How to Survive a Long Haul Flight

How to Survive a Long Haul Flight | Cobalt Chronicles | Houston Travel Blogger

Michael and I are taking off on our flight to Lisbon, Portugal today   I’ve been on my fair share of bruiser flights, but the longest by far was the direct flight from Newark in New Jersey to Hong Kong that I took a few years ago to visit Southeast Asia.  It was 16 hours … I learned a few things on that long haul flight that have made me want to write my own set of long haul flying tips, so that those who have never been on one before aren’t caught short by their experience. Now I feel really prepared every time I have a long haul flight ahead of me, and I want others to feel that way too.

Tips on How to Survive a Long Haul Flight

Before packing up and heading to the airport:

  1. Make sure EVERYTHING is charged up.  Your iPad, cell phone, AirPods, and any extra chargers that you’re bringing along (I have a couple of these and highly recommend).
  2. Download 4 – 5 movies on your iPad or iPhone and throw in a few TV series’ too so that you’ll be able to watch even when you’re not connected to wifi.  A good TV series is great because you can easily get sucked into hours of watching one show!
  3. Download music and/or playlists onto your iPhone.  The tunes comes in super handy when you’re trying to fall asleep and want to block out all of the surrounding noise.

What to do before boarding the plane:

  1. Wear comfortable clothes to the airport and layer. My travel outfit of choice is leggings, socks, sneakers, a sports bra (this one is my FAVE), comfy tee, a cozy sweater, and a giant blanket scarf (I even brought this to Southeast Asia where the forecast was in the 90s for the entire trip). The scarf can be used as both a pillow and a blanket on the flight.
  2. Basically act like you’re getting ready for bed. I always head to the ladies room to wash my face (take all of your makeup off!), apply a layer of facial oil and moisturizer, and brush my teeth.
  3. Make sure you have a neck pillow, earplugs, headphones, and an eye mask (a LIFE SAVER!). If not, snag these in the airport.

What to bring on the plane:

  1. Snacks. Pack snacks.  I usually pack an entire lululemon tote bag full of snacks (RXbars, RX Nut Butters etc.) and stashed them in Michael’s backpack.  😉
  2. If you’re traveling with a partner, purchase a headphone splitter.  It allows you to both plug into and watch the same movie at the same time.  It has come in pretty handy for us. However, note that you have to have headphones that can plug in – AirPods won’t work.
  3. Face mist and face wipes.  I know the face mist sounds ridiculous, but I’m telling you, at about 8 hours in, it feels amazing.  The air inside the cabin always makes my skin feel icky, so being able to refresh with the spray and the wipes is a game changer.

I hope that helps!  If you have any other helpful tips for surviving a long haul flight, share them in the comments below!

10 Comments

  1. Ariel wrote:

    I refuse to travel without my Bose noise cancelling headphones. They were a lifesaver when I went to Dubai last year.

    Posted 1.24.17
    • Ashlee wrote:

      I’ve heard so many great things, I just haven’t taken the plunge. Those sound awesome though!

      Thanks for the suggestion!

      Posted 1.25.17
    • Kristine wrote:

      Funny coming across this – my boyfriend is convinced he needs his Bose headphones on the plane when we travel later this year.

      Posted 1.26.17
      • Ashlee wrote:

        haha I always *need certain things too, usually a certain new pair of shoes! 😉

        All jokes aside though, I’ve heard they’re the best!

        Posted 1.27.17
  2. Molly wrote:

    Headphone splitter is such a good idea!! I love all these tips!

    http://www.mollyonthemoveblog.com

    Posted 1.25.17
    • Ashlee wrote:

      Thanks Molly! The splitter is a random piece that ended up coming in so handy!

      Posted 1.26.17
  3. Omg yes! I’m headed to LA tomorrow morning and girl that spray tho! I’m doing carry on only and I found the world tiniest spray bottle! Any tips for taking the redeye back and going straight to work? UGHHHHH….

    Posted 10.2.19
    • Ashlee wrote:

      Woof! heading straight to work is definitely going to be rough! Sleep mask and Nyquil for the flight?! lol And lots of coffee to get you through the work day! Best of luck!

      – Ashlee

      Posted 10.2.19
  4. Tammy wrote:

    Where is that passport holder in the top picture from? Thanks!

    Posted 10.5.19
    • Ashlee wrote:

      Hi Tammy – It’s an old case by Joie. I couldn’t find it online, except for a few used ones on Poshmark.

      Posted 10.11.19

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