If you’re like me and love to travel, join me as I share essential tips for surviving long flights. As a nurse I’ve picked up some travel tips to make sure your next flight is as comfortable as possible.
I don’t like being stuck on a plane for hours and hours at at time. When I fly I am always flying in economy class. They seem to pack you in like sardines in a tin, not always the most comfortable is it?
Airline travel is increasing, in fact The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that passenger demand will grow by 8% in 2025.
So how do you stay comfortable and healthy on a long flight? I have compiled a list of tried and true tips and tricks that have helped me over the years.
Disclaimer: if you have underlying medical conditions please see your primary care physician before traveling. None of these tips are meant to substitute the advice of your doctor.
I hope that you all are heading out on or at least planning a vacation. I know I am! My family and I are planning a trip to Japan this year, we are so excited.
I would love to hear about where you are all travelling to.
So lets dive right in: below I’ve listed some common problems that come with long flights. What you can do to not only enjoy your flight more, but be comfortable and healthy in the process.
1.Dehydration
Airplanes have lower humidity levels which can lead to dehydration or at the very least dry skin and scratchy eyes.
- Hydrate on the flight. Good old water works best. However you could consider bringing an electrolyte supplement such as Liquid IV or LMNT (less added sugar), and adding it to your water bottle. I always buy water before boarding my flight. I’m always thirsty on long flights, and they only pass drinks at certain times throughout the flight. At home in my day to day life I carry around a big reusable water mug so I always have fresh water available. This water bottle is so banged up from constant use that it’s comical.
- Consider bringing a refillable water bottle with you on the flight, just make sure it’s empty to go through security then fill up at the water fountains near your gate. This water bottle is a collapsible, which will squish down really small to fit in your personal item bag or carry on bag. There are different sizes of collapsible water bottles if you would like a larger one. The one linked fits about 600ML of liquid.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine on the flight, they are diuretics and can contribute to dehydration. Not to mention you will potentially be getting up to use the restroom more often and this can be awkward if you are sitting in any seat other than an aisle seat.
- Eyes and skin can dry out on long flights as well. I like to take off my makeup with a cleansing wipe and apply a good moisturizer with hyaluronic acid in it to lock in moisture.
- Usually on long haul flights they will serve a meal about an hour or so into the flight, after eating I will take off my makeup in the bathroom and apply moisturizer and chapstick. Following your bedtime routine can help get you in the zone for sleeping later. For dry eyes, eye drops are small and don’t take up much room in your bag but can help relieve tired, dry and itchy eyes.
2. Tired/Swollen/& Antsy legs Do your feet and ankles swell on long flights? Because you are sitting for long periods of time you are more likely to get tired, puffy feet and ankles after a long flight. One way to combat this is by using compression socks - Compression socks help by forcing the blood back up to your heart, and may help prevent blood clots from forming. They will reduce any swelling you may get and may help reduce that antsy tired feeling you get in your legs while onboard. No need to spend a lot of money on these, you can find compression socks online that are inexpensive. Bonus: they keep me warmer as well.
- Trace the alphabet with your feet. Moving your feet while sitting can help get blood flowing as well. This is a tip that I learned from a physical therapist and works when I’m feeling antsy and want to move without bothering my fellow passengers.
- 3.Germ Warfare I don’t know about you but I’m always nervous about getting sick right before vacation. In fact the last trip I went on to Spain, I got really sick about 5 days before leaving. I didn’t want to cancel the trip and luckily by travel day I was past the contagious period, however I was still congested on my flight over. Because of this and out of an abundance of caution I wore a mask for the whole flight!
- Airplane air is filtered with HEPA filters and so I don’t really worry about wearing a mask most of the time. Airplanes are wiped down between flights and clean sanitized blankets are provided on most long haul flights. However I like to bring cleaning wipes to wipe down high touch surfaces like the arm rests, and tray tables, not to mention bathroom door handles. If that seems excessive, try bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your carry on and use it before eating, or touching your face, eyes or mouth. No one wants to get sick on vacation and a little prevention could go a long way.
- 4.GI issues Do you get nauseated or constipated on flights? Changes in air pressure during landing and take off can cause the air in your gut to expand causing bloating and even constipation. Comfort measures include hydrating, which also helps with constipation. Eating a light meal can also help.
- Try to avoid heavy greasy meals right before or during your flight. If you find that the food provided is too heavy or if you get hungry in between meals (served on most long haul flights) or if you are on a shorter flight where meals aren’t served, bring some snacks with you. Good options that aren’t too messy or smelly are fruits, salads, beef jerky sticks, instant oatmeal packets (ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water), or a protein bar.
- If you get motion sickness you can try a ginger chew, ginger is a natural treatment for nausea.
- An over the counter motion sickness medication, may also be helpful to bring with you. Just make sure to pay attention to whether or not they are the drowsy or non- drowsy formulation, in case you are trying to adjust your body to the local time at your destination.
- Hydrate. I’ll say it again, staying hydrated and avoiding caffeine and alcohol will also help with nausea and constipation.
5. Resting/Sleeping
I seriously struggle to sleep on flights, no matter what time I’m flying or how long the flight is.
Regular neck pillows don’t work for me and leave my neck sore. I do like this linked neck pillow though. It sort of reminds me of a partial neck brace of sorts. The key to this is playing around with it before your flight so you can figure out the correct positioning for comfortable support. I am a side sleeper, so this is a more natural position for my head when sleeping.
The foot sling I linked above also helps relieve pressure from my lower back helping me to rest for longer.
Little things like ear plugs or a sleep mask are small and pack easily into your carry on bags. I like silk masks because silk is gentle on your skin. This style of earplug is supposed to help with noise and reduces the pressure buildup you can get in your ears during take off and landing. I just bought a pair to try out on my upcoming Japan trip. You could also try chewing a piece of gum, which can help your ears adjust to the pressure changes.
Another thing to consider about sleep, is when to do it. Try to adjust to the local time at your destination if possible. I recommend doing this even up to a couple days in advance, if possible. I myself am totally guilty of getting to my destination and going straight to bed in the middle of the day. Mostly because I didn’t know some of these tips for good rest.
I’ve heard that it takes about one day per time zone crossed to adjust to the time differences. Depending on where you are going this could be multiple days to adjust!
Wear comfortable clothing, and dress in layers. I am always either too hot or too cold on flights.
I don’t like to wear tight or restrictive clothes either, these tend to dig into places and start to hurt after awhile. I made the mistake of wearing a pair of jeans that were a bit tighter in the waist on a flight once and boy did it dig into my belly! I was super uncomfortable the whole flight.
I hope this gets you thinking and gives you some good advice for longer flights.
Good luck and Happy travels!
Becky
*this post is not sponsored and I’m not an affiliate. The linked products I purchased myself and recommend.
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