Long flights easily get boring, especially if you cannot get to sleep. Therefore make sure that you have enough to do. For instance, you can take some games with you, a book, a pocket console computer or a tablet.
Of course you can also spend your time during a flight productively. For instance by bringing study books with you or work from your laptop or tablet.
Being hungry can be annoying, especially if you are only offered the choices the airplane staff offers you; which are often not very varied and healthy. Moreover the food often does not taste that good and it can be expensive as well. Therefore we recommend taking some healthy snacks with you and perhaps even a healthy meal.
Examples of foods and drinks that are easily taken with you on the plane and stay good for a while are:
Because you have to sit for a long time, it is important to choose to wear clothing that doesn't irritate you and feels good to wear. A few tips for a suitable outfit during a long flight:
To relax and be able to sleep well, you can bring a blanket with you. Preferably choose for a thin blanket or a special travel blanket, because this will save you space in your bag.
During the flight, your feet might get cold sometimes. Therefore it can be a good idea to take an extra pair of warm socks with you so that your feet stay nice and warm throughout the duration of the flight.
Do your travels last longer than 12 hours? Then it can be a good idea to bring some clean clothing with you, like socks, underwear and a T-shirt. In this way you can quickly change when you arrive so that you will feel fresh again.
To be able to sleep well during your flight, you can not go without bringing a pillow. An inflatable neck pillow or a special travel pillow may be the best choice for you. A normal pillow will quickly take up too much space in your baggage.
Do you want to relax or read during your flight? Then earplugs are recommended. You can find these in many stores for a low price. Certainly worth the effort. When you fly quite often, it can be worth it to buy noise cancelling headphones. These are more expensive, but they will block out the noises more effectively.
When you like to go for a nap during your flight, an eye mask is also recommended.
The differences in air pressure can cause pain in your ears. You can prevent this by chewing chewing gum. Therefore it is a good idea to take a packages of chewing gum with you in your hand luggage.
If you sit still for the entire duration of the flight, you can be troubled with stiff muscles. Moreover you will feel tired more easily if you do not move. Try therefore to sometimes stretch a little, and walk back an forth through the isles.
The air in the plane is often very dry, which can cause a dry skin and dry (and cracked) lips. Therefore take some lip balm and a moisturizing cream with you on the plane.
After a long flight you will often get a bad taste in your mouth, especially if you have been sleeping. To prevent this you can bring some chewing gum. Taking a mouth spray could also be a good idea to keep your mouth fresh. Of course you can also prevent a bad taste in your mouth by regularly drinking or eating something.
Because of the dry air in the airplane you can also be suffering from dry eyes, especially if you are wearing contact lenses. Therefore it is important to take eye drops with you in your hand luggage.
Take facial cleansing wipes with you to freshen yourself during your travels. It is nice to use them in between and when you wake up, but certainly also when you arrive on your destination. When you have been sweating you can also use it under your armpits.
Often you are trying to postpone it, but sometimes you do not escape from having to go to the toilet on the airplane. Make sure you are prepared for this by taking wet cleaning wipes with you so that you can clean the toilet seat. You can buy these in special travel packaging.
With some airlines it is possible to choose your own seat during check in. You can then ask which rows are still empty. With some flights the airplane is not full at all and you can get a seat in an empty row.
Besides there are also other things you can pay attention to to get a good seat. For instance:
Try to prevent a jet lag with the tips given here. Even if you apply these tips, you can of course still experience a (light) jet lag. Make sure you keep this into account when planning your trip.
In this article you have read many tips about the things that are handy to take with you on a long distance flight. We have summarised these tips into a packing list here below, so that you can see in once glimpse what you need to take with you. We recommend you to start your travels well prepared, but at the same time to not take too much with you. Carrying overfull bags will of course not make your travels any more pleasant.
