Nothing may sound quite as daunting as long flights in economy class, cramped spaces allowing your legs to get restless, and sleepless hours ahead. Surprisingly, all it takes is a little bit of preparation and smart planning, and you can actually make this seat in economy far more comfortable and bearable. Whether for business or leisure, these travel tips make you arrive at your destination fresher and ready to go.
1. Choose Your Seat Wisely
You can book your seat in advance to be comfortable on a long haul flight. While booking them, most airlines give the option to choose your seat, so one shouldn’t wait until the last minute. Most of the time, the most preferred seats for long-distance flights are in the exit rows or the bulkhead seats because they have extra leg room. If one doesn’t want to invest in extra seats, then choose an aisle seat. It puts you closer to the toilet facilities and also allows you to get up and stretch your legs with less disturbance to your neighbors.
Some airlines charge you to select seats, especially in economy class. Just to give you an example, some airlines charge US$30-150 to fly economy class for the aisle seat if it has extra legroom. Consider an upgrade enhancement that will save you some pretty crappy sensations during a 10+-hour journey. If you are in a shoestring budget, most airlines offer free seat selections in their economy sections, which are quite spacious.
2. Stay Hydrated
The air in airplane cabins is notably dry; the humidity is always around 10%-20%, as against about 40%-60% in most homes. This can easily dehydrate you, and so it is utterly important to drink water at regular intervals throughout the flight. Research says a person should take approximately 8 ounces or 240 mL of water every hour during flying.
Bring an empty refillable water bottle rather than relying on those puny glasses of water doled out by flight attendants. Many airports have water refill stations beyond security, so you’ll be able to fill up before boarding. That may keep you hydrated and prevent you from having to spend the $3 to $6-or-so that bottled water often costs at airport shops.
3. Bring neck pillow with you.
Comfort goes a long way on long-distance flights, mostly if you will try to catch some winks while your seat is upright. A number of quality neck pillows can make quite a difference. Memory form and inflatable pillows are easy to pre-order or buy for firm support. Save yourself from stress caused by stiff necks with an ergonomic pillow that can provide comfort, especially on night flights.
The good ones start from about $20 to $50 on Amazon or any other travel gear shop. While airlines do sometimes sell neck pillows, these are overpriced at about $10 to $15 compared to online prices and not of good quality either.
4. Invest in Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Noise-cancelling headphones are a godsend for tuning out the background hum of engines, passengers, and crying babies. Most international airlines provide in-flight headphones, but these tend to be nowhere near as good or comfortable as your pair. A decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones costs from $100 to $300, depending on the brand, although the likes of popular models from Bose or Sony really do offer the best quality-to-comfort ratios.
If the investment of a pair of high-end noise cancellation headphones is out of one’s budget, noise-isolating earbuds are an economically viable alternative. These can give decent noise reductions for as low as about $30-70. Keep in mind, though, that on long flights comfort is just as important as sound; hence, find a model that fits and would not hurt after hours of use.
5. Wear comfortable clothes.
What you wear on that long flight can make a big difference in how comfortable you remain. Wear something loose and in a natural fiber or sports material that isn’t going to bind after being stationary for several hours. Plus, wear layers because cabin temperatures can fluctuate-it might be hibernal one hour, and the next, it might be warm. The light jacket or scarf will keep you cozy, yet not hot. Shoes should be in a style that’s easy to slip on and off for airport security and during flight. For longer flights, one can add a set of compression socks that would help improve blood circulation and swelling; these range from $10 to $25 dollars. This very basic accessory, sworn by so many regular flyers, helps minimize the chances of blood clot formation and lets your legs stay comfortable during flights greater than 6 hours.
6. Change Positions Frequently
Long periods of sitting create discomfort, stiffness, and even conditions resulting from DVT. It is very important to get up every couple of hours and either stretch or simply walk the cabin. This is most critical on flights over six hours in length. Try to get up to walk the aisle at least once every 2 to 3 hours.
If one cannot get up as often, there are numerous simple in-seat exercises one can do, like ankle rolls, leg stretches, and seated twists that can help keep circulation going.
Some airlines, such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines, even run videos demonstrating in-seat exercises over their inflight entertainment systems. Those that don’t could easily enough free up resources online that outline these various simple stretches. Those prone to puffy legs might well find the most effective solution to aid circulation and comfort in the use of compression socks, which Dr. Baron says cost $10 to $25.
7. Prepare a Sleep Kit
If you are going to sleep the plane ride away, then a sleep kit will come in handy in keeping you comfortable and well-rested. This includes an eye mask, earplugs, and a blanket. Most, if not all airlines, offer this on any flights overseas, but the given things are either too thin or of very low quality. Bring your traveling must haves to ensure that you have everything you need.
A decent eye mask shouldn’t set you back more than $10 to $20 and does the trick of keeping cabin windows or screen light out easily. Another important element of noise prohibition with earplugs-especially necessary when flying overnight and wanting quiet whenever possible. Disposables range from about $1 to $5 while re-usable silicone runs around $10 or so.
A few people do bring their travel blanket, which is lightweight and compact. They range in price from 15 to 50 dollars depending upon the material. Pick one that is warm yet can be squeezed small enough to fit into your carry-on luggage.
8. Plan Your Entertainment
One of the best ways to pass the time on a long flight is with entertainment. While many airlines offer in-flight entertainment, it’s always a good idea to have your own content ready, just in case. Downloading movies, shows, or books to your tablet or smartphone before boarding ensures you’ll have something to do, even if the in-flight system doesn’t work or doesn’t have anything that interests you.
Most of these services allow you to download their content to watch in an offline mode; Netflix and Amazon Prime are examples. If you do much reading, fill up your Kindle or your tablet with e-books. And then there’s in-flight Wi-Fi: spotty at its best, and pretty well expensive-on some airlines you pay US$20-30 for long-distance flights, and the speeds are generally not good for streaming.
Another good idea is to pack a portable charger, or power bank, because economy-class seats don’t always have places for charging. A decent power bank with 10,000mAh or more-in other words, good for at least two recharges of a modern smartphone-can be had for $20 to $50.
9. Upgrade Your In-flight Meal
While in-flight food is part and parcel of flying, especially on long-haul flights, they are really not always appetizing or nutritious. If you happen to be really particular with everything you eat, or if you have certain diet prescriptions, always pre-book for a meal service. Most airlines do offer vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free meals amongst others, which might be fresher and served much before the usual course. For those of you who just won’t even attempt to try to eat the food provided by airlines, then bring some of your own snacks. Bring light, healthy snacks like trail mix, protein bars, or even a sandwich if your flight permits it. This will save you from shelling out more cash than you need to on overweight airport snacks. Airport snacks range from about $5 to $15; bringing your own from home could cut that in half. Its also very important to pay respect to restrictions on food, as most countries do not let certain types of fresh foods into their countries. Always check before packing any type of perishable item.
10. Use a Foot Rest
A footrest is going to prove a huge comfort for long-distance flying. Most economy seats don’t account for your legs, and this will save your legs and your lower back from pressure that causes discomfort and swelling. You can find several with an inflation or fold-over design online for about $10 to $30.
These gizmos can easily be hung from the tray table or put under your feet so that you can shift positions in comfort during the flight. For flights over 8 hours this little investment can pay big dividends if you have a tendency to be restless or to have back problems.
11. Practice good posture
Good posture remains one of the most far-reaching yet easy means of preventing discomfort on a very lengthy flight. The ability to sit in cramp conditions for long hours can give rise to quite a deal of pain in the lower back, stiff necks, and even bad blood circulation. Sitting up straight, with your back supported against the seat, will prevent hunching over, which is the common cause of aching muscles after a long flight.
To improve your posture, bring in a small lumbar support pillow-in fact, even just a rolled-up sweater or blanket will work. The lumbar support pillows are about $15 to $30 and just sit in your lower back to help maintain natural curve in your spine. Raising your seat’s recline just a little will help take some pressure off of your lower back without really affecting the person sitting behind you.
It would further be advisable to keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest to maintain better posture that does not put strain on your spine. Some time spent doing minor stretches or even twists to the back while sitting goes a long way in keeping the muscles loose and avoiding stiffness of the body.
12. Plan Sleep Wisely
Clearly, it is not possible to avoid sleeping on long-distance flights entirely in order to adapt to a new time zone. Setting your sleep pattern according to your destination will surely help lessen any jet lag aftermath and make your transition easier. Such as flying east to Europe, go to sleep when it would be night at your destination, though it may be daytime outside where you left.
Bring the neck pillow, bring the blanket, and even your eye mask with you. Add some earplugs and noise-canceling headphones-those are quite helpful during noisy flights. As a supplement, you’ve got this natural melatonin that one can buy from most pharmacies, which is not expensive, no more than $10 to $20. Many other travelers also swear by lavender essential oils as another tool in helping to relax their senses.
These can be found in travel-sized portions, starting at around $5-10.
It would also be best to avoid caffeine and alcohol during the flight. As tempting as those drinks sound, especially on the house, they would do more harm than good in interfering with one’s sleep or contributing to dehydration. As an alternative, drink water or herbal teas, which are more hydrating and soothing.
13. Take full advantage of layovers
Whenever your long flight has a layover, make good use of such moments: stretch, take a walk, and breathe the great outdoors. Layovers can be as quick as 2-10 hours depending on your route, so make use of such time to your advantage to recharge on the next flight. Depending on the airport-most of them are international hubs-you will get to enjoy great amenities while on layover.
For instance, some airports, like Singapore’s Changi Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport, have lounge facilities that offer showers and even sleeping pods for those on a long layover. A shower would generally be reasonably priced at around US$10 to US$20 and, while a little costly, is well worth it to freshen up on a longer journey. Major airports also generally have lounge access available via membership, such as Priority Pass, or single-visit for a fee in the range of $25 to $50.
Another option could be playing tourist in the city if the layover is considerably longer. Some airlines even offer free city tours for passengers that have extended layovers. For instance, Turkish Airlines offer free tours of Istanbul for passengers who have layovers longer than 6 hours. Just make sure to know the requirements for visas and be sure to allow yourself enough time to get back to the airport for your continuing flight.
14. Bring a refillable water bottle.
But most of all, hydration is absolutely needed to be maintained during the flight, since one dehydrates rather easily while flying in this thin air inside the cabin. Bring your reusable water bottle with you instead of trusting those small glasses of water on the aircraft; fill it once you get through Security. Many airports now also have water refill points for free-meaning you will not need to buy those over-expensive bottles of water sold from airport shops for a price not less than $3-6.
A good collapsible water bottle falls in the range of $10-20 and is pretty easy to pack whenever not in use. Find one that is light and leakage-proof so that it doesn’t turn into any added stress with your carry-on. More importantly, with your water bottle, you are able to hydrate through flight, instead of when flight attendants decide to come around with drinks.
15. Building the Comfort Zone
Flying can be stressful, and it gets even worse in economy class, as space and privacy are super tiny. A little creativity can make it a lot comfier, creating a comfort zone. Bring along your scarf or any light blanket you would want aboard to just drape for that added warmth and a bit of privacy. You can pad up your seat with the blanket or fold it and use it as a lumbar support pillow. Noise-canceling headphones or earplugs will help drown out disrupting sounds of other passengers, while an eye mask will block out bright lights or flickering emanating from in-flight entertainment screens around you. Some fliers bring with them essential oils or soothing balm smells, such as lavender or eucalyptus, for a calm atmosphere. These little things, at just about $5 to $15, can be rubbed into your wrists or taken in by smell to help deflate stress and sleep better. For many, adding a personal travel kit with lip balm, moisturizer, and face wipes really completes that in-flight fresh feeling. These can be purchased anywhere from $10 to $25, or you can make one yourself with travel-sized products. It may be a little kit but makes a difference in how you feel at the end.
Conclusion
While flying economy will never be a completely luxurious affair, these 15 tips can make all the difference in the world when flying long-haul. With some decent planning, the right equipment, and attention to comfort, you’ll be set to stride off that plane energized and ready for your trip. Next time you fly, remember how to make your journey just that little bit more bearable-whatever number of hours you’ve spent up in the air.