A survival guide: What to do on a long flight

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It seems like until fairly recently the options of what you are able to do on the long flights were limited:  scheduled in-flight movies, books and magazines, crossword puzzles.  Now, we have in-flight on-demand movies and TV shows and WiFi is even available on some flights, and mobile devices can now hold many types of downloads.  Even with all these options available, long flights can be just as grueling as in the past. But it’s a price we are all willing to pay for a fantastic vacation, trip of a lifetime, or a visit with your family and friends.

Our trip to Japan from Ohio includes a 14-hour flight from Detroit to Nagoya, Japan.  It never fails:  around the 9^th hour into the flight, we get so antsy and start contemplating on jumping out of the plane!  Since we make this trip every 2 years or so and we hope to make an even longer trip to Australia and New Zealand someday, I have made it into a personal mission to find ways to survive long flights!

Here are some of the ideas I gathered from my own experience and from observing other passengers on how to make these long trips more tolerable or even remotely enjoyable:

Start with the mindset

Time flies when you are having fun!  OK, it might be a little challenging to “have fun” on the plane.  But try shifting your mindset even just a little with the intention of making the best of it.  Imagine that this is the day you set aside for yourself, sitting on the couch, relaxing.  What activities would you look forward to doing?  Are there things that you’ve been meaning to catch up on that just have not had the chance to?

The more you focus on the negativities of the experience – like boredom, discomfort, anxiety, sense of confinement – the time will seem to drag even more. All the items below can be mixed and matched to help remove these negativities and create the time and space that can be filled with things you may actually look forward to!

Keep your mind preoccupied

Have you noticed that when your mind is preoccupied, it feels like the time flies?  Sometimes even at work, when I’m really focused on getting something done, the time goes a lot faster. Or if you play an online game, before you know it, HOURS have gone by.  Here are things that you can pack in your carryon to pass the time:

• Books/audio books.  See the New York Times Best Sellers for some ideas.
• Cards – Single player card games or simple card games you can play with your travel companion
• App games that you can play on airplane mode
• Puzzles – Here are ideas for puzzle books for adults.
• Nintendo Switch

Get comfortable

Although you might not be able to completely recreate the comfort of your couch on the plane, here are things you can do to create your little sanctuary.  

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
• Switch your shoes into slippers – Kick off your uncomfortable heels or bulky boots and slip into comfortable slippers during the flight.
• Wearing compression socks can reduce swelling in your feet and possibly lower your risk of blood clots.
• Noise cancellation headset is a great way to be able to listen to music or watch the movies without a lot of background noise.
• Essential oils – If you love essential oils, mix them with olive or coconut oil and place it in the travel size rollers to apply your favorite scent.
• Footrest – Being able to stretch out and elevate your legs can make the experience a whole lot more comfortable.  You can use your small carry-on bag as your footrest or take inflatable ones like these: 

• Stay hydrated –It’s not just your internal organs that need hydration.  Your skin could use some too!  Pack your favorite moisturizer in a travel-size container and a lip balm.
• Walk around and stretch.  Whenever it’s safe to walk around the cabin, just stroll through the cabin.  If you plan on doing this often, it might be best to get the aisle seat and don’t walk around during the drink or meal service. Unless you are traveling with a companion who can watch your belongings, keep your valuables with you as you walk around.
• Don’t overeat, especially the airplane food.
• Pack your own food and snacks.  Take what you love to eat and snack on.  It’s so much better than those dry cookies or pretzels they serve on the plane.  Or save money by not buying those overpriced, dried out, tasteless sandwiches at the airports.  Remember many countries (and Hawaii!) do now allow you to bring in fruits, vegetables or meat.  So make sure to eat or discard any of those items before you disembark the plane. Use bento boxes like these to pack your own simple meal!
• Don’t drink too much alcohol as it can cause dehydration.
• Take dietary supplements or add a lemon in your water to boost your immune system.

Treat Yo Self!

What are some of the ways you’d indulge if you had a block of time for yourself? 

• Write in a journal
• Start a vision board or travel journal – Of course, you don’t take the actual board with you on the plane!  Just start collecting ideas of what would be on your vision board using a journal or a kit.

• Magazines – Any magazines that you might not normally read like those celebrity gossip or fashion magazines that you want to indulge on?  You can even download magazines from your local library to read on your tablet.
• Download movies or TV series you’ve been wanting to watch on a tablet and binge watch
• Download and listen to podcasts
• Coloring books.  Here are some great adult coloring books to let your creativity side to come out!

Get an upgrade

Along the lines of making yourself more comfortable and treating yourself, getting an upgrade for your seat can be another way to make the trip more bearable.

I don’t mean upgrade to a Business or First Class, although that would be super nice if you could afford that! Our Detroit to Nagoya, which is around $1,800 right now roundtrip on Delta Economy/Coach, is going for a whopping $8,800 on a Business Class!  We won’t be making that upgrade anytime soon 🙁

But, within the economy class, many airlines have an upgrade available – usually called Economy Plus or Comfort Plus or something similar.   It gives you a more legroom than the rest of main cabin, which can make a huge difference in the comfort especially if you are going to be sitting there for a while.  For an additional $200 – 300 per person even on a long flight, you can get this upgrade which can be worth looking into.

Get some rest

If you can, that is!  Try to get as comfortable as possible with the list of ideas from above and get some sleep. 

• If you plan on taking any sleep aid like Melatonin, Dramamine, or even any prescription medication, be sure to try it out before the trip. It’s important that you know the right dosage to take and any possible side effect before the trip. Also, remember to keep medications – over-the-counter or prescription – in their original bottles.
• Use an eye mask, travel pillow, blanket and footrest to get yourself into a comfortable sleeping position.
• Be sure to keep your valuables close to you or on you in a safe spot at all times, especially while you are sleeping.

Prepare for your destination

Make the best use of your time to plan and prepare for the trip before you arrive.  

• Change your watch to the local time of destination.  Start getting used to the local time to minimize the jetlag.
• Do research on your destination – Unless you have a tight itinerary already mapped out, take a travel book with you to get more ideas on where to eat and visit when you arrive.  Or, start planning your next dream vacation!
• Learn/practice the language – If you are going to a foreign country, there are some key useful words and etiquettes that you should know.  Learn and practice those on the plane.

Any other ideas?

Do you have any other tips on how to make your long flight as enjoyable as possible?  Let us know in the comments section below!

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