Every single one of us dreads long-haul flights. For what feels like an eternity, you’re confined to a little aircraft. It is evident that the individual responsible for designing the seats was unaware that most individuals possess legs. On top of everything else, the row behind you has a wailing infant.
Long-haul flights need not be a source of anxiety for you. Make the most of your next lengthy travel with these easy ideas, such as making the most of your stopover time and remembering to bring a power bank.
On top of that, you have no headphones with you, your phone is dead, and the person sitting next to you is more talkative than a late-night talk show host. Is this place familiar to you?
Making your flight more enjoyable is not tough; it doesn’t have to be that way. No matter how much or how little experience you have flying, the most important thing is to be ready. If you follow these 19 simple flight rules, your long-haul journey will be a breeze.
1. Choose Your Clothes Wisely
When you’re flying, your comfort should be your number one priority. This is particularly true for flights lasting ten hours or more. Wearing appropriate clothing is a simple method to enhance your flight’s comfort. A few good choices are tracksuits, leggings, cotton t-shirts, hoodies, and thin sweaters. Especially considering that, excepting first class, it is not really acceptable to wear pajamas on a flight.
But don’t overlook your feet; for maximum comfort, wear in your shoes before you set out. Ladies, please put those high heels in your checked baggage; wearing new shoes on a long-haul flight is not a good idea.
As long as you prioritize personal hygiene, it’s also acceptable to remove your shoes on long-haul flights. Socks are probably not the best choice for walking around the airport. In any case, the floor is extremely filthy, particularly after using the restroom. So, if you would like not to wear dirty socks, opt for a pair of plain slippers. After this, you will be grateful to me.
2. Feel Free to Request a Seat Relocation
The best course of action if you are unhappy with your assigned seat is to inquire about other seating alternatives when you check in. It goes without saying that you should always try to reserve your seats in advance. But aboard an airplane, anything may happen, and seats usually become available as the flight progresses.
Consider the possibility that someone canceled their ticket, even though a prime seat was already reserved when you made your reservation. Remain hopeful.
You should also continue asking if it is important to you. Inquire with the person operating the gate, the airport check-in counter, or the flight attendants once you’re on board. All of them can shift you about, so you never know what’s possible. An aisle seat adjacent to an empty middle seat could be yours if you’re lucky. A whole row of seats to oneself is another option.
3. Pick Your Seat With Care
When selecting your seat, it’s wise to use a service like SeatGuru, particularly for flights that are long-haul. You won’t mind sitting in cramped quarters next to the galley if the flight is only an hour long or shorter; you won’t have time to get irritated.
Having a little more legroom on long-haul flights can be the difference between getting a decent night’s sleep and waking up with swollen feet. Think about your priorities while picking a seat; for example, would you like to be near the exit to off the plane more quickly? On the other hand, would you prefer a seat beside the window where you can lean your head against the cabin wall while taking in the scenery? If you’d like the freedom to get up and use the restroom anytime you like, an aisle seat would be the best choice.
4. Request an Improvement
Bring up the seating dilemma politely with the check-in clerk when you arrive. See if you can upgrade your ticket using your frequent flyer miles, through an auction, or even with some more cash.
The additional legroom provided by even a modest upgrade, such as premium economy, would greatly enhance the flight experience.
Additional perks, including as lounge access and priority boarding, are available with upgraded tickets. Consider this: instead of standing in line, you could be relaxing with a complimentary cappuccino and some real, edible airport fare. How is that for a more comfortable experience?
5. Reach for the Sky
You can earn a lot of perks and money by becoming a status member with your airline. As an added bonus, it will make every flight that much more pleasant and relaxing. Benefits of airline status include access to lounges, potential upgrades to business or first class, and reduced wait times.
There aren’t many things you can do on the day of your flight to change this one piece of advice. Planning ahead and flying frequently with the same airline is your only option. Until you accumulate enough frequent flyer points, you will not be eligible for airline status. When it happens, your favorite airline will start catering to your every need.
Be careful to complete your research, since the regulations of frequent flyer miles differ greatly among airlines. Sometimes you just have to be lucky to find a way around a certain rule that can help you reach that far-off goal faster.
6. Register for TSA Precheck
U.S. citizens can save time and avoid security lines at airports by enrolling in TSA Precheck, often known as Global Entry. It will greatly improve the comfort of your flights and save you a lot of time, which is especially important if you fly frequently.
Both TSA Precheck and Global Entry can be applied for online; the former costs $85 per year and the latter $100 per year for five years of membership. Considering how much time you’ll save at the airport, this is quite a steal.
Your laptop and liquids can remain in your bag with TSA Precheck, and you won’t even need to take off your shoes, belt, or light jacket (by the way, if you’re looking for an insulated jacket, make sure to check out OutdoorCrunch’s extensive guide). Additionally, you can take advantage of the quicker security lines. One of the simplest ways to improve the quality of any flight, no matter how long or short, is to avoid spending time in line.
7. Bring Snacks
It’s obvious. The food on an airplane is quite different from the way your mom used to cook. More so if you’re on an economy class flight. The best course of action is to bring your own food because these options are rarely healthy, if not unhealthy overall. Even if the food isn’t great, at least you’ll have options. Either you’ll wake up from your slumber hungry or you’ll decide to eat later.
Even if you consider yourself a self-proclaimed meat eater, it’s a good idea to get the vegetarian option when flying. You have a better chance of being served quickly and the quality is typically higher.
8. Keep Your Devices Powered Up at Home
These days, the secret to a pleasant journey is your mobile devices. If you want to kill time, all you have to do is curl up with a nice show on TV or play some video games. But if your battery dies in the middle of the flight, it won’t happen. Therefore, before you go to the airport, ensure that all of your electronic devices are well charged.
While it’s true that some planes provide USB power outlets on the seat, that doesn’t mean every plane has them or that they always work. Make sure you know in advance if your airline offers in-flight charging options if this is your first time flying with them. You should bring a portable charger in your carry-on if they do not have any power outlets.
9. Constantly Incorporate Entertainment
If you’re anything like me, on a long flight, you want it to pass by quickly, not merely pass the time. For this reason, it is essential that you partake in an activity that captivates you.
Whatever keeps you occupied on a long flight—watching three movies in a row, binge-watching a whole season on Netflix, or reading a decent book—pack plenty of options. Otherwise, the passage of time can seem painfully sluggish.
It may come as a surprise, but Netflix really lets you download episodes of some shows and movies to watch later when you don’t have internet access. Because WiFi drains batteries far faster and is prohibitively expensive on planes, this is fantastic news for your device’s battery life.
10. Think About Investing in Noise-Canceling Earbuds
Having a pleasant flight instead of a dreadful one is often as easy as having noise-cancelling headphones. While some airlines do provide complimentary headphones, they tend to be of low quality, ugly, and do a poor job of blocking out ambient noise.
Envision yourself in the following situation: you have a 12-hour flight ahead of you, no headphones, and your neighbor is quite chatty. Worse yet, they’re dealing with an irate kid who shows no signs of tiring. Those pricey earplugs sold by flight attendants are your only choice, or you can leap out the window in the middle of the flight!
Put on a nice pair of noise-cancelling headphones and tune out the world around you. Whether it’s an audiobook, music playlist, or a movie. In addition to helping you fall asleep faster, high-quality headphones will muffle the sound of the engine.
11. Why Not Bring Your Own Reusable Water Bottle?
A lengthy flight is never picnic, so make sure to drink plenty of water. When there is no flight attendant on board, nothing is more uncomfortable than having a tickle in your throat. Before takeoff and again while in the air, be sure to drink plenty of water.
transport a refillable water bottle since you won’t be able to transport a gallon of water from home. You may quickly top up your bottle once you pass the security checkpoint. That way, you can simply request a refill from one of the flight attendants if you run out of water on board. Just wait until they are less busy, smile, and they will probably help you out, as long as the supplies onboard allow it.
12. Keep Your Skin Hydrated Additionally
You don’t want to expose your skin to the extremely dry pressured air within the cabin. You might even feel as if you cleaned your face with sandpaper after a lengthy flight.
Be ready for that by bringing some moisturiser and, if possible, a sheet mask on the plane. You should also apply lip balm before going to bed because your lips will get dry much faster than your face. Just remember that the moisturizer you choose to travel must be 100 ml (3 oz) or less in order to comply with the TSA regulations.
What does this also imply, though? Leave your cosmetics at home for the journey. It will simply clog your pores, increasing the likelihood that you may experience troubles in the days after the journey. For the duration of the journey, skip applying makeup. Your skin will be grateful to you afterwards.
13. Put Off Using Contacts
Wearing eyeglasses rather than contact lenses on a plane is something I can’t emphasize enough. This can mean the difference between a restful flight and an immediate trip to the eye doctor upon landing. If you wear contact lenses, you may find that they become sticky from the dry air within the cabin. Think about how awful it would be when you attempt to get rid of them; this is just the beginning!
Always use moisturizing eye drops on a regular basis if you must wear contacts; this will prevent your eyes from drying out.
14. Keep Yourself Clean
An easy way to make yourself more comfortable on a lengthy travel is to freshen up while you’re in the air. After a few hours in the air, we all begin to feel a bit queasy; after all, there’s no way to freshen up or shower while trapped in that enormous metal tube.
If you feel the need to go to the restroom, you can easily do so whenever you feel the need. You should wash your face with water, apply new deodorant, and perhaps even clean your teeth. Changing into clean clothes might make you feel more at ease, and who knows, your neighbors might even like it!
15. Put On Some Socks With A Cuff
On prolonged flights, compression socks can assist regulate blood flow in your legs. In particular, if you suffer from chronic ankle or foot swelling.
Wearing high-quality compression socks will help maintain blood flowing to your legs, which can make all the difference between a happy exit from the airport and a miserable one.
A pair is usually quite inexpensive and readily available at any drugstore or online.
16. Take Charge of Your Daypack
Getting aboard the plane as fast and easily as possible is your number one priority when you reach the airport. Additionally, you risk being subjected to a more thorough screening if you behave irrationally upon arrival at the TSA checkpoint.
For this reason, rather than haphazardly stuffing your daypack (or carry-on) with everything you possess, it is best to plan it out thoroughly. Please remove your laptop and personal items from your carry-on bags before passing through the security checkpoint. Therefore, don’t bury items at the bottom of your bag; instead, put them somewhere simple to reach. Personalized lanyards that include a badge clip are even more convenient and can hold your ID. You can skip security and get on the plane more quickly if you prepare ahead of time.
17. Discover New Places on Layovers
Sitting in the lounge and staring at your phone is the worst thing you can do during a layover. Seize the chance to move about, stretch, and maybe even do some light exercise if you can. In order to increase blood flow, do whatever is necessary. Once the plane takes off again, you will be able to sit down again. It is time to take action now.
If you’re already in pain or exhausted, sitting around while you wait for the next plane will only make things worse, particularly if your feet are swollen.
18. Prior to reclining, make sure to inquire.
It is rude to lean back in your seat at will if someone is seated behind you. Just think about how awkward it would be if the person ahead of you did that; it could damage or even destroy whatever devices you had on the tray. Beyond that, your on-board dinner.
If you’re seated by the window and fortunate enough to have no one right behind you, feel free to recline. Even if you have an aisle seat, you should still check with the individual in the row behind you to make sure it’s alright. Perhaps they have something they need to put on the seat tray or would like to use the restroom. Alternately, they suffer from claustrophobia and would be severely inconvenienced if you lowered your seat. Whatever you do, remember to always check before reclining your seat and to never do anything that you would not want done to you. A new friend could be on the way.
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19. Pack a Pillow and a Blanket
Bring a pillow and blanket to make yourself as cozy as possible if you intend to sleep throughout the flight. On lengthy trips, most airlines will supply blankets and pillows, but it’s wise to have your own. Especially if you have reservations about sharing a pillow with anyone.
If you’re short on space in your carry-on or just don’t feel like dealing with the bother of packing a blanket, bring along a supporting neck cushion instead. You won’t have to worry about waking up from any slumber with painful neck ache or stiffness; you’ll be much more comfortable.
The neck cushion may also help you avoid those pesky awkward moments with your next-door neighbor. The feeling of having someone wake you up because you’re drooling over their shoulder is unparalleled, after all.
