How to Make a Long Flight Far More Comfortable
A long flight can be the worst part of a trip. You are cramped in a plane for hours on end with none of the comforts of home. But you can make a long flight far more comfortable with my tips here.
I absolutely love flying, but I know a lot of people don’t! I love it because I always feel it gives me a chance to catch up on TV and movie viewing, reading, and sometimes just thinking about things.
I always find something to do on a long flight, and there have even been occasions when I hated that a flight was coming to an end because I still had stuff I wanted to do!
But there is no doubt that you have to be comfortable to really enjoy a long flight. On any given flight you can be too cold, too hot, feel too cramped, or just want to get back to earth!
This is the ideal list of things you need for a long flight – to be comfortable and actually perhaps enjoy that long flight!
This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link in this post and make a purchase via that link I may receive a small commission, at absolutely no additional cost to you.
A Good Book
This is one of the top things on my own personal list to make a long flight comfortable and enjoyable!
A long flight is a great time to catch up on reading, to finally read that book you keep meaning to read, or even finish that book that you just never have time to read.
A good old fashioned paper book is of course great because you don’t have to worry about your batteries dying in an electronic device.
But if you do decide to go with an electronic device to read your book(s) (which is always a great thing to have because you can store numerous books on it, it doesn’t take up as much space as a regular book, is more lightweight to carry, and you can carry your entire library with you wherever you go!
For a great electronic device, I absolutely love Kindle. This Kindle Oasis model is amazing, and I take it everywhere with me!
Socks
I always take a couple of pairs of socks with me when I am flying. I try to put some on when I go through airport security, because I hate having my bare feet on those cold nasty dirty airport floors! This pair of socks I don’t wear again because they are dirty once used on that floor!
For the flight itself I always take off my shoes and put socks on. It is just more comfortable for a long flight, and I always have cold feet on a plane anyway.
You can also choose to wear compression socks for a long flight, to eliminate the chance of DVT when traveling.
Here are some socks I would recommend for long flights:
These fuzzy socks come in a pack of 5 pairs. Which means you can have a pair for the airport floor (!), a pair for your flight out, a pair for the flight pack and then a couple of spare pairs for other things!
They are soft and comfortable, have great elasticity so won’t keep falling down, and come in nice pastel muted colors.
Nuvein Travel Compression Socks
While many people may choose to wear a funky colored pair of compression socks to fly, I much prefer just basic black compression socks. These Nuvein compression socks are not flashy and just do their job!
Travel Pillow
Those little pillows that they give you on the plane are pretty worthless for sleeping. Sometimes they come in handy for wedging behind my back or side when I am trying to sleep, but other than that they aren’t worth a lot!
This travel pillow is the most comfortable travel pillow I have tried. It has 3 ergonomic ways of supporting the head, neck and chin while you sleep. This pillow doesn’t push your neck forward like many other travel pillows, and you won’t wake up with a stiff neck.
Phone Mount
Sometimes you don’t want to watch the in-flight entertainment, and prefer to watch what you have downloaded on your own phone.
But getting your phone into position to watch it, without having to hold it, can be difficult on a plane. This is where this great phone mount comes in!
This phone mount will clip to the tray table so you can watch what you need to comfortably without trying to stand your phone up somewhere, or hold it.
Noise Canceling Headphones
A good pair of noise canceling headphones are essential if you want to hear your music, movie or TV show, and block out all the noise from the plane cabin.
It seems that with noise-canceling headphones the reviews and recommendations are all over the place. This pair of headphones gets good reviews on Amazon. But headphones can be an expensive purchase, so I would fully advise you to do your research before buying a pair.
Comfortable Leggings
I like to wear comfortable clothing when I fly, but I don’t want to look messy and un-put-together.
A comfortable pair of leggings that are also stylish, are the perfect travel pants. These ones from Athleta are comfortable to wear, stylish, come in various colors, and are wicking and breathable, quick-drying, and have good all-around stretch.
Scarf
I have found a scarf to be one of the best things to pack for a long flight over the years. A large scarf especially can double as an extra travel blanket, and can keep you cozy and warm. Try to find a lightweight, yet warm scarf, that will pack into your bag easily.
Eye Mask
An eye mask really can be great when you are trying to sleep on a flight, especially when they don’t turn the cabin lights down fully.
Instead of pulling a blanket over your head to shut out any light, choose a lightweight soft and comfortable sleeping mask. This one is made of cotton, so is comfortable and breathable against your skin, and comes with a handy carrying pouch too.
Evian Spray
Travel can be so drying, so spritzing with this Evian spray can really help your skin. Just spray it directly onto your face. The mist of water will be cooling and will refresh and hydrate your skin in no time at all.
Related: 12 Must Have Travel Beauty Products
Snacks & Water
This one is pretty important! Because if you get hungry, and want something in particular – like chocolate, it is not always possible to get it on board.
I always pack a variety of snacks, because I just never know what I will want. They don’t have to take up a lot of room in your bag, and then you just won’t go hungry (or really need chocolate when you are watching that movie!)
Water is also essential on a long flight. You get so thirsty and dried out, so start hydrating from the inside and take frequent sips of water.
A long flight can be the worst part of a trip. You are cramped in a plane for hours on end with none of the comforts of home. But you can make a long flight far more comfortable with my tips here.
