The Definitive Guide to Surviving a Long Flight with 18 Top Tips
Long flights, known as long-haul flights, are generally flights over eight hours. Personally, I consider any flight six hours or more to be a long-haul flight. These flights include any coast-to-coast flights in the U.S. and flights to Europe and Asia from anywhere in the U.S.
Sitting in a not-so-comfortable seat, at 30,000 feet, with dry air, and all sorts of noises, for six hours or more is challenging, to say the least. The tips below can help alleviate the challenges of long-haul travel, but honestly, nothing will make it fun (and this is coming from someone who enjoys flights).
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Planning for a long-haul flight starts waaay before your flight takes off.
Exercise
Before you leave for the airport, try to get some exercise in. I prefer a run, but a spin class or a walk will do the trick too. Exercising before you board a long flight will help you fall asleep faster, sleep better, and alleviate some of the effects of sitting on a plane for 6+ hours.
Packing
Whether you’re checking a bag or just bringing a carry-on, packing the bag you’ll have access to during the flight is essential.
Water: A water bottle is crucial. If you’re bringing a water bottle from home please don’t forget to empty it before going through TSA screening. Your bag won’t make it through and you’ll have to do the walk of shame (been there). If you don’t want to bring your water bottle from home, I recommend buying the largest bottle of water that you can find after you get through security. I normally go with the large Smart Water bottle.
That water bottle isn’t just there for decoration - make sure you drink plenty of water before your flight. To make sure you’re hydrated when you get on the plane, this should start before you leave for the airport.. Long flights are incredibly dehydrating, so if you start dehydrated you’ll end up with swollen feet and fingertips and dry, dry skin.
Whether you keep drinking water on the flight depends on whether you sit in the aisle or window seat. Personally, I prefer the aisle seat during daytime flights so I can walk around and the window seat during overnight flights so I can sleep as much as possible.
A change of clothes: I recommend packing a change of clothes in your backpack or whatever you’re using as a personal item. You can change either right before you land when you arrive at your destination airport, or during a layover. Changing into clean clothes will go a long way towards making you feel refreshed. Having a change of clothes also means you can dress for comfort for the flight, without worrying about whether your outfit is appropriate for your destination.
Compression socks: Compression socks are a godsend when it comes to preventing swollen legs after a long flight. Particularly if it’s an overnight flight or you have a window seat, you won’t get up often and compression socks will really make a difference. Honestly, I’ve never found that the sock part of the compression socks fits very well or is very comfortable, so I wear the compression sleeves. Compression sleeves (and compression socks) are widely used by runners, so if you’re having trouble finding them check out your local running store. There are different levels of compression, so I suggest asking someone at the store to help you find the right one.
Entertainment and electronics: Even if you plan to sleep for the entire flight, bring something to watch or read, just in case. It’s the one time you forget to download your latest Netflix show that your tv isn’t working and you can’t fall asleep. Plan to have a long enough book or enough Netflix shows/movies to keep you entertained for the entire flight.
I also can’t recommend noise-canceling headphones enough. My flying experience improved dramatically when I got my first pair of noise-canceling headphones. If you get a good pair, they will completely drown out the engine noise, and that crying baby would have to be sitting next to you and screaming to break through. If you have earbuds, don’t forget an adapter to connect your earbuds to the in-flight entertainment. I have this Twelve South one and it’s never let me down.
Toiletries: If you’ve read my post on How to Pack for an Overnight Flight, you know I’m a fan of “going to bed” before an overnight flight. But even if I’m flying during the day, I like to freshen up before I land if I’m not going straight home. I make my toothbrush, toothpaste, face soap, and moisturizer available during the flight. The difference just brushing your teeth makes to make you feel fresh is amazing. I also pack a face mist (I got one on a JetBlue flight that I’ve been toting around for a while now), because my skin just gets so dehydrated during long flights.
Sleep aids: If you are taking an overnight flight, you’ll want to try to sleep. An eye mask can make a big difference in when you fall asleep - before take-off when all the cabin lights are still on, or not until drinks and meals have been served and the cabin lights are turned off. I also take Melatonin before an overnight flight, because that’s enough to get me to sleep and keep me asleep.
A travel pillow: This one is controversial. I never pack them because they take up too much space. I used to have an inflatable pillow, but that ripped and I haven’t been able to find a new one. If you have the space for one, they are comfortable and keep your head from rolling around when you’re asleep. I just make do with the headrest flaps because I’m just not willing to give up that much space.
Footrest: These things are amazing. The second greatest travel accessory, after the noise-canceling headphones, is the travel footrest. These are tiny compared to a travel pillow, so you don’t have to sacrifice space in your carry-on, and are great for overnight flights and daytime flights. To use it you just loop it through the tray table (in its upright position) and adjust the height. They let you adjust how you’re sitting enough that you can save yourself all those aches and pains after 6 hours of sitting in the same seat.
What to Wear
Now that we’ve covered what you need to pack to survive a long-haul flight, what should you wear? Quite simply: layers.
A hoodie: I’m a big fan of a hoodie with large pockets for a flight. I tend to get cold on a plane and a blanket isn’t always available. On an overnight flight, I can pull the hood up, put my eye mask on, and tuck my hands into my pockets to get comfortable.
Warm socks: Like I said, I get cold on a plane. Even if I’m wearing compression sleeves, I pack my warmest socks for the flight. Which brings us to another controversial topic: whether to take off your shoes. If I’m wearing a pair of thick socks I don’t have a problem taking off my shoes. I don’t wear these socks all day, I put them on just for the flight, so foot odor isn’t a problem. If foot odor is a problem, do not take off your shoes. And, under no circumstances should you be barefoot during a flight.
Loose-fitting pants or dress: I have a nice thick travel dress that’s perfect for long flights. It’s thick enough to keep me warm (with tights or compression sleeves underneath), has a hoodie and nice big pockets. I recommend loose-fitting pants if you don’t have the perfect travel dress. Sitting on a long flight in skinny jeans, or any jeans, is just torture. Another reason for loose-fitting pants - you want to be able to get your compression socks on.
What to Do at the Airport
Now you’ve finished packing and got through security but you still have time before your flight leaves. What do you do?
No alcohol: Having a glass of wine to celebrate the start of your vacation is tempting. One (maybe two) drinks should be fine - just make sure you’re well-hydrated. Alcohol worsens dehydration and the altitude increases the chances you’ll tip over the edge to intoxication during the flight. Personally, I’ve found that flights speed up the hangover process, and who wants a hangover in the middle of an eight-hour flight?
Eat (or bring your own food): Unless you’re flying first-class, airplane food is terrible. And if your flight is an overnight flight, you don’t want to stay awake long enough for the flight attendants to serve food. I recommend eating either before you leave for the airport, at the airport, or bring food with you. Airport food options aren’t always great, so if you have access to a lounge, take advantage. They have private bathrooms, better food, and more comfortable space to wait.
And don’t forget to keep drinking water!
Walk around: You’re about to sit on a plane for 6+ hours. After you check out the lounge and eat, walk around. At least walk around for the 15-30 minutes before you board. I also recommend visiting the restroom immediately before you board. I’m not saying airport bathrooms are great, but they’re better than airplane bathrooms.
On the Flight
You made it through boarding and your flight has taken off - what now?
Sleep or no sleep: There are a couple of schools of thought on this. Some people recommend sleeping as much as you can on a long-haul flight, to fend off boredom. I prefer to use the flight to adjust to my new time zone. If it’s overnight at my destination, I sleep. If I’m landing later in the day, I power through and make myself stay awake.
Whether you want to sleep or not also makes a difference when picking your seat. If you want to sleep as much as possible, the window seat is probably the best bet. The worst situation is a seat neighbor waking you up multiple times to get by.
Quick story: I took a long-haul overnight flight and had the aisle seat. Two college-age women sat in the middle and window seats in my row. At one point I woke up and saw the woman in the window seat walking over the armrests to get back to her seat. I don’t know how she got up there and I don’t know how she got by me the first time without waking me up. I don’t know who they were, but I appreciated her and she’s a travel champion.
Walk around: Even if you try to sleep as much as possible, you’re likely going to wake up once or twice during the flight. If you do, try to walk around a bit before going back to sleep. If you’re trying to stay away, walk up and down the aisle whenever you can, watching out for other passengers and making sure not to disrupt the flight attendants.
Keep hydrating and eat: You did all that work to hydrate before you got on your flight - don’t lose it all now. During your walks ask the flight attendants for another bottle of water (or 4 or 5 if they only have the tiny ones).
Like I said before, I don’t recommend eating on an overnight flight, because I think it’s better to get as much sleep as you can. If you have an ultra-long flight or are flying during the day, you’re probably going to get hungry at some point. If either of those is true, I recommend bringing snacks with you or stopping at an airport restaurant for something to bring aboard. Please be considerate of your neighbors and don’t bring anything odorous.
And that’s it! Hope you have an amazing adventure!
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