Whether it is for business or pleasure, flying 8+ hours on a crowded aircraft sounds like some people’s worst nightmare. However, with a little preparation and well thought out hand luggage, you can easily survive your long-haul flight feeling comfortable, refreshed, and ready to begin your travel experience. We’ve put together 12 tips & tricks to aid your long-haul flight experience.
Sleep!
Even if it’s just a 30-minute nap, your body will still benefit from the rest, and it will make the journey go much quicker. It can prove difficult to sleep on a busy plane so it’s important to bring a few essentials like a neck pillow, an eye mask, earphones, or earplugs to help block out the surroundings, relax and get some rest.
Avoid Heavy Meals
Eating a large meal on the flight or just before take-off means it’s tougher for your body to digest the food and will make it more difficult to sleep. Being bloated while in the air can cause further discomfort too, so it’s best to avoid eating large meals just before flying.
Take it slow on the caffeine
By all means, have your morning coffee but you should attempt to moderate your caffeine intake before take-off to avoid staying awake, feeling dehydrated or creating a feeling of anxiousness or agitation while you’re in the air for 8+ hours.
Bring your own snacks
You will be provided with in-flight meals on your long-haul flight, but they’re often not the tastiest and may come at a time you’re not expecting because of the different time zones you’re flying between. Noodles for breakfast may not be the most appetizing, bringing snacks means you can eat when you want and have a choice of what you’re eating too!
Stay hydrated
Aircrafts are very dry places, and you’ll often find yourself becoming very thirsty or feeling like your skin has become a little dry while on your flight. It’s vital to drink plenty of water on board your flight and even pack some facial moisturizer to keep your skin feeling refreshed.
Stay hygienic
Come prepared for your flight with a few standard toiletries. Pack a hand luggage sized toothbrush and toothpaste to help you feel that little bit fresher during your flight or if you wake up from a nap. Pack some hand sanitizer and hand cream to keep you feeling clean and content, it helps make all the difference to your journey.
Comfy clothing is a must
Staying comfortable with breathable layers is key for long-haul flights. You’ll experience different temperatures throughout the flight so it’s important to wear layers you can take on and off, you will also want to be able to relax in your seat without restrictive clothing bothering you for 8+ hours.
Wear comfortable shoes
Your feet and ankles tend to swell on long haul flights because of the amount of time spent sitting down with your feet on the floor. Wear shoes that aren’t tight on your feet or begin to feel sore after a period of time and attempt to flex and extend your legs to help your body’s blood flow.
Move around the plane
To keep your sanity on a long-haul flight it’s vital to move around to aid your blood circulation and stop your legs from falling asleep. It can also help any feeling of discomfort, feelings of being trapped or agitated while in the air. It’s also a lot healthier to take a stroll down the aisle than to pop a sleeping pill for the journey.
Don’t overpack your hand luggage
There’s no need to cram everything you can into your hand luggage to keep yourself busy for the flight. You will just end up creating a stressful situation for yourself either in airport security or for others due to your constant fidgeting with the case in and out of the overhead lockers. Ideally, you want to pack your hand luggage sensibly so the elements you may need for the duration of the flight can be on top and either taken out before the flight or easily accessible, it saves you a lot of dismissive tutting from other passengers.
Keep yourself entertained
Music, books, movies, podcasts you name it, it’s the time to download them all and sit back and relax. Download a variety of entertainment for your flight because it’s more than likely that you’ll get bored after a couple of movies, and who knows what you’ll be in the mood for? It’s vital that you download all your entertainment before your flight, so you’re not stuck without WiFi or forced to pay for it in-flight.
Be respectful to your fellow passengers
There’s a big chance that you’re going to be sitting next to a complete stranger for 8+ hours so be nice and polite no matter how self-explanatory it is. You’re both in it together so a little respect goes a long way.