How to Prepare and Pack for a Long Flight

Travel is awesome, but getting to a new destination on a long-haul flight is not. It’s important to know how to survive, prepare and pack for a long flight, so you’re not completely wrecked when you arrive in a new and exciting destination.

My goal on every long haul flight is to sleep the majority of the time. This way you can adjust slightly easier to the time zone in your new destination and sleep through 8-16+ hours of claustrophobic, crowded and stationary hell.

Here are my tips for how to prepare and pack for a long flight in order to be as comfortable as possible and actually get some sleep:

HOW TO PREPARE

CHECK-IN BEFOREHAND – If possible, to save yourself time at the airport.

CHARGE YOUR DEVICES

STRETCH – Before and after your flight. Your body isn’t designed to sit for so long.

AVOID CAFFEINE – And alcohol.

REQUEST A SPECIAL MEAL (if available) – You’ll receive it well before everyone does, especially if you’re at the back of the plane where food service can take up to 1.5-2 hours. This way you don’t waste any time so you can go to sleep right away. However, I often avoid the food as much as I can because it’s generally really unappetizing and really terrible for you. I bring A LOT of snacks instead and eat a meal right before I board.

CHOOSING A SEAT

The worst seat on a plane is obviously the middle seat. No one wants that.

If you choose the window seat, you have to wait or ask the people beside you to get up when you need to go to the washroom. It can be nice to hide in the corner with a view where no one can bother you, but you lack the freedom of mobility, which can feel claustrophobic for some.

How to prepare and pack for a long flight — Mumbai, India

If you choose the aisle seat, YOU will be asked to get up when your neighbours need to use the washroom. And then again when they return from the washroom. This is disruptive, especially if you’re sleeping.

If you choose an aisle seat of the middle row of the plane, you can get up whenever you wish and no one needs to bother you to get up for the washroom because they can go the other way. This is what I do. In addition, if you choose a seat like this at the back of the plane where no one wants to sit, if the plane isn’t full you can get an entire row to yourself to lie down and sleep. This has happened to me a few times and it is the greatest thing ever.

prepare and pack for a long flight — The travel gods gave me a row to myself on a 13 hour flight

However, don’t choose a seat at the back of the plane if you don’t have a lot of time in between connecting flights because it takes forever to get off the plane if you’re all the way at the back.

WHAT TO PACK

Neck pillow – buy an inflatable one, like I did, to save space. Sure, they look dorky as hell, but who cares when you get an exponentially better sleep?
Earplugs
Eye mask
Sleep aids – melatonin, sleeping pills, edibles (if they’re legal/safe in your country and they must be eaten before you go through security). Sleep aids aren’t always recommended by the experts, but a lot of people (myself included) swear by them for a long flight. What else are you supposed to do for 10-15 hours in a claustrophobic, overcrowded tube in the sky? I do not wish to be awake for the majority of that, thanks. I take a sleep aid and wear an eye mask, ear plugs and neck pillow for a comfortable sleep.
Pen – for filling out customs forms
Snacks
Toothbrush and toothpaste – they’re nice to have for long haul flights with long or multiple layovers.
The address of your accommodation for immigration
Chargers for your electronics
Headphones – preferably noise cancelling, for music and movies
Valuables (don’t check them)
Passport
Water bottle – it’s important to stay hydrated because flying causes dehydration and flights never provide enough water

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

If you have checked luggage, it’s a good idea to pack a change of underwear/clothes, medications, toothbrush etc in your carry-on just in case your bag doesn’t arrive. This has happened to me twice and I had nothing and it sucked.

Electrolytes – to help with the dehydration

WHAT TO WEAR

Lastly on how to prepare and pack for a long flight, no matter how hot it is where you are when you leave, planes can get REALLY cold, so you need to wear or bring warm, comfortable clothes. You can’t sleep or be comfortable if you’re cold.

Wear pants and a sweater. Bring an extra sweater if you’re someone who is always cold (like me).

HOW TO DEAL WITH JET LAG

Unless you’re switching hemispheres more or less directly north to south (or vice versa), a long haul flight will come with some major time change and jet lag, which is “when the body arrives before the soul does.” Here’s how to deal with jet lag:

Get on the local time and schedule immediately
Avoid checking the time in your previous destination
Avoid napping. If you must nap, set an alarm
Drink a lot of water. Electrolytes help too.
Take melatonin, which is a natural sleep aid, for the first few nights in your new destination to avoid being wide awake at 4am every morning.

See more on how to deal with jet lag here.

Happy travels!