22 Tips for Long Flights
Table of Contents
Long flights can be extremely boring. Whether this is a 7-hour journey or a 20-hour flight…Your seatmate can be an annoying person. A poorly planned trip can ruin your day. Yet, don’t worry, there’re several ways to make a long flight bearable.
Your long flight doesn’t have to be tedious and tiring. Here’re the tips that’ll give you a comfortable flight.
Eat Carefully
What you eat on the plane is also very important. It may be easier to cope with jetlag if you choose foods rich in carbohydrates such as pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal. Apart from that, high insulin levels make it easier to switch between sleep and food. For this reason, we recommend that you make your meal choices on the plane in favor of carbohydrates.
Stay out of Sight
If you have a favorite seat, we can’t say anything about it. However, we recommend choosing the rear seats if you can. It’s noisier but somehow everyone usually tries to get the front seats on a plane. So, this is an advantage.
Have Snacks
Is there anything better than a snack when you’re bored? Don’t be caught unprepared. You don’t want to be hungry when you’re on the plane. Snacks on the aircraft are very expensive. Especially, if you’re going on a plane that doesn’t have food service, it’s very difficult. For this reason, keep protein-rich snacks with you. For example, you can think about crackers and yogurt.
Use Your Air Miles
Isn’t it time to show off the air miles you’ve saved? This flight is your turn! Lean back in a first-class seat and enjoy your flight. Have a fine meal with fine wine. You’ll feel very rich! You can’t imagine a more comfortable flight than this.
Give Chance to Last Minute
Unfortunately, we may not always have miles. But it wouldn’t hurt to take a last-minute chance. Be at the airport early before the flight. Dress well and smile. So, show yourself elite! This way, you increase your chances of making a last-minute upgrade.
Eat Less
According to some studies, digestion is more difficult while in the air. For this reason, it may not be a very good idea to get stuffed on a plane. Depending on the flight time, you may prefer to eat before boarding. If it’s a very long flight, consider snacks. One more tip, warm foods are easier to digest than cold foods.
Feel Special
If you’ve flown with a vegetarian or vegan person before, you may know that these meals are served first. So, if you want to get your food before everyone else, try this method. That way, you can eat early and sleep more. Get a special meal. These may vary depending on the airline you fly with. Some airlines even have plenty of gluten-free options. You can check these options before your flight.
Deal With Jetlag
Jetlag is one of the most annoying aspects of a long flight. But don’t worry, there are things you can do to prevent jet lag or live lighter. As a method, adjust your sleep patterns a few days before your flight. Otherwise, set the flight to arrive during the day. Don’t make the mistake of not sleeping before your flight. This is one of the most common mistakes.
Drink Water
There’s no general rule about how much water you should drink on a flight. However, in general, it’ll be in your best interest to drink much more water than you normally do. This is what experts also recommend. Air travel is something that leaves you thirsty. For this reason, you should drink plenty of water before and during the flight. Remember, you don’t just have to be thirsty to ask the flight attendant for water.
Don’t Drink Coffee
You may think caffeine is keeping you up. But, this is wrong. Caffeine makes you dehydrated and makes you angrier. Also, the energy it gives lasts for a short period. You’ll feel much more tired afterward. Therefore, keep drinking water and avoid coffee.
Instead, Drink Herbal Tea
If caffeine is a challenge for you and you want to drink something other than water, your preference should be for herbal tea. Especially, green tea will be a good choice. Even some minerals in green tea are believed to avoid jetlag.
Don’t Drink Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol may sound like a good solution to relax. For example, you may fall asleep more quickly after a beer. However, it’s important to be mindful of alcohol consumption on flights. For instance, limit yourself to a beer or a small bottle of wine. Because alcohol and caffeine are similar in this sense. While it may seem like they’re relieving for a while, they cause worse results later on. Drinking too much will cause dehydration. This makes jetlag worse.
Early Check-in
Rest assured, you don’t want to rush to catch a plane before your long flight. Especially in a crowded airport. Therefore, don’t delay the check-in and do it early.
Prepare Yourself
What you do before the flight greatly affects your comfort in flight. For this reason, prepare yourself for the flight by doing good things that day. For example, have a healthy breakfast. Then, go to the gym. Read lots of books and take a walk. All of this will do you good and relax you before your flight.
Have Your Important Things with You
On a long-haul flight, you’ll have more items with you than on a short-haul flight. However, you should not put all of these items in the suitcase. Essentials should be in your hand luggage. For example, if you have a medicine that you use when you have a migraine, you should keep it in your bag.
Bring Pillow
It’s wise to bring a small pillow for a comfortable sleep on the plane. Many travelers also use this method. If you can’t find it before your flight, travel pillows are sold at almost all airports, so you can buy them there. You may think it makes you look funny, but you shouldn’t worry about such things on a long flight. The comfort of your neck is very important for you on long flights.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
You may not want to go out in sweatpants, which is perfectly understandable, but it’s still in your best interest to wear comfortable things on the plane. Moreover, that doesn’t necessarily mean wearing sweatpants. You should choose comfortable and loose clothing. For women, leggings will be comfortable, for example.
Get Earplugs
There may be a lot of noise on the plane that you can’t stand. Like someone who smacks their food or a child who cries all the time… But they don’t need to put you at ease. Quality earplugs are very good. These block both aircraft noise and passenger noise.
Listen to Comforting Things
It’s nice to eliminate the noise, but sometimes you also want to hear something, apart from the airplane noise of course! Sounds called white noise are good for this. It can be a meditation sound. These’ll always prevent the noise and also relax you. They’re also very good for you if you’ve trouble falling asleep.
Dress in Layers
It can be difficult to keep body temperature constant during long fights. From time to time, you may find yourself sweating while you’re extremely cold. To avoid this situation, it’s best to dress in layers. So, rather than flying with a t-shirt jacket, it would be a better choice to wear a sweatshirt over a t-shirt and a jacket if necessary. This way you can easily change your clothes according to the temperature during the flight.
Don’t Let Your Sleep Be Interrupted
If sleeping is more enjoyable for you during the flight, make sure your buckled seat belt is visible, and then fall asleep. Because if there’s turbulence, flight attendants will show up to make sure everyone’s seat belts are fastened. If your belt is lost in your blanket or jacket, they have to wake you up to check. If you leave it visible while sleeping, you’ll not be disturbed even in case of turbulence and you can continue to sleep.
Use a Sleep Mask
Another tip for not interrupting your sleep is to use an eye mask. An eye mask will be very useful for you, especially if you’re flying during the day. And, for those who always want to sleep during the flight! Because you can sleep this way even then the cabin lights are not turned off.
FAQ
How do I survive a 15-hour flight?
There are some methods you can follow. Such as not consuming too much alcohol, drinking plenty of water, and wearing comfortable clothes.
What should I avoid before flying?
You shouldn’t consume too much alcohol and coffee. You shouldn’t leave check-in to the last minute.
How do people survive middle seats on long flights?
It would be good to get on the plane as early as possible and settle into your seat. Your hand luggage or bag should not be too many. Try to get along with your seatmate. For comfort, get a neck pillow and get noise-canceling headphones.
How often should you walk around on a long flight?
You should get up and walk around every 2-3 hours. Even if you don’t have enough space to walk, you should some leg exercises while seated.
How do you prevent blood clots when flying?
Try to walk down the aisle when allowed. Don’t cross your legs. Wear loose-fitting clothes so that blood flow isn’t restricted. Drink lots of water. If possible, try to stretch your feet while seated.
Is it good to exercise before a long flight?
Yes. 30-45 minute workouts will be good for you. Even just walking is enough. In this way, you will feel better when boarding the plane.
Should I get a massage before a long flight?
It may be good to have a massage as it’ll relax you. It’ll also reduce your stress.