Travelling somewhere new is often quite exciting. You get to: meet new people, see new places, experience new things, soak in the sun or the snowfall, wear your best vacation outfits, take awesome travel photos, and more. However, if you’re like me, you’re probably dreading the countless hours of sitting in a small confined space on a plane just waiting to reach your destination.
Fortunately, after my recent experience on a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, I’ve learned a lot of tips on how to make your long flight super comfortable and enjoyable. I actually made this list while on the flight based on what I brought, and what I wish I brought with me.
1. Bring Your Headphones
Make sure you bring your headphones, whether for listening to music, audiobooks, podcasts, or watching movies on flight. Some airlines will provide free headphones, however, the one I went on recently didn’t. So as a result, I had to watch movies and tv shows for hours with closed captions and I regretted it so much. I spent more time reading the captions instead of watching and enjoying the visuals on screen. Music, podcasts and audiobooks weren’t even an option when you don’t have headphones.
Overall, I highly recommend bringing your own headphones instead of relying on an airline. If the airline provides you with free headphones, great! Now you have two headphones, and it is certainly better than having none where you end up reading closed captions for endless hours like me.
Photo by Paul Hanaoka from Unsplash
2. A Sleep Mask May Come in Very Handy
To be honest, I’ve never considered bringing a sleep mask till I got the middle seat in a flight, and the passenger who had the window seat kept their window open the entire time. The flight was from Toronto to India and the passenger had no plans on closing their window. So whenever I had to sleep off the majority of the duration of the flight in order to make time go a bit faster, I had to cover my entire head with a blanket. This way the darkness would help me sleep, but I really couldn’t breathe properly.
I would recommend bringing a sleep mask just in case you don’t get the window seat, or if other passengers keep their windows open and there’s too much light coming into the aircraft. You can get a sleep mask from the Dollar Store, and it’s just a great investment overall to ensure decent sleep on your long flight and you’ll be able to breathe properly too.
3. Blankets Just Scream the Word Comfortable
When I think of comfort, I think of wrapping myself up in a blanket like a burrito and watching Netflix in bed, with snacks. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one who thinks that. So why can’t we do that on a plane? Especially since there is a good chance of planes being super cold due to flying high altitudes or blasting the AC.
Sometimes airlines may give you a blanket if the flight is overnight and really long, but I recommend bringing your own just in case. You can just wrap yourself up like a burrito and watch in-flight movies while munching on snacks, just like when you’re at home. You may also get better sleep. So many pros to this!
4. Bring a Smartphone – The Obvious but So Necessary
This is pretty obvious but I thought I should add some additional information as to why you should bring a smartphone. When I was on a flight, the airline didn’t have screens on the seats. Instead the flight attendant told everyone to go on the airline website and watch movies on their phones. Clearly in this case, the bigger the phone screen, the better.
Also, I ended up downloading a bunch of games before boarding that don’t require wifi such as: Temple Run, Fruit Ninja, Subway Surfers, and more. This really helps when you don’t have wifi on flight or are just bored and want to play games on your phone to kill some time.
I also used the notes app on my phone and planned my future blog posts, so I don’t waste time thinking what I should write about when I get back from my vacation. You can do so many things on-flight with a smartphone.
5. Boost Your Productivity With a Laptop or Tablet
Instead of trying to work on your smartphone, I highly recommend bringing a laptop or tablet. A bigger screen will help you work more efficiently and you certainly have more applications to work with in comparison to your phone. With a laptop or tablet, you can: edit photos and videos, send emails, schedule meetings, do some research on how to start your own business, and more.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always associate laptops with work and productivity. Whereas with a smartphone, I associate it with games, social media apps, and YouTube videos.
Photo by Samuel Lopes from Unsplash
6. Get Some Good Sleep With an Airplane or Regular Pillow
Getting a good sleep or nap is one of the top things to do on a long flight. However, it’s hard to figure out how to sleep, especially in such a small confined space. I often pull down the tray table and put my head on there. However, it is so hard to get some sleep without a pillow.
I highly recommend getting an airplane pillow or regular pillow so you can sleep better. An airplane pillow certainly helps with neck strain when you sleep sitting up, however if you sleep like me, I personally think a regular pillow is more comfortable. Either way, you’ll definitely get better sleep if you have any kind of pillow with you.
7. Bring a Jacket or Sweater, Just in Case
I know I said to bring a blanket above, however adding to that, I would recommend bringing a jacket or a thick sweater for an extra layer of warmth. Most likely the blanket you will carry won’t be a giant comforter, so it’s best to wear layers. I’ve been on flights where I had a blanket but I was still freezing. Ever since then, I always had a sweater or jacket with me when boarding. I learned my lesson!
8. Stock up on Snacks and Water – The Good Stuff!
This is my favourite category, snacks! Honestly, it can make or break your flight experience. Instead of waiting for flight attendants to serve you pretzels or tomato juice every few hours, I highly recommend stocking up on snacks. You can pack: chips, chocolates, trail mix, granola bars, sandwiches, salads, and more. I often bring a giant Doritos bag with me so I can keep munching away while watching movies and shows.
Also, I highly recommend bringing an empty 500 mL water bottle so you can fill it up before boarding. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout your flight and drinking water will eliminate headaches, lethargy and dry skin.
Photo by Denny Muller from Unsplash
9. A Good Book Can Certainly Kill Some Time
Sometimes too much screen time can really strain your eyes. That’s why I recommend bringing a good book, because not only will it kill some time if you can’t stop reading it, but it may also make you sleepy if you have trouble falling asleep on flights. It also feels good to just bundle up in a blanket and read for a few minutes.
If you don’t like reading however, you can bring your journal or sketchbook. You can doodle a few drawings, play tic-tac-toe or hangman with your family and friends, or document your experiences through writing. It can be very therapeutic and fun!
10. Comfy Socks Makes a Comfy Flight
Have you ever wanted just to take off your shoes and cross your legs, or put your feet up on your seat? I know I do on every flight! Therefore, I recommend comfy socks so you can do just that. It feels sooooo good to turn into a little ball under the blanket and watch some entertainment on the flight. Especially when the flight is cold and you don’t want your legs on the ground because your blanket may not be long enough. Comfy socks are certainly the solution to this problem!
I hope these tips help you have a super comfortable and enjoyable flight the next time you’re travelling! Also, I realized that the more activities you have on-hand, the quicker the time flies. If I missed anything, you can always comment below on how you make your flight experience more comfortable. Till next time, happy travels!
Like this post? Share these pins!
