Twelve tips to make your long-haul flight more bearable
Flying to a far-flung destination? Lucky you! Check out these ideas to make your journey more comfortable
Image credit - Eva Darron, Unsplash
Holidays or faraway trips are exciting to plan, but air travel involves moving through time zones in a small metal tube next to other tired grumpy people who haven’t changed their underwear for quite some time. I’ve listed a few ways you can make this a little more comfortable, but here are a few quick fire suggestions before we get on to the proper advice:
If you get stuck next to a relentlessly crying baby, I suggest you wear headphones and a benevolent smile and remember that you were a baby once too.
If you get stuck in heavy turbulence, practice meditational breathing and happy thoughts and just accept there’s little you can do until it passes.
If you’re lucky enough to be present during an outburst from a fellow passenger that ends up as a viral TikTok, enjoy the live show and hope you get plenty of likes, follows and offers from your subsequent content.
However, if your trip is long but uneventful (which is the best case scenario), here are some tips to make it more bearable.
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Before your flight
Download the airport app - Many airports now have their own apps which offer discounts, a list of on-site amenities, and will even send information such as boarding gate changes directly to your phone.
Prepare to manage jet lag - Apps such as Timeshifter ping advice to your phone a few days before you depart to help you adjust to the time difference. It helps your circadian rhythm by suggesting when you should avoid or seek out light and caffeine and when and how long you should sleep.
Pack diligently - It might seem obvious but if you take time to double check your hand luggage size and contents are within the published rules, and your passport is well in date, you’ll get through the security process much more smoothly.
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Stay hydrated – although you can’t take liquids through security, you can take empty, re-useable bottles. All airports have water stations before and after check-in, so you can stay well hydrated which will help you feel less bleurgh during and after your flight.
Ok this one’s somewhat delicate – flying can make some people a little, er ‘clogged up’, so as well as staying hydrated. if this sounds like you, the best way to combat this is to take a gentle stool softener (like DulcoEase or Fybogel) before you board. You also need to follow the previous advice and stay hydrated.
Clothing – Wear something clean, loose, and comfortable. Layers are a good idea as it can get too cold or hot on the flight and you’ll need to take into consideration the temperature and time of your arrival destination.
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Comfort - There’s only so much you can do in economy, but a neck pillow is useful to prevent your head from lolling if you’re trying to sleep. The inflatable ones are less bulky and easier to carry than the sponge ones. If you’re light sensitive, then bring an eye mask. This might be TMI but I also remove my bra (in the loo obviously) the first chance I get.
Moisturise - Pack a little self-care kit for the aeroplane. Toothbrush and toothpaste mean you can brush your teeth before you land and stay minty fresh. I also take a little pot of eye cream, some personal wipes, hand lotion, face moisturiser and a lip salve. Make sure all your products have a neural smell to avoid disturbing your fellow travellers.
I also never wear make up on flights and take a 15-minute sheet face mask to keep my skin from drying out too much. The flight attendant was handing out water when I last wore mine and she didn’t bat an eye lid, despite me looking like something out of the movie Halloween.
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Keep yourself entertained – You can sometimes check out the in-flight entertainment on the airline’s website beforehand, although, you’ll have plenty of time to kill and browsing will help with that. Some airlines offer privacy screens so fellow passengers can’t see what you’re watching. This came in useful when I was watching Adam Driver and Lady Gaga going at it during House of Gucci. If more than six hours of close proximity to a screen starts to make you feel strange, pre-downloaded podcasts, audio books and music are all useful.
Food – Sometimes the airline website or app will publish the menu for your flight, so you can choose what you want or bring your own snacks instead. If you are a bit peckish, you can sometimes head to the galley at the back of the plane and see if the lovely stewards have anything available. Ask nicely and they’ll also fill up your re-useable water bottle for you.
That’s it. Be mindful of other passengers, be nice to cabin crew and safe travels!
