25 Tips to Thrive on a Long-Haul Flight

If you've got a long-haul flight coming up, chances are you're really excited about where you're going, but not necessarily the flight to get there. And I get that because, let's be honest, after 10 plus hours in economy, most people spend the first day of their trip exhausted, uncomfortable, and wondering why in the world they paid to do this to themselves. But after hundreds of flights around the world and making literally every mistake in the long-haul we've learned what actually works. From choosing the right seat to the things we never board without, these are the exact things we do and carry to make sure we arrive to our destination more comfortable, better rested, and actually ready to enjoy the trip. And make sure you stick around to the very end because we are going to give a tip that is literally a flight attendant secret. Holy cow. Oh my god. And it makes you look like a pro traveler. Section one, win before you board. Now before we talk about what to pack and how to actually sleep on the plane, let's talk about what to do beforehand because some of the biggest improvements to your long-haul flight happen way before you even get to your seat. Tip number one, choose your seat strategically. You know, economy, back row, middle seat, feeling like a princess. We'll start with front and back of the plane. The front of the plane is typically more highly desired and sometimes airlines even charge more for those seats. I think the idea goes that after a long flight on economy, all you want to do is just get off that plane and as fast as possible. But if I'm being fair, de-planing once it gets going goes pretty quickly. And if your motive is to be the first to immigration, I can confidently say that most of that work is actually dependent upon how swiftly or briskly you can actually walk to immigration, not so much how quickly you get off the plane. Alicia and I are very fast walkers and I can tell you most of the time we are at the back of the plane and we end up to immigration before most of those who are on the front of the plane. Do you know what's taking you so long? Now, to aisle or to window? Alicia, window all the way. Better views, better for sleep because you can like actually lean on the window. And to be fair, I don't actually know how many views Alicia sees because she's so good at sleeping on a plane. And less interruptions because nobody needs to get by you. Now me, I am definitely more of an aisle guy. I am fidgety by nature. I definitely like to move around. I like to get out of my seat, go for a quick walk just to like keep circulation and just to feel good. And even just like that little like extra stretch out into the aisle when there's no flight attendants coming through. For me, that's my jam. If we are on a wide berth plane with like say a 3-4-3 configuration, one trick we try to do is to select the side section but select the aisle and then the window in hopes that nobody will want to sit between us. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Now, if you are also an aisle person and you are traveling solo on one of those wide berth planes, I would say that the aisle seat in the middle section like the four of the 3-4-3 is probably a better option. Because if you can actually sleep, I cannot, you have a better chance that if you're sleeping, someone needs to leave in the middle. They will go the other way if that other person is not sleeping. So you will have potentially less interruptions which is a huge bonus when you're trying to get as much rest as you can on a plane. Other options for seats are exit rows and bulkhead seating. That kind of divider wall that separates passengers from the galley or the restrooms or between business class and economy class. Now, the benefit is the extra legroom, the extra room to kind of actually stretch your legs. It's easier to get up from your seat and leave. But on the flip side of that, your TVs are usually in your armrests and fold out. So therefore, you cannot watch them during takeoff and landing. Which means if you're like really close on that movie, you might not be able to see the ending. Which I feel like I'm always at the end of a movie right when we're landing. There's also no under seat storage during takeoff and landing. And by nature, because they're by the galleys or by the doors, these typically can be colder parts of the airplane. A special consideration if you're looking at the bulkhead front row seats, as that's oftentimes where they put the bassinets. So there's going to be families and potentially babies in those rows. Not that that makes for a bad flight, but just so you're aware. And if sleep is a super priority that you factor that in, if you do decide to take that seat. And lastly, like bonus, if you really want to get into the weeds with plane seats, there's a website called seatmaps.com. And you can go up and you can look up your aircraft and get a little more information on the seats on the plane. Number two, download the app for the airline that you're flying and check the seat map. Check it after booking, maybe a week before your flight, a couple days before your flight, or even at check-in. Because seats open constantly. Because people have flight changes, people miss their connections, people cancel their flight, or people upgrade. So there's an opportunity to maybe find a better seats right up until you board. And if worse comes to worse, at a good time, you could also ask the desk agent if there's anything open. Because at that point, most things should be locked. But definitely keep an eye on that because if your row fills up, when we booked this row, it was completely empty. But we have a new neighbor. Maybe another row kind of empties out and you can move your seat there instead. Number three, pre-order your meal. If your airline offers meal selection before departure, take advantage of it. You're going to have a better chance of getting the meal that you actually want. And it often allows the airlines to better accommodate your dietary preferences or restrictions. And one of the biggest perks is that you are going to be one of the first to be served on the plane. I see this all the time because we forget to do this all the time. And those people get to eat first, they get to use the bathroom before the post-meal rush, and then they get to rest and just maybe sleep or dive into the entertainment sooner than everybody else on the plane. It's really a win-win if you can do it, if the option is available to you. Number four, download everything before you get on the plane. Do not rely on in-flight entertainment for a number of reasons. One, they may not have it all. I know that's unusual, but we were on a flight, I think it was maybe eight to ten hours long, and I was so excited to dive into the movies and just hang out. No screens whatsoever. I was blown away and I had nothing downloaded. Alicia at least had her podcast downloaded. I had nothing. So I was so bored and I cannot sleep on planes. But also, sometimes the flight is sold out, you're sitting in your seat, and you go to play your TV, and it's not working. For some reason, your seat is broken. And when there's nowhere else to go, there's no other options. So download everything, download your Netflix, your Hulu, your Disney Plus, audiobooks, podcasts, everything. Everything you need to stay entertained during the flight. Kindle, load up your Kindle. Get the Libby app, connect it to your library, and just download a bunch of free books. Or buy yourself Kindle Unlimited for a month. It's vacation, it's like 12 bucks. Just do that. And then of course, you are going to want to screenshot all of your important documents. We usually make a travel day folder and we screenshot our email confirmations for our flights, boarding confirmations, lounges that we need to access. Just anything important that you may need for check-in, for immigration when you get to your destination. Always screenshot that information because again, you don't know what airport internet is going to be like. Maybe your eSIM isn't working and you just want to make sure that you have all that stuff when you're in a pinch. Number five, pack snacks that you actually like. Water, soda, cookies, and Pringles. Again, I always go back, don't rely on the in-flight service because sometimes service is delayed due to turbulence. Sometimes you think you're getting a meal and then you're on the plane only to discover that it's a buy-on-board flight and the only options available to you are paid snacks and paid meals. Personally, Alicia will vouch for this, I am way too cheap to buy food on a plane. And then it's entirely possible too that you just may not like the options that they have or maybe because you didn't pre-order your meal, they aren't able to accommodate your dietary restrictions. And sometimes you're just not exactly sure when the next snack or meal is coming through. So long-haul flights, hard enough. The last thing I ever want to be is hangry on them. Tip number five, airplanes are super, super dry. So you're gonna want to prepare for that environment. And I think that starts first with hydration. For short flights, I don't worry about hydration as much. I know you should just always, as a good rule of thumb, be well hydrated. But personally, I'm trying to avoid the airplane bathroom at all costs. So short flights, I don't worry about as much. But for long-haul flights, it's so important to your comfort and just health to be well hydrated on a plane. And you're going to be using the bathroom regardless. There's no way you're not going for 10 to 12 hours. So you might as well just make sure that you're drinking enough to feel the best that you can. Ideally, that would start at least the day before, almost like you're preparing for like a 5k or marathon race. And at very least, the day of. You definitely don't want to wait until you're getting on the plane because water is limited at that point to the in-flight service, which are usually pretty small portions. Which is why we always pack our own water bottles. Because once you get past security, there's usually water refill stations in most airports now. If not, just buy one before you get on the plane somewhere. Other things that could be good to carry are artificial tears in case your eyes get dry. Definitely going to want some hand lotion, face lotion. And the biggest thing for me, like my travel day kryptonite is not having chapstick. I always try to have multiple. I have one in my pocket right now because I will never forget. I was walking around the Turkey airport at our layover trying to find a simple thing of chapstick. And the only thing I could find was like some designer for $20. And I just said, no thanks. Because again, I'm cheap. This is TMI for sure, but I think it's just worth noting. So I'm going to say it. If you have an early day flight, even if it's early, I try to get up a couple hours before we're supposed to leave move around, drink my coffee, even though I know it technically dehydrate too, and do my business at home because I don't want to go in the airport. And I definitely do not want to go on that airplane. So sorry, but I just honestly think it's worth it. And I am always more comfortable on my long haul flights as a result. Number seven, totally free. Be kind. Kimberly at Turkish be nice to everybody. I mean, if you think it's bad to wake up early to fly to an amazing destination that you're so excited about, think about how it is to work that early morning and keep sending people off to these amazing destinations while you sit there and work all day. So just be kind to absolutely everybody. And it usually has a funny way of building good travel karma and coming back in unexpected ways, but you don't even need that. It's just nice to be nice. Number eight, if you have a credit card, I'm not saying open a credit card. That's a whole different game. But if you have a credit card, check to see if you have access to a lounge. Lounges are the greatest invention to an airport that I am aware of. Quiet. They have food. They have beverages. You can charge your stuff. You can sit comfortably. There's nicer bathrooms and there's no announcements. It's pure bliss. So again, not saying you need to open a card, but maybe you already have access to one on a card you own. And if not, that's okay. Find a quiet gate, throw those headphones on and take advantage of some of that entertainment that you downloaded. Okay. You picked your seat, you made it through the airport onto the plane. And now it's time to talk about the things we never board without. This is a big one. And this is where you get into some of the gadgets and it's kind of fun. Number nine, have a designated flight bag. This is all the stuff that you are going to need for you during your flight. So our carry on luggage, that is luggage that we're taking for a trip goes in the overhead compartment. Our personal item is either that flight bag or the flight bag is inside and we take it out and take our flight bag with us to our seat. It's going to have everything that you're going to need for the flight. Water bottle, headphones, Kindle, book, snacks, cosmetics, anything that you're going to need. The idea is that you don't have to leave your seat to access those things. Number 10, a little bit of housekeeping when you get to your seat goes a long way. So we usually pack some wipes and then some hand sanitizer. It's nice just to wipe down your tray table, your space, and just get it all nice and clean because who knows if they actually cleaned it before you got on the plane. And hand sanitizer is nice because hour one on an airplane bathroom looks a whole lot different than hour ten. And these are just nice things to have with you while you're traveling anyway, so you might as well have them on the plane. Number 11, compression socks. I swear everybody swears by these. They're nice. At least it gets really swollen feet and legs when we travel. It doesn't get to me as much, but I still wear them preventatively because it just puts a little bit of pressure on your feet and your calves and kind of helps some of the circulation when you're sitting for a long time. That said, I still recommend that you get up and walk around and stretch a little bit periodically. I mean, even just when you go to your bathroom breaks, something is better than nothing. Number 12, dress in layers. Planes have the ability to be both saunas. The air conditioner on this plane is not working. And yet a cold plunge within the same flight, the plane is freezing. It is the craziest thing, but it's good to have nice, loose, flexible, comfortable clothing because you're sitting there for 10 to 12 hours. So dress in loose, flexible, and comfortable clothing that you can both layer up when it's cold and layer down when it's warm. For me, a hoodie is an absolute must. I love the kangaroo pocket. I can kind of put stuff in there. It does get a little chaotic from time to time, but other than that, it just keeps me warm. It kind of acts as a pillow when you're laying back against the headrest. And it's also just kind of like this nice privacy shield as well. So it's definitely a go-to for every single travel day. Also wear comfortable shoes. You're going to do a lot of walking. I tend to gravitate towards running shoes. I love on clouds, and I have some new balances as well. And it's nice because you can kind of like tighten them up when you need to and also just loosen them up when you need to so they can kind of slide off and slide on. All in, we dress for comfort and not so much fashion. How do I look? Do I look frumpy? I think just a general descriptor of you is frumpy. That's really rude. All right. Number 13, get a handheld fan. Those things are amazing and they are clutch. I'm so happy right now. It's so hot out. When you are at that point where you get on the plane, everybody's still boarding, you haven't taken off. And for some reason it acts more as a sauna than an actual airplane. It just gives you a little bit of extra relief. And there's a ton of affordable ones on Amazon. Some even have use as a backup battery charger, which is just fascinating to me. They're also just really handy if you're going to a warmer destination or you're traveling during summer and you can just have it when you're out and about walking during the day. They're a really, really good investment. Number 14, takeoff and landing can be nerve-wracking for some people. It does not bother me in the slightest, but for some people it's a time of high anxiety just because maybe you're not so comfortable flying or maybe it's the change in pressure in your ears. So bringing gum can be advantageous because first of all, you're chewing, you're kind of focusing on something else. Also just kind of helps break up the pressure changes as you were taking off or landing. Now there's also some specialized earplugs that are on Amazon. I've never used them, but apparently they slow the transition of the pressure changes and make it a more comfortable experience for takeoff and landing. If that bothered me, I would go the earplug route because Alicia, well, she loathes chewing gum. So it's something I used to do all the time that I just don't do anymore, but it's a viable option if that's something that affects you. Okay. Props. I have props. Number 15, noise canceling headphones. These are a lifesaver. Nothing to me compares to over the head noise canceling headphones. It drowns out engine noise, crying babies, other passengers being other passengers, and it just makes it easier to sleep and it's 10Xs your entertainment experience, especially when these, these are what airlines give you. These are awful. Absolutely awful. But I mean, they have to give out a gajillion a day, so whatever. I don't use those, but if you do use these, just make sure you bring your cord because you have to plug these in. That's the key. I always panic with that because I think I forgot these, but it literally, it's just the best experience ever. Also, I carry a pair of shocks. These are like running headphones, but I usually have these on in the taxi cab ride and in the airport when we're kind of going through or waiting in line so that I can listen, but also still be present. But once I get on the airplane, I am locked into these and I tune out the entire world except during the pre-flight safety spiel. Alicia does more of like an AirPod setup, not exactly AirPods. And the thing with that is if you do those, it's great, but you have to have a Bluetooth adapter for the inflight entertainment. We have something like this. I can't remember what this is called. I think it's called like AirFly, but it's like so rubbed off. There's a bunch of versions on Amazon. However, since you use these so infrequently, I have to like download how to connect this because I swear it always comes disconnected when we're not flying. And then you have to set it up again, but we also had two. So maybe I was just switching ours every single time. All right. Number 16, get yourself a good phone mount. This is magnetic and it goes on my phone and this is good. You can use this as a wallet on the back of my phone, which is great. It also serves as like a tripod for taking photos if you want while you're on vacation or just like setting up this little tripod and you can like twist it and watch TV. The disadvantages to this is that if you set it on your tray table, you're kind of always looking down, which is no good. And if you have turbulence, it's, it can fall off the tray table as well, which is why we've got this guy. This guy is like a little transformer. This is cool because it's weird, but it clamps onto stuff. And that way better version of this would be if it was magnetic and that probably exists. I probably just bought the cheaper one because I'm cheap. Backup battery charger. I don't know if it's controversial, but obviously there's a lot of stuff going on with backup battery packs these days. So I don't say to have one for during the flight, but I think it's a good idea to have one for when you land because your phone might be close to dead to just plug in because most flights now have some level of power, especially long haul, but it's usually USB-A. So kind of like the older, slower chargers and then actual power outlets. But even in like a row of three, there's usually only two outlets. So you either have to get it fast or, or you don't get one, but you know, those things also sometimes just don't work. So you have to have some sort of backup. So again, keep it with your flight bag, make sure it's a reputable brand. It's newish. You know, again, we only use it when we land, we plug in immediately. So that by the time you get out to get your cab, you actually have a full charge and you're pretty, pretty good. Number 18, eat the meals, eat all the meals. Again, this is maybe just a me thing, but if there's food put in front of me, I eat it all because I think the worst thing about being on a flight would be to be hungry on a flight. I know they give a lot of food for the meal sometimes. So if there's like things that won't go bad, I'll just kind of like put those aside. Now, if you would sleep better just by not eating a meal at all, more power to you. But for me, full belly on a flight, that's my sweet spot. Section three, let's talk about actually getting some sleep because getting some sleep can make or break your first day as being something that you remember fondly versus being basically a zombie. So number 19, the second you sit down, change your clock on your phone to the destination time. Like from that moment on, you are on your new destination time. And that can kind of impact decisions that you make. Like when you sleep, when you eat, do you have coffee or not? You just kind of want to start getting in the flow and rhythm of your new destination as quickly as is possible. Can't believe we're in the twenties. Number 20, keep your routines. Like if you have a bedtime and morning routine, which I mean, we must all have one, right? Keep it to the best of your ability on the plane. Your brain knows what it looks like when you go to bed and it knows what it looks like to be For our system, we have like a seat contained system. So we have these little disposable toothbrushes. Could you bring your own toothpaste and toothbrush? Yes, you could. I just have a recurring nightmare of brushing my teeth in an airplane bathroom and dropping my toothbrush on the floor. So in comes disposable toothbrush. It has toothbrush head and it actually has toothpaste in there. So you don't have to actually have toothpaste separate. And then it's got this little flosser at the end, which does actually pop out, but I usually keep it on because it extends the handle. This to me gets you about 80% of the way and 80% on a long haul flight is good enough for me. And it's very conservative on space, which is really nice. Now, if you have a neighbor that is not your partner, maybe just go to the bathroom and do this. But if it's just you and your partner, who cares? Now I wash my face before bed every single night. I don't wash my face in a bathroom in an airplane, but Alicia usually brings makeup wipes and we just wipe down and refresh with that. And then put some like face lotion on really easy, really simple setup. And then maybe, maybe if you want, if this is your thing, maybe some PJs, like whatever gets you more comfortable and enough to sleep. I say do it. And then in the morning you just wake up, do it all over again, maybe throw a little deodorant on good to go. 21, the most recent and game changing addition to our sleep lineup on a plane. At the very least, you should have this, an eye mask, not just for the plane, the plane. It's very nice because you know, you might be sitting next to that person who puts that light on for the whole flight and you don't want that. It's also really great for your trip for hotel and Airbnb stays. You never know what it's going to look like. You put this on lights out, but this is a flight we're talking about. So we got this eye mask and what it does is it wraps around the seat, the airplane seat, and then the face mask comes over on Velcro and it's like keeps your head locked back. So there's no more, which Alicia is just like all the time. She tried it on her most recent flight. Also, Alicia is just loving this headrest. Look at this. Loved it. Said it was the best sleep she had ever gotten on a plane sitting upright. If you want to enhance that experience and you want like a neck pillow or something, definitely recommend something inflatable because you're literally using it for like your flight and your flight only. So you want to make it easy to pack and carry around otherwise, but neck pillow, this thing, maybe your hoodie up your noise canceling headphones. You have this beautiful little cocoon ready for you to just get the best sleep you possibly could on a plane. Number 22, check with your doctor. A non-addictive sleep aid, like melatonin, something subtle. It's not a miracle cure, but it can help you get maybe a little bit more sleep or fall asleep more comfortably. But again, check with your doctor. 23, if you pack PJs, maybe just change back into your own clothes, but I think like a nice fresh shirt goes a long way and maybe you can change your socks quick. Since our layover in Bogota is 13 hours, we decided to pack some toiletries and an extra change of clothes. I feel like those little things help freshen up a little bit, especially if you're coming from like a colder destination to a hot destination. I don't need that anymore. It's so hot here right now. I'm completely overdressed. A t-shirt is nice to acclimate a little bit more comfortably. Number 24. Take the pen. Oh no. Pen. I know. Why would you ever need a pen? I couldn't. I don't know. Because when you don't have the pen, you need the pen. I know most things are electronic these days, but every once in a while, you run into some customs form, some new arrival document or a random piece of paperwork. It's just one of those things that you don't need it. If you have it, if you don't have it, you need it. Okay. Thank you very much. Number 25. This is the game changer. The finale. This is by far and away our favorite long haul tip. This, this, this. Remember that tip about being kind? This takes it to a whole nother level. This is like a crew thing. Crew members, when they fly on other flights, do this for crew members. So every time we do this, people think we're crew. Bring chocolates and a handwritten note or postcard for the flight attendants and crew. Now, this is not to expect anything in return for this. This is just like how to better start a flight than with gratitude and generosity because flight attendants and crew, they work long hours. They're away from their family. They deal with stressed travelers and they most importantly, they get us from point A to point B comfortably and safely. And I think that is a huge, huge reason to say thank you to them in advance. We just think travel is better when we remember the people that are behind the scenes, making this all possible for us. And a little bit of kindness goes a long way. And that is it. If you have tips, tricks of your own, I'm sure we've missed many. Leave them in the comments because people read comments all the time and they can be a very helpful source there. And if you're looking for a destination to take your long haul flight to, check out this video here. We talk about seven amazing destinations that we highly recommend and are still somehow, even today, affordable.