Flying economy may not be the best of experiences, especially if you’re flying 8+ hours. You may be thinking, is it even possible to fly comfortably in economy? Luckily for you, I’ve put together a list of ways on how to survive long flights in economy class so your next trip can be a breeze!
Dress Comfortably
Comfort, for me, is the most important for me when I’m travelling. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to simply wear something, loose, soft and comfy. You would want to wear something that would be easy to sleep in as you most likely will be napping if you’re on a long-haul flight.
- For girls: I suggest wearing tights or wide legged pants with a loose shirt
- For guys: I suggest wearing sweatpants and a loose shirt
Another thing that skips most people’s minds when thinking about how to survive long flights in economy is the plane temperature. Oftentimes, the temperature during your flight fluctuates. Sometimes, it gets hot, and the next moment you want a blanket. That’s why it’s important to dress in layers. I always keep a hoodie or sweatshirt with me in case I get cold. Bringing a light jacket or scarf is also a good idea as they can double as a blanket or a makeshift pillow for when you’re trying to sleep.
Pick the Right Seat
Picking the right seat in a long flight can make a huge difference in how your flight goes. You don’t want to get stuck right by the bathroom for example, as it adds more noise and people will constantly be walking by. That’s why I suggest always selecting your seats when booking your flight or when you’re checking in.
Everyone has a different preference when it comes to picking seats. Some may prefer a window seat because they like looking outside, others may prefer an aisle seat if they don’t like being closed off on both sides. My tip would be to choose a seat that lets you sleep in comfort and without any distractions.
Bring a Medicine Kit
Long flights can take a toll on your body and they’re especially not fun if you have a pounding headache. That’s why I recommend bringing along a medicine kit with headache medicine such as Tylenol or Advil.
If you struggle falling asleep on planes, it would not be a bad idea to bring some melatonin or sleeping pills to give you a little help.
Lastly, I recommend adding some gum in there and also some air sickness pills if you tend to feel nauseous on flights.
Bring Your Own Amenities
It’s always a good idea to bring your own amenities, to ensure you have everything you would need and not rely on the airline to may or may not supply you with things. A neck pillow and an eye mask are the first things that come to mind, especially if you plan on sleeping during the flight.
A few other items you may want to keep handy include:
- Lip Balm/Chapstick: The air in the plane can be quite dry, resulting in chapped lips
- Hand Sanitizer: You touch a lot of things that others have also touched, so it’s a good idea to keep hand sanitizer handy and use it especially before you eat anything.
- Tissues: You never know when extra tissues may come in handy. They’re good to have to clean up a mess or for an unexpected runny nose.
- Ear Plugs: May help you tone out extra background noise
- Compression socks: To prevent blood clots causing thrombosis
- Hand Lotion: For when your hands get dry and need some moisturization
Walk Around
Getting up from time to time and walking around is a great way to avoid getting blood clots, which occur as a result of sitting too long. It’s a good idea to get up and stretch your muscles and get your blood flowing especially in long flights.
If you plan on doing this often, remember to select an aisle seat so you don’t disturb people every time you want to get up.
Bring Your Own Entertainment
It’s not a smart idea to only rely on an airlines’ inflight entertainment to keep you entertained for the whole flight, especially if your flight is 10+ hours. They may not always be available or you may not be happy with the selection of entertainment offered. So be smart and bring your own entertainment. I recommend:
- A book or a kindle
- Podcasts
- Downloading your favorite tv show episodes
- Downloading movies of your preference
- A playlist of your favourite songs
- Games on your phone or a tablet (make sure they can be played without wifi)
Bring Snacks
Another way on how to survive long flights in economy would be to bring your own snacks. Especially if you’re someone who gets hungry often or doesn’t enjoy airplane food too much.
Long haul flights almost always have inflight meals but, if it’s a really long flight, you will have to stick to their meal schedules. That’s why it’s a good idea to have some of your own snacks handy. Protein rich snacks or nuts would be a good snack idea, or foods that don’t have too much aroma, as to not upset the people around you.
So hopefully, with these tips you learned some new ways on how to survive long flights in economy. Share some of the ways or things you do to make long flights more bearable.
Also Read: Tips to get you Looking and Feeling Fresh after a Long Flight
