How to: survive a long flight

Travelling is the best feeling in the world for many, especially when doing it with your friends or family. Getting on a day-long plane trip however, can be a very tedious and uncomfortable experience.
Here at Leeeta, we’ve complied a list of tips and tricks to help you and your friends get through your next long-haul flight with ease so that you can make the most of your holiday from the start!

 

Seating

Sit at the back. With everyone trying to sit at the front of the plane, you are much more likely to have an empty seat beside you if you sit at the back.

The second thing is that you should always pay for your seat. We advise you to always pick a seat that has the back towards a wall – such as the seats by the kitchen – to avoid having someone kicking you for 14 hours straight. Alternatively get a seat near one of the corridors where you don’t have anybody in front of you and you get more leg room.

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Use those miles

If you are a frequent flyer, keep an eye out for affordable premium economy or first class seats using your miles. If not, put on your best smile and ask if an upgrade is available. It’s always worth a try and It’ll make a very big difference in your comfort!

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Plan ahead

You’ll want to have a solid plan to get through your flight. Whether it’s 10 or 15 hours, you cannot spend them all doing work or re-watching the same movie. Bring a selection of films, tv shows and music with you as well as work and you will have enough entertainment for the whole flight. You can even use the Netflix app to download some movies in advance and the same goes for Spotify Premium.

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Power up

Make sure to charge all of your devices and bring a rechargeable battery with you as well as chargers. You can charge your devices via USB on most planes now but you don’t want to find out the hard way that you can’t, so be prepared.

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Only pack the essentials

Do not overpack. Bring a smaller bag with you to keep under the seat in front of you with all your essentials inside, so that you can store the rest of your luggage outside of your limited space.

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Gear up

You generally don’t want to bother with lugging around neck pillows and noise-cancelling headphones, EXCEPT on a long-haul flight. Any small comfort will improve your journey by a lot, trust us. Pack smart to avoid overpacking as stated above, but definitely take noise-cancelling headphones, a sleep mask, a good travel pillow and a blanket as planes are always colder than you’d like them to be.

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Dress appropriately

Clothing is a major thing to consider. Dress as comfortably as you can and bring a warm jacket as well as a scarf for when the air conditioning is too cold. Wear layers so that you can easily warm up or cool down. Keep in mind that aisle seats are usually colder than non-aisle seats.
Bring a change of clothes with you if you need to look presentable upon arrival, as well as a toothbrush, deodorant and some dry shampoo to freshen up before you go outside.

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Move

Although blood circulation issues aren’t something to worry about for most young people, it is always good to walk around and move your legs from time to time to avoid swelling and leg pain. Don’t be afraid to wiggle your feet and stretch your legs while sitting down either, everyone will be doing it!

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Don’t go hungry

Plane food tends to be pretty bad, but you eat it anyway as it is your only option or out of boredom. Avoid being hungry and select any special dietary requirements ahead of time. Most airlines now offer allergy friendly menus as well as vegan/vegetarian options. Just ask!
In addition, always prepare some healthy snacks such as carrot sticks, nuts and seeds as well as fruit to snack on when you need it. Overnight flights can be pretty long and you usually only get one meal and a snack.

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Hydrate

This is very important, as the recycled air inside the plane is very dry and will dehydrate you. Make sure to bring a large bottle of water, moisturiser and lip balm to avoid arriving feeling tired and getting headaches.

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Kick back and relax

You don’t get cut off from internet and your phone often, so take it as an opportunity to relax instead of a disadvantage. Meditate a little or use the time to chat to your friends uninterruptedly. Get some sleep and when you wake up, you’ll be at your dream destination!

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We want to know, what is your number one long-haul flight tip? Tell us on Facebook!