Throughout this article, we’ll cover our most useful tips for long flights so you survive your next trip.
Quick Answer
There are several ways to make long flights more comfortable, such as bringing extra water to stay hydrated and preparing entertainment, like movies or reading material. Packing an eye mask, noise-canceling headphones, compression socks, and a refillable water bottle can also make your trip more enjoyable.
Be sure to plan and choose smart flight routes with virtual interlining fares, as these can make multi-hour flights much more bearable and offer better value.
Prepare Before Your Flight
A relaxing journey starts with preparation. Simple. Here are a few handy tips for long flights to make your hours in the air much easier.
Seat selection: The more space you have, the more at ease you’ll be. Consider an aisle seat so you don’t have to disturb your neighbor every time you need to use the loo. Or go one step further with a plush business-class seat where you can get a proper night’s sleep.
Baggage rules: Review flight tickets before buying to see whether you’re only allowed a carry-on or if checked baggage is included. It will save you from having to shuffle items between bags at the airport.
Download entertainment: Netflix, YouTube Premium, or binge a Spotify podcast playlist. Make sure you have something to keep you occupied or prepare for boredom.
Charging devices: There’s no digital entertainment without a device, and that device needs battery. Whether it’s your laptop, phone, or iPad, charge it up.
Airport arrival times: The general rule of thumb is to arrive 2 hours before a domestic departure and 3 hours before an international one.
To find cheap flights for long-haul trips, it’s best to start your search early for the best deals. Aim for 30 to 60 days out, and you’re good. Booking on a Sunday, which is known as the best day to book flights , also provides some of the best-priced airfares.
Choose the Right Seat
One often overlooked long-haul flight tip is choosing the right seat. What counts as a ‘good seat’ can vary from person to person, so here’s a breakdown of options to help you decide.
Aisle seats
Pros:
- Easier bathroom access
- More space to stretch your legs to the side
- Better for getting up and walking around while everyone is sleeping
Cons:
- You have to get up every time someone wants to go to the toilet
- No access to views on scenic flights
Window seats
Pros:
- Offers the best views
- The only time you need to move is if you want to go to the toilet
Cons:
- Can feel claustrophobic depending on the aircraft
- You’re the annoying person who needs to wake up two people to use the toilet
Exit row seats
Pros:
- Provides the best leg room, as there’s more space in front
- The best for sleep, as you have more flexibility
- In some cases, these seats are not fully filled, so you’ll sometimes only have one other passenger beside you
Cons:
- You’re the one responsible in case there’s an emergency
Pack Smart for the Cabin
Neck pillow
The ultimate tool for sleeping, these soft cushions are excellent for supporting your neck on a flight. Although sold in most major airports, they’re often cheaper to buy before flying.
Headphones
One of the most important carry-on essentials, headphones let you listen to music, watch movies, or block out the sounds of screaming babies.
Refillable water bottle
Many airports offer refill stations where you can top up a reusable bottle before boarding. Shops know passengers are often willing to pay more for bottled water after security, which is why it tends to be expensive. But once you have your own bottle, you’ll be able to refill for absolutely nothing.
Compression socks
For better circulation on a flight, wear compression socks, which can also help reduce the risk of blood clots. You don’t need to wear them to the airport. Just pack them and put them on after you’ve boarded.
Snacks
There may be only a handful of meal services on a long-haul flight, so you’re bound to build up a hunger. Don’t forget to pack some snacks for grazing, like chocolate, chips, a sandwich, or whatever keeps you going.
Stay Comfortable During the Flight
To feel more comfortable on your flight, try staying hydrated, stretching when you can, maintaining good posture, and dressing in layers. Here are some extra international flight tips to improve your time in the sky.
Drink Water and Avoid Dehydration
Since cabins pull in air with very little humidity, everyone onboard becomes more dehydrated. For this reason, you should bring as much water as you can to sip. Sure, cabin staff provide complimentary water while serving meals, but it’s nowhere near enough to keep you hydrated for an entire flight.
The free booze and coffee might be tempting, but one good long flight health tip is to keep them to a minimum, or you may feel the effects later.
Move Around Every Few Hours
Sitting for multiple hours isn’t normal for the human body. You’ll only end up stiffening up and struggling to get settled. I try to stand up every hour or so to squeeze in some movement, but if you get other opportunities, you should take them.
One of the best flight comfort tips I can give you is to do light exercises. Neck and shoulder rolls, knee lifts, foot pumps, and ankle circles are all great movements that can be done in your seat. If you get the chance to stand up, squats and calf raises are also easy to fit in.
Dress for Comfort
Gone are the days when I wore jeans to look cool on a flight. Now I’m all about breathable clothing to regulate my body temperature, and a cozy pair of shoes that can easily be slipped off when I need to catch a few Zs.
If you’re wondering what to wear on long flights, the best approach is to think in layers. Consider wearing shorts under a tracksuit, a t-shirt under a hoodie, and heavy socks with an extra-light pair in your bag. This way, you can either remove a layer or put one on as needed.
Sleep Better on Long Flights
Sleeping on long flights is tough. Little leg room, cramped seating, and people chatting away at 3:30 am. There’s nothing worse. However, if you can squeeze in a few hours of shut-eye beforehand, it can make your flying much easier.
Here’s how to sleep on a plane like a pro.
Bring Sleep Essentials
If you want to sleep better on flights, you need to set yourself up for success. That means bringing items on board that can help you rest.
Think of the simple sleep hacks for flights, like packing eye masks and noise-canceling headphones, and try to bring a neck pillow if you can. Blankets are amazing for when things get cold at night.
Adjust to the Destination Time Zone
Nobody likes arriving exhausted on holiday, but you can get around this by adjusting to your new destination’s time zone.
Say you’re flying from Berlin to New York, which has a 6-hour time difference. You could start adapting your wake-up times to align with NYC time, then eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner on that schedule too. This international flight tip can make it easier to sleep at a more appropriate time and leave you with much higher energy levels when you land as well.
What to Do on a Long Flight
Wondering what to do on a long flight? Multiple hours in the air can be a strong cause of boredom. It’s better to use the time watching a series or getting ahead on work. Here’s how you can stay occupied on board right the way through.
Download Entertainment Before Boarding
A good blockbuster film like Jurassic Park or a podcast about your destination can make for great long-flight entertainment. Other options include listening to audiobooks, playing music, doing a round of sudoku, or reading that graphic novel you’ve been meaning to finish.
Use the Time Productively
All those hours in the sky could be put to better use. Why not tick a few things off your to-do list while you’re on the move?
Screenshot the bits you need to do some work offline, or pay the 10 euros for wifi. It will be worth it. You could also journal, plan what you’ll do on certain days of your holiday, delete some photos to free up storage on your phone, or smash through a few rounds of Duolingo. There are countless long-haul travel ideas for staying productive!
Save Money on Long-Haul Travel
You don’t just need to plan for comfort on long-haul flights. You also need to bring that same mindset to booking them, and Kiwi’s travel hacks for long flights make that easy.
These days, direct long-haul routes cost considerably more than they used to, even for the cheapest countries to travel to. However, being more flexible with how you travel still gets you wonderful savings. With Kiwi, you can add stopovers and build multi-airline routes that aren’t typically available on standard airline websites.
In practical terms, this is what it looks like: a direct flight from Paris to Vancouver with Air France costs €1,525 in September. But add in a few stopovers via Barcelona, Calgary, and Kelowna, flying with Ryanair and WestJet instead, and it only costs €319. That’s the kind of savings we’re talking about. The same even works for last-minute flights , too.
Compare Different Airline Combinations
People often ask how Kiwi can offer such cheap long-haul flights, and our answer is simple: virtual interlining. By mixing a few airlines into one itinerary, we can provide fares that no single airline could match on its own.
One example is flying from Istanbul to Las Vegas. Turkish Airlines serves this route with a layover in San Francisco, but the fare can reach €839 on some days. Fly the same way with one of our routes that uses multiple airlines instead, and it could cost as little as €502.
First, you fly from Istanbul to Copenhagen with AJet, then Copenhagen to London Stansted with Ryanair, with a 21-hour-and-10-minute layover so you can explore the city. After that, it’s London to Orlando with Norse Atlantic UK, and finally Orlando to Las Vegas with Frontier Airlines. More cities, more money in your pocket, and more exciting travel with Kiwi.
Stay Flexible With Travel Dates
Travel dates are one of the things that drive prices up like crazy. Even changing by a single day can cost significantly more due to seat availability. For this reason, always check the route on our website to find the cheapest flights with the +/- feature, which gives you options for 1, 3, and 5 days.
Flying from Lisbon to Tokyo on a Wednesday can cost as little as €536, but switching to a Saturday can push the fare to €761, as more people want to fly on weekends.
Ready to Find a Better Long-Haul Flight?
Traveling halfway across the globe shouldn’t take you 5 days to recover. Follow some of the tips for long flights in this article, and you’re guaranteed to arrive at your destination well rested, refreshed, and ready to explore.
It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Look through all the dates, compare different routes, and embrace itineraries with multiple airlines to discover cheap flights. You’d be surprised at the flight deals you can find by being a little more flexible.
