How to Survive a Long Flight

Everyone loves to travel but nobody likes to fly. Just going to the airport is stressful. The guilt of asking someone to take you to the airport. The awkward fumbling as you try to get out your laptop while simultaneously taking off your belt as TSA agents roll their eyes at you. And no matter how you arrange your items on the x-ray belt, its wrong.

Then comes the sitting. You sit waiting for your boarding group to to be called . You sit as other passengers board. You sit for hours as you fly to your destination. You sit in an Uber on your way to the hotel. You have barely taken a step in 8 hours and yet you are exhausted.

But in order to do something epic, you have to suffer just a little bit. Google “Type 2 Fun”. Air travel doesn’t have to be completely miserable for those of us stuck in Economy. To make flying a little easier on yourself, try the below tips we use when traveling internationally or on long domestic flights.

Wear Comfortable Clothing

Gone are the days of dressing up to take a flight. Unless you have a business meeting, ditch the suit. This causal revolution may have hipsters yearning for the swinging 1960’s but I for one am glad this tradition died.

You will read elsewhere that dressing more presentable will increase your chances of getting upgraded. It’s the same idea as buying a second lottery ticket. Your chances of being selected do increase but the odds of you winning the upgrade lottery are still slim to none. Go for the sure thing and bet on sweatpants.

Bring a Battery Pack

You don’t get to choose the plane you fly on. Therefore, don’t rely on the aircraft having a plug for you to charge your electronics. The last thing you want is for your entertainment source to die leaving you staring into the headrest in front of you for multiple hours. I use the Power Practical Lithium 4400 if you’re looking for a recommendation.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

If you only get one takeaway from this list, have it be this: Invest in a good pair of Noise Canceling Headphones. These are absolute game changers. I was hesitant when my wife bought a pair. I thought, “There is no way noise-canceling makes that big of a difference”. I have never been so wrong. Airplanes are louder than you realize and there is nothing worse than a screaming infant. Pop on those headphones and erase those annoyances.

Wear Compression Socks

This was another experiment I didn’t believe in 100%. But once again I was wrong (I’m starting to notice a pattern here). Compression socks improve the blood flow in your legs which decreases the chance that your legs will be sore after an extended period of inactivity.

No Alcohol or Coffee

This one’s a bummer. The most important key to surviving a long flight is staying hydrated. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate you. The airplane’s climate is low-oxygen and low humidity which mimics a desert environment minus the heat. Think of the cabin like a dehydrator and your beef jerky. It’s a slow process that slowly sucks all the water out of you. This is one of the main reasons you feel fatigue after a long flight.

Speaking of dehydration, you should also bring eye drops if your prone to dry and itchy eyes.

Alcohol and coffee also make you pee more and there is nothing more annoying than having to use an airplane bathroom.

Stretch Every Hour

To avoid being sore when you land, you can’t just sit there the whole time. Try these stretches every 30 to 60 minutes:

• Neck Roll: front, back, side to side, clockwise and counterclockwise.
• Shoulder Stretch: Arm across your chest and behind your head.
• Ankle Rolls: Clockwise and counterclockwise. This one will feel like heaven.
• Core Twist: Turn left then right. Feel free to awkwardly check out what the people behind you are doing.
• Hold Knee to Chest: This one will be impossible if the person in front of you has their seat leaned all the way back like a degenerate.

Bonus: Don’t Forget a Pen

When traveling international or coming back from Hawaii, you will be asked to fill out a Customs card. The flight attendants won’t give you a pen which forces you to ask a stranger to borrow theirs. To avoid this dreaded human interaction, remember to pack a pen in your carry on.

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Hopefully, these helpful hints will make flying a little more tolerable for you on your next adventure. Happy flying!