flight.
Cereal bars, small wraps, chocolates and trail mixes are some of our favourite snacks to carry on board, although we try to avoid alcohol and very salty or very sweet food as it can cause bloating, dehydration and disrupt your sleep cycle. We also generally avoid having heavy meals right before a long trip, and prefer instead to have small bites during the day to make our digestion easier.
Staying properly hydrated in the very dry air of the cabin is absolutely crucial, and it’s the reason why we each bring a reusable water bottle. We recently started using a collapsible bottle along with the standard aluminium and steel models, since it’s lighter and occupies less space when not filled.
Stash these items in your carry-on toiletry bag
Since airplane cabins tend to have extremely low levels of humidity, it’s common for you to start feeling other physical effects in addition to dehydration during your flight, such as dry and itchy skin and parched lips.
For that reason, we always pack a small tub of moisturising cream in a travel bottle along with a simple lip balm, so that we can make our trip a little more comfortable. For long-haul flights, we also always pack our toothbrushes and toothpaste tablets, since dehydration is a know cause of bad breath.
A few extra tips
- Travel during the night
Flying at night allows your body to more easily follow its circadian rhythm, which is essentially your internal sleep-wake clock. You’ll have an easier time falling asleep, and will likely wake up feeling more rested than if you travelled during the day. - Eat small bites at intervals
The pressurised environment of the cabin, along with the constant sitting position and the dry air, can cause your digestion to become difficult and result in bloating and stomach cramps. To reduce the strain on your system avoid binge eating during the flight, and instead have small bites around your main meal. As we mentioned before, you should also avoid alcohol and either too salty or too sweet food, since they all contribute to dehydration and digestive issues. - Book the best seat for you
The kind of traveller you are should determine which seat you book. If you are generally restless and can’t stay seated for too long, or simply need to stretch more often, it’s best you go for an aisle seat so your neighbours don’t have to be moving out of your way the whole time. If you’re more likely to stay seated or sleep for the majority of the flight, then you should book the middle or window seat. - Make sure your seatbelt is fastened and visible
In accordance with safety regulations, flight attendants should check you’re wearing your seatbelts during takeoff, landing and ahead of expected turbulence. Since that’s mandatory for all passengers, make sure your seatbelt is fastened and visible before you doze off to sleep so the attendants don’t have to wake you up.
And there you go!
From dressing light to staying hydrated and entertained, these are the simple ways that we make our long-haul flights more manageable and comfortable.
What about you, what are you go to methods for surviving long-haul flights?
