How to Survive Long-Haul Flights – 13 Top Tips

I absolutely love to travel – but I think it’s time to address the part I like the least – the actual travel. Specifically, long-haul flights. Because let’s face it, there is nothing glamorous (or fun) about being crammed into a tiny space next to a bunch of strangers with no way to sleep comfortably for hours on end. As someone who lives quite far away from her family, I regularly end up on a plane for 10+ hours, wishing I could just teleport.

It is essential to prepare yourself properly for long-haul flights, and can be intimidating when it’s your first time. Luckily, over the past couple of years, I’ve picked up a few handy little tricks to help make my trips significantly less horrible.

1. Choose your seat wisely

When you book your flight, consider reserving a seat. If you are traveling solo and are short, random seat allocation might not be a problem for you. But if you have longer legs, economy probably won’t have enough space for you. Instead of dealing with constant pain and discomfort, try a seat with extra legroom, or at least an aisle seat.

If you’re traveling with a partner or friend, you may want to spend a bit extra to sit next to each other.

Tip! Book a window and an aisle seat in the same row. Unless the flight is really full, people will avoid booking the middle seat. If another passenger does end up in this seat, they will agree to switch seats 9 out of 10 times.

I’ve also noticed that the back of the plane is the last to fill up. Everyone always wants to be as close as possible to the exit, but if you’re hoping for expty seats next to you, it is much more likely to happen in the back rows. Of course, it comes with the sacrifice that turbulence might be worse in the back of the aircraft.

2. Stand up regularly

Sitting for hours restricts bloodflow to the legs. Make sure that you get up at least every 2 hours or so to avoid getting leg cramps and swollen feet. Stand up, go to the bathroom, walk down the aisle a few times.

3. Wear comfortable clothes

This may seem obvious, but I’ve seen way too many people on long-haul flights in skinny jeans not to have this tip on this list. I’m not saying that you have to travel in sweatpants and a hoodie – you can absolutely throw together a cute, but comfortable outfit.

I like to wear loose black cotton trousers – the material is thin and not scratchy, and I can move my legs without compromising comfort. I also avoid wearing a bra with wiring, and generally opt for a sports bra instead.

Another option is to pack a change of comfy clothes in your carry-on. Change as soon as the seatbelt lights are off after takeoff.

4. Wear layers

Trust me when I say that it is impossible to predict the cabin temperature. It is important to be prepared for any situation. Wear short sleeves, but have a warm jacket on hand (preferably one that opens in the front, or it might be awkward to put on or take off.

5. Don’t overpack your carry on

Lugging around a giant carry on will definitely make your trip worse. Shimmying down the aisle of the airplane cabin trying to get to your seat, or dragging through an unfamiliar airport to get to a connecting flight at 4 in the morning is not great.

Try to pack as much as possible in your checked luggage and really only pack essentials for the flight and valuable items in your carry on. Learning to pack lightly might be tricky, but check out my post here for some handy tips.

Not only can it be impractical to take with you, but a huge carry on can restrict your leg room even more. I like to pack a small bag into my backpack containing just the things I’ll need on the plane and avoid having anything else with me.

6. Pack a small self-care bag

One of my top tips for long-haul flights is to always have a few of your favourite self-care products on hand. The recycled airplane air can make you feel kind of crusty and gross, so freshening up is guaranteed to make you feel better.

The key is to keep it simple – it’s definitely not necessary to pack your entire skin care routine. Here are some of my personal non-negotiable essentials:

• Moisturiser: The cabin air can be really dehydrating and harsh on your skin.
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash: There is nothing worse to me than feeling like my breath smells.
• Face wipes: These are great if you get sweaty armpits, but also for cleaning your hands after you’ve eaten.
• Vaseline: My lips ALWAYS get chapped on airplanes. It’s also great for dry skin on your face or body.
• Deodorant: Even though airplanes usually aren’t super hot, most people somehow end up sweaty on long flights.

7. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle

It is vital to stay hydrated throughout long-haul flights. Unfortunately, some airlines have a more steady supply of water than others. I’ve been on 10-hour flights where I only got one small (300ml) bottle of water, but on others I’ve gotten water regularly. Obviously you can’t predict this before you’re actually on the flight. Of course, you can always ask the flight attendants for water, but sometimes they just disappear.

So, I suggest you bring your own bottle. I use an insulated bottle (to avoid temperature fluctuations), which I fill up after security.

8. Bring your own snacks

Similarly to water, food supply can be somewhat unreliable on flights. Make sure to pack some of your favourite snacks in your carry on, because being hangry is the last thing you need on a long flight.

Snacks will especially come in handy if something unexpected happens, like a flight getting delayed (and I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford airport food). It’s also difficult to predict the meal times on flights, so even if you don’t end up eating your snacks, it’s always good to have a back-up plan.

9. Have a pill box on hand

If there’s one thing worse than being in an uncomfortable environment, it’s getting a splitting headache on top of it. So, it’s always important to have a travel pill container on hand with whatever you might need. I generally pack painkillers and something for motion sickness or tummy ache.

You can also add some melatonin to your pill box, which might help you get some sleep. I definitely haven’t used this on most of my flights, but I think it’s something I would rather not risk going without.

10. Prepare entertainment for yourself

Intercontinental flights generally have a screen with a decent selection of movies. But I’ve learned that it’s one of the less reliable things on the flight. Maybe I’m just unlucky, but on 3 of our last 5 flights either my partner or I had a broken screen. I even had a 6-hour flight recently on which nobody had a screen.

That’s why it’s so important to be ready with your own entertainment. I always bring a book (an e-reader is a great investment for anyone who likes to travel and read), and download podcasts, music, movies and series on Netflix.

11. Bring your own headphones

Noise-canceling headphones are a lifesaver when it comes to flying. The flimsy, wired earphones that the airline hands out work just fine, but using good, noise-canceling over-ear headphones will make your flight so much more pleasant. Trust me, it’s worth the money.

If your headphones don’t have an aux connection, buy an aux to bluetooth adapter on Amazon to connect to the plane screen. You can buy one on Amazon. Otherwise, make sure that you bring an aux cable in your carry on.

12. Charge all your devices

The day before you leave, charge every device that you might need on your journey. For me, that includes my phone, tablet, laptop, heaphones, and e-reader.

Also bring a good, fully-charged power bank. Be sure to check your airline for restrictions on power banks before you buy one. Usually, they are restricted to 100Wh (per power bank), but it might vary from one airline to the next.

Lastly, have all cables in your carry on luggage. Make sure you have charging cables with a USB connector, as well as an adapter, because the available power points might vary depending on where you are.

13. Bring a pen

This might sound like a silly, basic tip, but every time I’ve forgotten to bring a pen, I’ve put myself in a very awkward situation. Especially when you travel internationally, you’ll probably need a pen to fill in immigration forms. And you can’t always depend on flight attendants for it.

Having a pen ready will help you get through immigration as quickly as possible, because you won’t have to wait in line to use the ones at the airport.

I hope you find these tips to be useful in your own preparation for long-haul flights in the future. Happy travels!