Surviving a Long Flight

Tips, Tricks & Gadgets to Help You Through the Journey

You’re booking a trip (or already have!) but now you’re dreading the 10+ hour flight. Surviving a long flight is no joke. How do you do it?

I’ve taken many flights and only recently took my longest yet – NYC to Kenya. The way there took 13.5 hours, and the way back was 15. That was just the longest leg of the three-flight trip, but that was the hardest part!

Now, what did I do to get through it? How did I prepare, and what did I bring? Here are some things that worked for me:

Note: This article may contain affiliate links so that I may earn compensation for qualifying purchases as part of the Amazon Affiliate program.

Tools for Surviving a Long Flight

Preparing for the Journey

Step one of surviving a long flight is taking care of yourself in the moments leading up to it. Some keys to that are:

1. Stay hydrated
   • Not only in the hour or so before the flight, but throughout the week leading up, try to keep as hydrated as you can. You don’t need to chug water, but keeping a steady flow of drinking water is a good place to start.
2. Take an airport walk
   • Before our flight, I had a 7 hour layover in JFK. It could’ve been easy to sit or lay on the floor and waste away, but that’s no good. If you’re about to be stuck in one spot for a long time, you’re going to want to move around. This will help with blood flow, as well as limit your restlessness once seated.

How to Stay Entertained in the Air

One to surviving long-haul flights in my experience is in keeping yourself entertained. Once your mind starts to wander, you focus on how bored you are, any discomfort you’re experiencing, etc. Here are two of my favorite ways to stay entertained during the journey:

1. Watch movies – with an AirFly!
   • Most international (and even some domestic) flights have seatback entertainment systems to watch movies, play games, listen to music, and more. I don’t know about you, but I do not like the airline-given headphones. I’d much rather use my Bluetooth Beats I’ve had for 4 years. The AirFly was the solution! It is a bluetooth adapter for headphone jacks that let me use my preferred headset without worrying about cord-related issues. Truly one of the best things I asked for over the holidays!
2. Read a book
   • I bring at least one book on every trip – usually I try to find one that’s set in my destination. For my trip to Tanzania, I brought along one of Jane Goodall’s books, In the Shadow of Man. I can’t recommend it enough!
   • If you’d rather have a book with internal lighting, try out a Kindle or other e-reader with the Libby app.

Self Care on a Plane

The second key to surviving a long flight is taking care of yourself. I know this can be easier said than done. Some things may not even come to mind at first. However, here are some of my tips for self care on a long journey:

1. Choose your seat at booking
   • Personally, I always pick a ticket where I can choose my seat for comfort. In this case, I did end up paying more for extra legroom. As someone with a spinal condition and semi-recent surgery, I needed to be able to easily move around the cabin and stretch/get my blood flowing. My best advice is to pick where you’ll be most comfortable, as long as it’s not out of budget or within reason. If you wait too long, sometimes those are taken, so make sure you book early if it’s important to you!
2. Stay hydrated (yes, again)
   • I always travel with a reusable water bottle and try to fill it before boarding (where the airport allows). I usually travel with my filtered LifeStraw bottle anyway, but any reusable bottle will do.
3. Stay hydrated (have I told you enough yet?)
   • You may not think about it, but your eyes are very likely to get dry when you spend a long time on a plane. I saw these LumiDew Steam Eye Masks on a video before I left and I was glad to have packed a few – the heat and hydration really helped, and I even got a bit of rest after using them.
     • (Note: Please talk to a doctor before use if you have had recent surgeries or have other eye conditions).
4. Wear compression socks
   • Similar to moving around, wearing compression socks will help with any potential circulation issues that arise from being in the air for so long. I recently bought some Wellow socks and they were incredibly comfortable!
5. Bring snacks
   • Long-haul flights require that meals be provided, but I regretted not bringing a snack of some kind for the in between. I didn’t always love the food offered, and it wasn’t always at the time when my body needed something, so definitely bring at least a small something to get you through.
6. Get some rest
   • Okay, this is easier said than done, I know. I usually pick a window seat to rest on for that reason – but I have yet to find a good pillow. One thing that helped me was using my Loops Quiet ear plugs. They’re made entirely of silicone, so they were comfortable for long-term wear. They also really blocked out the noise.

Surviving the Journey

Overall, the key to getting through a long flight is taking care of yourself – both physically and mentally. Be mindful of your neighbors, but don’t be afraid to get up and move, go stretch, take a restroom break, etc. Don’t hold yourself to just the airline entertainment; if you do, make sure you’re prepared with headsets you’re comfortable with and an adapter if you need it. With these tips, you should be well on your way to surviving your long flight!