If your anything like me then you love traveling around the world, experiencing new places and new cultures. But to do that you sometimes have to take a long haul flight to get there. In this post I will use my experience with flights to help you learn how to survive a long haul flight.
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I actually fly a lot. I fly home to see my family at least once a year, this year it will be at least twice. This flight is from one side of Canada to the other. And my boyfriend and I go on at least one trip somewhere else for a vacation. Your probably wondering how we can afford to fly this often haha. You can find out our tips and tricks for paying for travel in this post.
When I travel I take a backpack with me as a carry on with several things in it. Depending on how long the flight is this bag may get bigger.
Entertainment
The first thing I pack is things I can use to entertain myself during the long flight. Before I leave for the airport I download new music on my phone and I also download TV show episodes and movies onto the Netflix app on my phone. Not all planes have TV’s and if they do they don’t always have something you want to watch and I always get the one that doesn’t work haha. So if your planning on listening to music or watching something, which I’m sure you are, don’t forget to bring headphones!
I would also suggest bringing something along the lines of a book or a kindle to keep you entertained. You could also bring a journal or something if you prefer to write. A great thing about reading and writing on a flight is that it might help put you to sleep so you can get that flight over with!
Comfort
Another very important part of a long flight is being comfortable! This might even be the most important part of this how to survive a long haul flight post. I always make sure to dress in comfortable clothes because I’ll be sitting in that seat for a while. If your on an extremely long flight you may want to take a change of clothes so you can change either halfway through your flight or near the end so you can feel refreshed.
Another must is booking your seat ahead of time. If you can afford to pay for business or first class good for you, got for it… but I can’t afford that. What’s most comfortable for me is to book the aisle seat. That way it’s easy access to get up and I can stretch my legs out into the aisle every now and then to get the circulation moving. Just make sure you don’t trip anyone when doing this haha. It’s a good idea to get up and walk to the bathroom often enough so you can stretch your legs and back. A great stretch fro your back is to reach your hands up high in the air.
If your on a long flight or an overnight flight some sort of pillow is a must. So many times I’ve told myself that I won’t need it and then I keep waking up from my head falling haha. A pillow will keep your head in place so you can enjoy some rest. I also like to bring some medication with me when I fly. Bringing Gravol in case there’s any turbulence or I’m having trouble falling asleep is a great idea for me. I also bring Tylenol in case I have a head ache from the dryness of the cabin or any screaming children. Don’t forget to also bring something for your lips because the cabin can get extremely dry and my lips are always bothering me on long flights.
Food
And the last thing I bring with me are snacks. I will grab some things in the airport and maybe something like a wrap to bring with me. Flights do have meals on board to buy but they do run out and may not have what you want. If your on a long flight and they don’t have any food that you like you really don’t have a choice but to eat the food they do have or wait until you land. That’s why picking something you like in the airport before hand can be a great idea.
And those are all my tips for how to survive a long haul flight. Hope you enjoy your travels! If you’re looking for somewhere to travel to check out Riu Emerald Bay in Mexico or Grand Sunset Princess in Playa Del Carmen.
I bring an eye mask so I can try to get some sleep. My hubby and I share my ipod so we invested in a headphone splitter so we can both have two headphones each. I make sure I have magazines a book and my Kindle. Always dress in comfy clothes and wear socks planes get cold!
Great advice, especially for long flights…I travelled to South Korea once – almost 16 hours from LA…it is key to pack things to read and watch so you don’t go a bit crazy!
Loved your article…going for a long flight soon and was looking for an article on that. Thanks for sharing
Wearing something comfy is the #1 thing I do when flying no matter how long the flight is. I’ll neber understand the people who are all dressed up on planes! Looks so uncomfortable.
Hi – Going on our first overseas flight soon, so I was thrilled to see this post! I always bring my pillow everywhere! Good read.
This will help me when I start traveling the world.
I’m one of the lucky few that can just pass out on planes, so domestic flights are never an issue for me! But for our LOOOOONG flights to & from Italy (and all the train travel from one city to the next once we were there) I found it so useful to have a puzzle book — I favor logic puzzles — to keep my hands and brain busy. And, of course, phone and/or camera charger so you can take advantage of outlets while you’re stuck in one place for so long.
I’ve never taken the change of clothes on the plane, but that’s a great idea! I’d add to your list the following: eye drops, face wipes, and your touch-up makeup like concealer, mascara, a comb, and a tinted chapstick. That way you can do a quick refresh when you deplane and before you begin sight-seeing.
Hahahaha…i do most of the things you have mentioned.
Im always in my comfy tracky pants and trainers.
Always have my ipad with a lot of movies downloaded incase onboard entertainment is rubbish.
An eye mask and loads of food.
I do 13 hour flights with at least a minimum of 2- 3 hours stop over when im going home.
Loved reading this.
Great tips! Our boys will be going on their longest flight this summer- not totally long haul but to Hawaii, so longer than anything they’ve done thus far! We’ll be using some of these tips!!
I am allllll about the snacks and podcasts on a flight. I need it!
Thanks for the tips. As we travel more and more, these will come in handy.
Very much needed advice !! My Husband & i will be flying for the first time ever in July! Thanks for sharing !!
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