I recently traveled from North America to Africa via Europe and back on a long flight. It’s not unusual for me to spend 24-36 hours on flights and in layovers on my international trips. Here are some of my simple strategies to make my seemingly never ending economy flights bearable and even sometimes enjoyable!
Strategy #1: Choose Your Seat Wisely
Middle vs. Aisle
On a short flight, it doesn’t really matter where you sit. But on a long flight, choosing your seat is incredibly important. Think about how often you want to get up and move around. I like to get up and walk around at least once an hour unless I’m sleeping. And I only sleep for a few hours during a long flight. So I always want an aisle seat. But if you can sleep anywhere and don’t get up often, a window seat may be better for you!
If you do like an aisle seat, choose an aisle in the center section of the plane on international flights. These large planes usually have a configuration of 2:4:2 or 3:3:3 or 3:4:3. A center section aisle seat lets people in middle seats beside you have two options to get to the aisle. So if you are sleeping, the person beside you can bother the person on the other side rather than waking you up. This is especially useful if you are traveling alone. Many times the person sitting beside you is traveling with others. They are more likely to bother their own companions rather than you.
Section of the Plane
The airline industry is trying to squeeze every dime out of customers these days. One way they do this is by charging extra for regular economy seats in “preferred” locations. These are the bulkhead seats with extra legroom and seats that are the front of the economy cabin. Certainly if you are very tall, consider paying the extra money for the bulkhead seats and extra legroom. But be aware these seats are often by bathrooms, so you will have people congregating around you.
I fit very well into a regular seat, but I do like being as far forward in the plane as I can. So I choose the seats that are as far up as possible without paying extra when I book the flight. Then I periodically look up my booking and check to see if anything better has opened up. If you don’t mind waiting longer for food and beverages and to get off the plane, another good strategy is to choose a seat as far back as possible. If the flight isn’t full, you are more likely not to have people sitting in middle seats beside you further back in the plane.
No matter where you choose to sit, make sure you are cognizant of where the bathrooms on the plane are. There’s nothing worse than being too close to a bathroom. People are constantly standing beside your seat and shuffling around to let others by them. Furthermore, sometimes the smells that emanate from the bathroom are not pleasant!
Seat Selection Tool
A great tool to help you choose the best seat on a plane is Seat Guru. Provide the airline name, flight number, and travel date, and Seat Guru will give you a seat map of the plane. Then compare it with the map provided by the airline when you are choosing your seats. Seat Guru will give you warnings about the disadvantages of particular seats.
Strategy #2: Dress Comfortably
Almost as important as where you are sitting on a plane is how you are dressed for travel. I’ve heard that if you dress to the nines you might be upgraded, but I think that’s a myth. There are too many people who have airline status or who travel hack to leave the upgraded seats empty! Instead, dress in clothes you are comfortable spending the next 24-36 hours of your life wearing.
For me, that’s some sort of stretchy pull-on pants, a t-shirt, and a jacket. Sleeve length of t-shirt and weight of jacket are dependent upon the season and climate. I’ve been freezing and burning up on planes more times than I can count. So dressing in layers is key. I also always dress in dark colors. It’s not unusual for turbulence to cause you to spill food or drinks on yourself. Dark colors can hide these spills.
Strategy #3: Bring Entertainment
On my recent 9 hour flight from Europe to North America, the screens and electrical outlets were not working in my section of the plane. People in that section who were planning to watch the entertainment provided by the airline on the plane’s equipment were out of luck. Furthermore, you couldn’t charge your own device, so entertaining yourself that way was limited.
This is not the first time I’ve run into this issue, so I was prepared. First, make sure you have at least one external battery that is fully charged before the flight. Next, make sure you have the airline’s app downloaded on your phone or tablet. You can often access the airline’s entertainment on their app. Finally, have some entertainment downloaded on your phone or tablet. I like to always have Kindle books, movies or TV shows, and podcasts downloaded to both my phone and iPad on long flights. This gives me a variety of entertainment options and multiple devices to access them in case I can’t rely on the plane’s equipment.
Strategy #4: Pack a Cabin Bag
No matter if you check your bag or are on team carry-on, make sure you have a small bag that will fit under the seat in front of you. This bag is for some basic necessities like the following:
- Toothbrush & paste
- Chapstick
- Lotion
- Snacks
- Water bottle
- Travel pillow
- Eye mask
- Headphones
- External charger
- Rechargeable fan (for warm planes) and a large scarf or small blanket (for cold planes)
- Sleeping aid such as melatonin, Tylenol or Advil PM, or prescription sleeping pill
Strategy #5: Exercise Before & During the Flight
If you possibly can fit it in, you should exercise before long flights. This will help counteract all the hours of sitting you have in front of you. And it might help you sleep better on the plane.
If you are leaving on a later morning, afternoon, or evening flight, try to get a workout in before you leave for the airport. But if you have an early flight, there still might be opportunities to exercise. Some airports have yoga rooms. Some airports and lounges have gyms. And you always have the option of just walking around the airport before your flight.
During the flight, your exercise options are a bit limited. But that doesn’t mean you should just sit still the entire flight. Get up and walk around every few hours. Sometimes there’s enough room in galleys, by the restrooms, or even in the restroom to do some simple yoga stretches. Just make sure you are aware of people around you – this is not a time to practice your downward dog or headstand! And there are many yoga stretches you can do while seated as well.
Strategy #6: Stay Hydrated
Humidity levels on planes are only 10-20%, which is drier than the Sahara Desert. There’s also decreased air pressure and lower than normal oxygen levels on planes, which causes you to breathe more rapidly. On long flights, it’s estimated that men lose two liters and women lose 1.6 liters of water. It’s important to actively work to replace those fluids before and during the flight.
Your preparation starts the day before your flight. Make sure you drink plenty of water in the 36 hours before you get on the plane. I have often been scurrying around the day before a long flight and then realized I’m starting out dehydrated. Make sure you fill up a bottle of water the day before and keep it filled and by you. This makes it easier to remember to drink water while you are preparing for the trip.
Once you get through airport security, fill up your refillable water bottle right away. Or if you forgot yours, pay that ridiculous amount to buy one at the airport. It’s a small price to pay! And make sure you have a full bottle when you board the flight. I’ve been on many flights where turbulence has prevented normal drink service, and you will be glad you have your own source of water.
Finally, every time the cart with drinks comes around, always ask for water. You can request another beverage, too. The flight attendants will give you both! If you start the flight hydrated and match every soda or alcoholic beverage with a glass of water, you will be fine. Also know that you can request water on a flight at any time. Just go to the area where the flight attendants congregate and ask for it.
Strategy #7: Get Lounge Access
I started travel hacking because I wanted to travel for free. But I’ve discovered one of the best side perks of travel hacking is lounge access. On my recent North America to Europe to Africa and back series of flights, I was in six different airports. Because of the various credit cards I hold, I was able to relax in an airport lounge in all six!
Airport lounges are hit and miss in terms of quality. Some have delicious food, full-service cocktail bars, and relaxing and comfortable spaces to sit. Others may just have a few packaged snacks, canned drinks, and basic chairs. But they all share one thing in common. The lounges are less crowded and much quieter than your airport gate! And I promise you the bathroom is much cleaner as well. Plus you will save a ton of money by not having to buy drinks, snacks or meals at airport stores and restaurants.
My best recommendation for a credit card with airport lounge access is the Capitol One Venture X. This card gives you access to Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capitol One lounges all over the world. You can bring two guests with you into the lounge. You can add up to 4 free authorized users to your account and they also receive their own lounge access. So larger traveling groups can all access the lounge together!
What are your best tips for surviving a long flight?
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