Tips for Long Flights

Any flight over eight hours is going to be uncomfortable. My 16 hours aboard a direct flight to Taipei, Taiwan has taught me this in a very real way. The good news is I have some tips to make the long flights just a little bit more pleasant. 

1. Pack personal items in your carryon - Pack your toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, intimate wipes, face wash/face wipes and/or baby wipes. You buy travel sized items that are allowed in your carryon with regards to toothpaste and mouth wash. You can either buy, if available, travel sized face wash or put some into a ziplock bag. The intimate and baby wipes are to make yourself feel cleaner because, at least for me, you can feel absolutely gross after a long flight. 

2. Don't sleep much the day before - Before my flight to Taiwan, I slept maybe four hours and hen worked all day and stayed up until 1:30 am my local time before finally falling asleep on the plane. Forcing yourself to be exhausted will make it easier to sleep the plane ride away, even if it isn't the most comfortable. 

3. Headphones and electronics are absolute musts - In your carryon, keep your laptop, tablet, phone, headphones and chargers. I find it's easier to block out all the sounds in the plane when I fall asleep with my headphones in. If you can't sleep, watch something on either the screen the plane has or something you have on your phone or other device. The chargers are pretty explanatory. 


4. Wear comfortable clothes - It's so interesting to see people boarding a 10 plus hour flight in dress clothes or stiff clothing items. That makes it even harder to sleep or be comfortable so why would you do that to yourself? Personally, I wear workout clothes. 

5. Have blankets, hoodies or jackets - Planes tend to get very cold and just the thin blankets some airlines provide doesn't cut it. I personally wear hoodies or sweaters aboard a plane, regardless of the season. I don't like to be cold when I know I won't be moving much. 

6. Get up and stretch - Using the restroom and just getting up to walk around a bit when the fasten seatbelt sign is not on, even if it's for a few seconds, is a smart idea. You can get stiff if you are in one spot for too long.