Long-haul flights are a necessary part of exploring every corner of our beautiful earth, but that doesn’t mean that the process isn’t a total pain! While it’s not yet possible to snap your fingers and teleport to paradise, here are a few ways to make your multi-hour journey a little more pleasant.
Don’t Rely On In-Flight Entertainment
At this point, aircraft that are assigned to long-haul trips are essentially guaranteed to have headrest televisions. However, the in-flight entertainment selection will remain a mystery until you’re all strapped in with nowhere to go. You don’t have to take those odds.
If you’re in possession of an iPad, laptop, or even a smartphone (not for the faint of heart, or faint of vision), we suggest downloading a few of your favourite flicks or TV episodes so you can live your best life while at cruising altitude.
Pack Your Own Snacks
Some might categorize individuals inside of a moving aircraft as a captive market… that would explain the exorbitant food prices. Instead of shelling out $7.50 for eight pretzels and two tablespoons of hummus, load up with snacks before the flight to keep your stomach full and your wallet happy. Purchase a bag of dried nuts and fruits to snack on throughout your flight, which provides a dose of fiber and protein. If you’re not a fan of nuts, make a simple sandwich beforehand to satisfy your hunger.
Bring Industrial-Strength Headphones
The effort is noble, but the audio from your meditation app is no match for the screaming baby in row 15 – unless you’re equipped with noise-canceling headphones. Leave your earbuds at home and get a pair of big, bad, earmuff-style headphones instead. We recommend the Bose QuietComfort headphones, which provide optimal sound quality and comfort. These headphones are a expensive though, so if you’re on a budget, head check out the Sony’s collection, which offers sets that start at $50.
Dress For The Occasion
Have you ever raised an eyebrow at people wearing jeans, blazers, or any structured clothing at the airport? Yeah, we have too. When it’s time to weather a long-haul flight, we recommend digging up your most comfortable wares: sweatpants, leggings, fuzzy socks … the works.
Why suffer through waistbands that dig into your gut and hems that itch like crazy? Why go through the effort to look put-together when you’ll be folded into an upright chair for hours on end? Take care of yourself and indulge in some comfort.
Layer Up
Over the course of your flight, you’ll probably oscillate between boiling hot and “am I trapped inside an actual freezer?” Try to combine as many layers as possible – think undershirt, t-shirt, sweater, and a rolled up scarf or blanket in your backpack – to optimize your experience during each of your body temperature’s peaks and valleys.
Stay Hydrated
You could easily go broke purchasing snacks and drinks on an airplane, but in all likelihood, you can score an unlimited supply of water for free.
The air in an aircraft cabin is essentially devoid of humidity, so unless you want to disembark in a raisin-like state after many, many hours in your high-altitude desert, hop on the water train and don’t look back.
Walk It Off
Unless you want to fall to the ground, jelly-legged, after 12 straight hours of immobility, get your blood flowing and your heart pumping with a lap or two around the plane. Not only will it be a tiny victory for your health, but you won’t have to feel like a newborn fawn once you finally peel yourself out of your seat post-landing.
Before you pack your long-haul first aid kit, head to OneStopParking.com to book your airport parking space at the lowest possible rate. Just click, reserve, and pay, all in one place. Bon voyage!