How to Survive and Enjoy Long Haul Flights

March 2024

How to Survive and Enjoy Long Haul Flights

Imagine a place where you can escape for hours numbering in the double digits, where you can almost do anything you want, where no one can contact you and you do not have to feel guilty about not being productive. Welcome to long haul flights.

Our longest leg of a flight to date was 15 hours as a direct flight from the east coast to Japan! We have been on several long-haul flights and truth be told, I actually find them quicker and more enjoyable than shorter flights. A lot of that is based on the mindset of going into a metal tube in the sky for 10+ hours – you really have nowhere else to go or be so there is something oddly soothing about that for me personally. But I know for others, it can be a source of anxiety or discomfort. Here I will be sharing my top tips for making it through a long-haul flight! 

How to get Sleep on a Long-Haul Flight 

• Typically during a long haul flight, the hours in which you are traveling will overlap with sleep in either your departing or arriving destination and depending on your departure / arrival times it may be essential that you sleep to get yourself on the right time zone. While the seats are typically not comfortable for sleep, there are methods you can use to make it more comfortable.
  • Eye Mask – This is the number one reason I sleep so well on the plane. Get a good, comfortable eye mask that will black out the world around you. 
  • White Noise – My second tool in the sleep game is white noise so I cannot be disturbed by anything going on around me. I have a ten hour loop from YouTube downloaded on my phone and I just let it ride. With this and the eye mask, I have slept through take off, landing, meal service, you name it. 
  • Head Comfort – We do not subscribe to the neck pillow – takes up too much room for our carry-on packing lifestyle. Many people opt for the neck pillow, but I do not think it is a requirement as there are other options to get our head in a comfy spot. Typically, long haul flights provide a blanket and pillow, even for those that are in the back. Use these to help articulate your head in a comfortable position. Bend the head rest as much as possible so your head has something to lean against. For me, if I am traveling with a jacket, I wear it with the hood up as another way to make a cozy environment for my head and yet another way to ensure my head is not bobbing around. 
  • Window Seat – Book a window seat to rest your body / head on the wall. I never have the window seat and still manage a good stretch of sleep, but I know that is certainly not the case for most people. I wonder how much more I could sleep if I had the contour of the wall! 
  • Medications – As a pharmacist, I know it will sound a bit count-intuitive for me to not recommend medications, but I am pretty anti-medication if it is not needed. Speak to your doctor for prescribing medications that may help for sleeping if you need it. Over the counter medications that may be helpful include diphenhydramine or melatonin but check to make sure these work for your prior to getting on a plane – you do not want that to be your first experience using medication to aid for sleep. 

What to Eat on a Long-Haul Flight 

• If there is one thing I do not want to be on a long-haul flight, it is to be hungry. And while you are fed a lot on the plane, the food may not be to your liking in one way or another. For us, bringing a meal and snacks is essential for long haul travel. It not only gives us something to look forward to at a point in the flight but also ensures we will not go hungry. This does not have to be anything elaborate – our tradition is a Wawa stop of sandwiches and snacks. Then if we end up having a great airline food experience, the sandwich was not an expensive loss but in all our travel, we have always opted for the Wawa option and the flight attendants seem to always acknowledge the smart decision.
• Usually on long-haul flights there is the option of setting your screen to alert the flight attendant of your preference to be woken up for meals – so if you are so successful with your sleep game but do not want to miss the meal service, see if your screen allows you to set this preference so you so do not miss it. Typically, the main meal service is shortly after you take off, then there will be a snack before landing or for really long flights, two full meal services will be provided plus snacks. 
• Eating may also be impacted by the timing of your departure destination and arrival destination to help acclimate to the time zone you are traveling too since the meal service times generally do not adjust for that. 

And Most Importantly, Stay Hydrated! 

• Travel in general is dehydrating and flying certainly adds to that. If you are having airline food, odds are high they are heavy handed on the salt content so make sure you go on board with a lot of water and get water every time it is offered by the flight attendants. Some medical emergencies on the plane could be avoided because someone is dehydrated and lightheaded. We always travel with our refillable water bottles and make sure once we are through security, we find a place to fill them up. PRO TIP: Do not pay for water! Many airports have water bottle filling stations and for those that don’t – looking at you Newark – find the Starbucks in the terminal as they give water for free. 

How to Stay Entertained on a Long-Haul Flight 

• Know yourself and bring things that will actually keep you entertained to pass the time so you are not overpacking. The entertainment on these flights is generally much better than on shorter flights with many options in movies, TV, music, games and more. Computers are a popular option and if you want Wifi, typically there are options for purchasing on the flight. Opt for a kindle or e-reader instead of a book for lighter packing. And more and more we see Nintendo Switches which always makes us smile. 
• Make sure you download anything you want ahead of your flight – podcasts, music, books, etc so that they make it onto your device prior to your flight. 
• And while it may be tempting, it is best to skip alcohol before and during the flight to avoid dehydrating yourself more. 

How to Stay Active on a Long-Haul Flight

• Schedule walks during your flight at regular intervals. Get on your feet! Get up, and make it happennnnnn. Make sure you regularly get up, use the bathroom, walk the aisles. Book an aisle seat if you think you will be up and down on the flight a lot. This is the tip I am the worst at following! I remember I did not get up during our direct flight to Australia – mostly because I was sleeping the entire time, and my legs were so stiff I could barely walk efficiently. One consideration is using compression socks to also avoid clotting and leg stiffness as well. 
• If possible, it is ideal to exercise before you get on a long-haul flight but often that is not possible. Move in your seat by shifting positions and wiggling to get the blood flowing. Exercises that can be done on the plane include bending your knees and flexing your feet while sitting, walking, and light squatting when standing. 

How to Feel Refreshed on a Long-Haul Flight 

• I always have gum in my personal item for after meal service and after I wake up to eliminate that yucky mouth feel. And for a full clean, you can even fully brush your teeth if your toothbrush and toothpaste are accessible. 
• Pack face or body wipes as a quick way to wash up and feel refreshed. A hairbrush can also go a long way to bring life back to your hair. 
• Grab coffee to get the caffeine working in your favor. 
• Avoid bringing anything that smells like sprays or perfume in order to be respectful to your fellow travelers. 

Where to Sit on a Long-Haul Flight 

And there you have it! My tips and tricks for surviving and possibly even enjoying a long haul flight. I hope this makes your upcoming along haul flight a bit more comfortable or gives you the confidence to book a long haul flight if you were nervous. And if I missed your favorite tip or trick you use for your long haul flights, please share in the comments!

More DESKRIB Travel Tips and Tricks – here!