10 Tips for Surviving a Long Haul Flight

5. Use a Travel Bag

No matter how tall or short you are, when it comes to sitting in the same seat for hours on end, every inch of leg room is sacred.

Don’t limit yours with a needlessly large personal item, which you’ll be forced to stow under the seat in front of you if you’ve also brought a carry-on onboard. Opt for a travel bag that’s versatile and soft, so you can squash it down if need be.

Related: The Ultimate Packing List

6. Bring a Water Bottle

One of the beauties of long-haul flights is how well you’re fed—often, at least two full meals and a mid-flight snack to curb your cravings are provided. But what about when the lights are out, flight attendants are nowhere to be found, and you’re HANGRY? What then? Be prepared with your own snacks and a bottle of water.

Don’t forget your collapsible water bottle like this one by Nomader. Just fill it up before you walk on the plane and your good to go!

7. Be Friendly to Your Armchair Neighbor

This might be self-explanatory, but be nice and practice good airplane etiquette.

Learn the rules of the air: unless you’re in the middle seat, hogging an interior armrest is a jerk move.

Before reclining your chair, glance back to make sure it won’t disrupt anyone, and whatever you do, don’t do it during meal service.

Also, whether you’re on the window or the aisle, expect—especially during long hauls—that everyone is going to have to use the bathroom at least a few times. Be forgiving and courteous, and you might even make a new friend in the process.

In flight airplane food on a long haul Iberia flight.

8. Choose Your Flight Food and Drinks Carefully

That cheesy chicken parmesan wafting down the center aisle might smell delicious, but you may want to reconsider eating a heavy meal. Heavy meals keep you awake, and are more difficult to digest. 

If you can, avoid foods and drinks high on sugar, salt, or caffeine. The same goes for alcohol. While it can act as a sedative for anxious fliers, it is also extremely dehydrating. 

Instead, stick to your bottled water or apple juice (my personal favorite).

9. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

I don’t know about you but I can’t drink enough water on a flight. I get very dehydrated, very quickly.

Don’t forget your collapsible water bottle, like this one by Nomader.

The levels of humidity inside plane cabins are comparable to what you’d find in a desert—bone dry. 

The effects are two-fold: the extreme dryness dulls the skin, and, if not addressed, that dehydration leads to worsened jet lag.

10. Get Up and Stretch

Pressurized cabins spell less oxygen for passengers and, over periods of time, symptoms due to lower blood oxygen levels that include fatigue, headaches, swollen limbs, and dehydration. The best solution? Stretch. Walk up and down the aisle to boost blood flow and practice some non-intrusive exercises in your seat, like rolling your shoulders and rotating your ankles.

Consider a pair of compression socks.