Best Tips to Survive Long Haul Flights
We all love traveling, but before we reach a foreign country, it is often necessary to overcome the journey to our dream destination. The long-haul flight is for many a dreading part of a vacation that's why we've put together tips on how to enjoy a long-haul flight.
How to enjoy a long-haul flight? And is it even possible to enjoy it while so many people rather speak about surviving a long-haul flight?
Well, it depends on many factors, and definitely the most on your approach.
As we often travel long term and a bit more than the average person, we have quite many experiences with long flights, and during the years we've developed our system to enjoy flying and several hours on board.
No, we do not want to lie to you and sugarcoat this whole thing.
Long flights are for sure our least favorites parts of travel, but since we know it is impossible to avoid it when we want to explore destinations far away, we learned the hard way how to enjoy it as much as possible.
The longest flight without a layover we took was from Jakarta to Amsterdam, which took fourteen hours, but we also have experience with plenty of flights that took 8+ hours, which taught us how to handle the situation.
Probably the worst journey in terms of length was from Prague to Auckland, New Zealand, that with layovers took more than 30 hours.
But the truth is that the flight to your dream destination is always easier than the return flight when you have nothing to look forward to anymore.
If you are new to traveling by air to a destination far away, or if all long-haul flights in the past were terrible, keep on reading.
We are convinced that our tips for enjoying a long-haul flight will help you to have a pleasant experience.
No matter how these tips might seem minor, when you put them all together, the reality on board can be absolutely different.
Of course, we are talking here about surviving a flight in the economy class as flying in the business class is much more enjoyable in every aspect.
Getting through a long-haul flight has many small nuances, and we are ready to share the best travel tips that will help you to spend several hours on board and during a layover at the airport as comfortably as possible.
BUY AN UPGRADE TO THE BUSINESS CLASS
Even though we know we said this post would be about enjoying the long flight in the economy class, we are also aware that some of our readers might be reluctant to spend many hours in the coach.
Well, there's only one way to avoid it and to make the flight more pleasant, and it is booking a ticket for the business class.
It is usually way more expensive than the economy (unless you are upgraded for free).
But if you think you won't be able to survive quite a long time cramped on the middle seat without a possibility to stretch your legs, or you already have an experience that was not pleasant, this is the only way how to avoid it.
Consider whether the extra value is worth the money, though.
In case you decide to opt for the first class, it still does not mean that you should stop reading this post.
Because even if you travel in the business class, regardless of the comfort, there is still a long time to kill, and you might find our tips for the more comfortable flight helpful.
CHECK OUT ALL THE FLIGHT POSSIBILITIES
We know that sometimes it is simply impossible to avoid a long-haul flight, but you should always check all the possibilities out there, and make sure your flight makes sense money and time-wise.
It is ok to prioritize saving money, we often look for the cheapest tickets ourselves, but we are not teen anymore to secure the cheapest flight available at all costs.
Pay attention, and take your time before selecting your flight.
If you can, try to avoid unnecessary long layovers as they can have a negative effect on your whole experience.
Even if it does not seem that way, long waits at the airport are tiring.
We vividly remember the night spent at the airport in Baku, or the uncomfortable time in Dubai before our connect flight to Kathmandu.
When your flights are planned wrongly from the very beginning, it can impact your first days in the destination.
Of course, sometimes there's no way around it, and if there's only one option of flights available, you must work with what you have.
SELECT THE RIGHT SEAT
If you know you have a long flight ahead, never underestimate selecting the right seat.
To be honest, if we know the flight will last three or four hours, we do not bother to pay extra to secure seats next to each other.
Usually, it works out, and we can sit together, we are able to switch seats with a single traveler or take the opportunity in case the flight is not fully booked, but in general, it seems like a waste of money.
First of all, we can survive a few hours without sitting next to each other, secondly, during the short flight, we do not mind whether we sit in the middle seat or aisle seat.
In case we are buying flight tickets for a long flight, it is a different story, though.
For a longer flight (5+ hours), we always make sure to reserve a seat next to each other, and we try to book a window seat.
Sure, it means that one of us will always be seated in the middle, but it works best for us.
We do not like to be seated in the very back of the plane because of the proximity to the toilets.
Some people like to reserve tickets for the seats near the emergency exit as there's more space for legs, but remember these spots are usually impossible to recline.
WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES
What is the key to enjoying a long-haul flight? Wearing comfortable clothes.
Simply put, wear the kind of clothes that you like, and make sure it is not too tight, the fabric is soft, possibly seamless.
It might seem like a small detail, but there are definitely pieces of clothes that are not suitable for long flights, and there is no reason to make the long-haul flight even more challenging when it is so simple to avoid any troubles.
I like to wear seamless leggings , a t-shirt with short sleeves, a fleece jacket , and a scarf as I often feel cold on board.
Martin usually wears similar clothes, only except for the leggings, he likes either jeans or hiking trousers.
According to our experience, on the day of your travels, it is best to wear dark colors and wrinkle-free materials.
What else should you consider wearing?
Comfortable shoes and we can recommend compression socks that help reduce leg swelling.
Some people like to pack their own light blanket, travel pillow, earplugs, and sleeping mask as well.
BRING YOUR OWN ENTERTAINMENT
It happened to us countless times that even longer flights with a low-cost airline did not offer any entertainment at all. That is one of the disadvantages of traveling on a budget.
But even when you do not travel with a low-cost airline, you should think about your time aboard and how you are going to spend it.
We think it is not wise to be fully dependent on entertainment such as films and music provided by the airline company.
Why? Well, the selection is often quite poor, and we are not keen to see TV shows we've seen a thousand times before.
Plus you have to quite often pay for it.
That's why you should always bring something from the following items.
A new book or Kindle, fully charged phone with your own noise cancelling headphones, and laptop or iPad, where you can watch a film from your movie library.
We are not saying that this way you'll stay entertained for the whole duration of the flight.
But it is quite important to prepare books, films, and music you like, that will help you to get through a long time on board.
STAND UP FROM TIME TO TIME
To prevent blood clots and to relieve muscle stiffness, you should not underestimate the necessity to stand up from time to time.
How often should you get up, and if possible walk around a bit?
It is recommended every two hours when you are awake.
If you are too lazy to stand up, or you do not want to bother the passenger sitting in the aisle seat, it is great at least to move with your legs to ensure blood circulation.
We find it impossible to sit straight for seven or more hours, so we usually go to the bathroom slowly, and then stand for at least ten minutes to stretch our bodies a bit.
This is, of course, possible only if the captain switched off the seat belt sign - when we sit, we always keep the seat belt fastened for the case of unexpected turbulence.
TRY NOT TO SLEEP BEFORE THE LONG FLIGHT
I have a confession to make. No matter how often we travel, I still did not get used to the feeling of being up in the air.
Simply put, flying is my least favorite way of any journey.
For me, it is almost impossible to fall asleep and enjoy the relaxing moment, which is a shame, because sleeping is a great ‘activity’ to kill some time in the plane.
That's why one of our tips for surviving a long-haul flight is not to sleep before the actual flight.
Wait until you board, and only then allow yourself to take a nap. It is much better if your flight is in the evening, so you can be active the whole day before the flight without much effort.
Small sleep deprivation cured on a long-haul flight is, according to us, not a bad thing.
We know that some travelers recommend sleeping pills to ensure they will fall asleep during the flight.
Honestly, we have no experience with this method as we like to avoid medicaments when possible, but feel free to figure out what works the best for you.
We prefer to drift off naturally.
When it comes to the preparation for a long-haul flight, do your best to stay active the day before your flight, and try to avoid sitting all day. This way you won't get annoyed by sitting too early.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
EAT SNACKS AND DRINK WATER
Several hours long flights usually offer meals onboard in the ticket price, plus you can always buy a snack, but we would never rely solely on the food provided by the airline company.
Every person has different eating habits, so we recommend you pack your own snacks.
Not only your body will feel nourished, but the food is also one of the things everyone enjoys while on the plane.
If there is something even more important than food, it is staying hydrated during the long flight.
Traveling by plane dehydrates the whole body, that's why you should never forget to have a water bottle with you.
Some travelers like to drink alcohol on board to set their mood right from the very beginning of their vacation, we have only one comment for that - be responsible and do not drink over your limits.
To stay hydrated, except for drinking enough water, we recommend you using a facial creme, hand creme, and lip balm as well.
DO NOT FORGET HYGIENE
When boarding for a long-haul flight, we think that every small detail matters.
We are not afraid to say that all of us feel more comfortable when clean and fresh.
Take a shower before the flight, dress clean clothes, but do not forget to stay as tidy as possible during the whole flight.
For us, the rule of thumb is to pack toothpaste and bamboo toothbrush.
Make sure you pack the small toothpaste that is allowed by the airline company.
If you require more items for doing your evening or morning hygiene, always check out the airline's guidelines.
We do not know how many times we had to throw out an antiperspirant or a creme, because it was bigger than allowed.
Pack hand sanitizer, tissues, and it is also popular to have wet wipes , but we try to avoid them as they are not exactly eco-friendly.
PACK A SMALL CABIN LUGGAGE
To make the flight even more enjoyable, we like to pack compact cabin luggage - usually a daypack - that we can store under the seat.
One of the reasons is, that we do not have to look for anything in the overhead compartments, and moreover, we feel our stuff is much safer under our feet, where we can see and feel it.
We keep cameras and other valuables in the cabin luggage, this is why we prefer to keep them close - it is one less thing we have to worry about.
LEAVE ALL YOUR PROBLEMS AT HOME
The best way to enjoy a long-haul flight? Leave all your troubles behind.
Nothing can make the flight more uncomfortable than thinking about things you either did not have time to do or about things that are awaiting you after the arrival.
Once you get seated and once you fasten your seat belts, try to be positive and think about your future or past trip. Think about how great it will be to spend a day in Machu Picchu or Iguazu Falls.
Believe us, that helps a lot to survive the flight in a much more pleasant manner.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
