15 Travel Tips for Long Flights - Have a Comfortable Trip

(Last Updated On: August 18, 2021)

Everyone desires a comfortable trip. Long flights are monotonous. Travel tips for long flights can help a great deal to make the journey memorable and better. In this article, I am going to provide some travel tips for long flights:

Travel tips for long flights

Here are travel tips for long flights for your perusal.

1. Get away from it all

You’ll need a good strategy for wasting several hours of your journey, and I don’t mean working; looking at spreadsheets and drafting proposals may burn time, but it won’t make it go away.

You want these hours to vanish nearly completely. Consider headphones and blockbusters from Hollywood. Getting a lot of work done is fine—you seldom have 15 uninterrupted hours without phone calls or messages, so bring some work with you—but work will fail you when you reach the ordeal’s terrible middle hours. Don’t get me started on headphones and Hollywood.

2. Prepare your carry-on bag

If you want to arrive looking and feeling like a million bucks, bring the following travel-size items in your carry-on bag: Brushing your teeth helps you feel alert and refreshed, deodorant to make you smell good, and lip balm and lotion to keep your skin shining no matter how dry the air is or how terrible the jet lag is.

Aside from packing toiletries, make sure you have a pen and the location of where you’ll be staying (for the first night) so you can fill out all of your immigration paperwork without bothering the flight attendants.

3. Get to know your neighbors

Striking up a conversation with the person sitting next to you isn’t always successful, but it’s worth a try – you never know who you’ll meet on a plane, and many friendships, business transactions, and vacation plans have begun on aircraft.

Plus, once you’ve introduced yourself and maybe even made some small conversation, it’s a lot simpler to ask for movie recommendations or the cookie your seatmate hasn’t finished.

4. Accessorize and go to bed

Earplugs, an eye mask, and noise-canceling headphones will help you relax even more. This, along with your neck pillow, will allow you to relax, cuddle up as much as an economy-class seat permits, and enhance your chances of sleeping. Unless you want to stay awake and concentrate on the small screen in front of you…

5. Don’t Overburden Yourself

While checked baggage costs encourage people to bring on more and more items, this may be costly on a long-haul trip; everything beneath the seat in front of you means less legroom and a more confined living area for the next 15 or 16 hours.

Don’t overpack to the point that you’re fighting for your own sleeping space. However, you’ll want to bring the necessities to make the trip more pleasant, so don’t go too light on critical long-haul gear.

6. Don’t forget to bring your go-to gear.

I’m not a big fan of gear in general. Except on a long-haul journey, I can’t be bothered to drag about neck pillows, sleep masks, earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, and so on. As previously said, your overall carry-on luggage should be kept to a minimum, but you might want to consider some of these in-flight necessities.

The inconvenience of packing and carrying these around is dwarfed by the misery of 15 hours in the air with crying children, pilot announcements, engine noise, and a major crick in your neck, and the inconvenience of packing and carrying these around are dwarfed by the misery of 15 hours in the air with crying children, pilot announcements, engine noise, and a major crick in your neck. Prepare yourself.

7. Take pleasure in the show.

When you’re watching movies or TV shows, time flies. Many airlines allow you to check the movie selection online, allowing you to plan your entertainment schedule or supplement it with your own personal library.

Even while movies are a great way to relax and unwind, there’s a risk the in-flight entertainment system won’t work: Always have a backup plan in places, such as a book, computer games, movies, or music, so you don’t have to endure the agony of staring at the back of your seat for eight hours.

8. Pay attention to legroom.

The convenience of carry-on baggage is fantastic. Until you have to stow it beneath the seat in front of you, at which point your already restricted legroom effectively vanishes. Ensure that all of your luggage is stored in the overhead bin so that you may stretch your legs and feet frequently and gracefully.

9. Wear the Appropriate Clothing

A long-haul trip is not the time to emphasize fashion above comfort unless you’re getting off the plane directly into a business meeting.

Wear breathable, loose-fitting clothing that allows you to move freely, slip-on shoes, and an additional layer (such as a sweatshirt or pashmina) in case the plane is cold. See 18 Things You Should Always Wear for more tips.

When flying long distances, avoid using contacts and instead go for glasses. (My ophthalmologist advises against using contacts for more than 14 hours at a time.)

10. Take into account a sleep aid

A couple of hard-won pointers: To begin, don’t go to bed early the night before a journey with the hopes of sleeping the entire flight. If you can’t sleep for whatever reason, as appealing and logical as this notion may appear, you’re in for a world of suffering.

Even if you are fairly rested, you will be on the plane long enough to catch a few winks, and my suggestion is to accept it when it comes; if your eyelids start to droop, bring out the eye coverings and earplugs, and go with it.

You could be unhappy with yourself later if you waste a two-hour snooze on a few additional games of Angry Birds.

Second, keeping to your regular pre-bedtime routine might assist your body to prepare for sleep.

11. Get some exercise before you fly.

Being active and doing some exercise before your journey may make you feel calm and maybe a bit weary, which is great when getting ready to sit in an airplane for hours.

Instead of making a wild sprint for the gate, try working out, swimming a few laps, or going for a run or a brisk stroll before you go. Even strolling around the airport might assist if you don’t have time.

12. Pick up a few phrases in the local language.

Learning a new language is not only a fun way to pass the time, but it will also make your life much easier once you arrive.

You may read a book, listen to music on your phone, or view movies on your tablet while greeting border authorities, cab drivers, and hotel receptionists as if you were a local.

If studying one language isn’t difficult enough, try learning a few words in the languages of the nations you’ll be flying through.

13. At the gate, inquire about available seats.

If you were unable to choose fantastic seats prior to your trip, try again at the gate.

If the aircraft is not yet full, the gate agent may be able to locate an empty row or arrange for you and a traveling companion to sit in a “window and aisle” configuration, which lowers the chances of someone sitting in the middle seat and guarantees you at least a seat and a half.

If you’re unsure about your seat assignment, it’s never a terrible idea to inquire (politely) at the gate. Even if you are unable to relocate your seats, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you tried.

14. Walk around and stretch

Sitting for long periods of time is not only inconvenient, but it can also lead to deadly blood clots. Standing up, walking around, and stretching your muscles as much as possible is a good idea — as long as you follow the seatbelt-sign requirements, of course!

In the inflight magazine or on one of the TV channels, several airlines recommend workouts. You can always twist your body, wrap your arms around yourself, extend your legs, roll your head and ankles, or stand up and bounce on the tips of your toes if you’re stuck for ideas.

15. Drink plenty of water and rehydrate as needed.

Dring enough water. Because flying dehydrates your body, you’ll need to drink more than you would on the ground. Do not wait until you are thirsty and must clamber over other passengers to catch the attention of the flight staff.

Instead, purchase or pack a reusable water bottle that you can fill after passing through security and then top up with the plane’s water.

Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol, since they dehydrate the body and make sleeping more difficult. Bring some light snacks (fruit, almonds, crackers) to keep you from getting hungry in between meals as one of the travel tips for long flights.