What to Pack for a Long Flight to Stay Comfortable and Entertained
I remember well how nervous I was boarding my first 10-hour flight, scared well-nigh how I was going to manage sitting in one place that long, wondering if I would sleep, and yellow-eyed well-nigh whether or not I had everything that I needed. So if you are wondering what to pack for a long flight, don’t stress — I’ve got you covered! Luckily now without myriad long-haul flights, I have my packing routine lanugo to a seamless system.
And if you are flying with kids, I can requite you some translating well-nigh that too! My daughter completed her first long-haul flight at the age of six, from Newark to Honolulu. And that was surpassing iPads and mobile apps for kids (yes, I know this is white-haired all of us!) In-flight entertainment and technology sure do make long flights increasingly tolerable, but sometimes it is still good to have some old-fashioned entertainment with you as well.
In this article, I’ll talk you through what airplane essentials to pack in your personal item and carry-on bag to stay well-appointed and entertained on a long flight. Plus, I’ll share some of my favorite carry-on tons and products that have wilt my go-to essentials for long flights.
Tips for Surviving Long-Haul Flights
Note: This post may contain unite links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.
Before I get into what to pack for a long-haul flight, I want to share a few of my weightier tips to make your wits on a long-haul flight increasingly comfortable.
- Hydrate well surpassing your flight! Dehydration is unchangingly one of my most significant issues with long-haul flights. I’m constantly thirsty (and need to use the washroom too commonly to sleep well), my skin and lips get so dry, and I get headaches. It is important to hydrate well surpassing the flight (and not just guzzle a snifter of water while boarding.) Sadly, this moreover ways foregoing swig in the lounge or on your flight.
- Dress as comfortably as possible. This goes for your kids too! Try to wear things that have stretch and requite to them (e.g. leggings over jeans) without itchy tags or poky underwires. Ladies — I love my wire-free bras from True & Co. Not only will they not set off any alarms at security, but they are moreover comfy for the whole flight. It is moreover important to dress in layers as most flights are chilly, but some can be quite warm. Well-appointed shoes that slip on and off hands are moreover helpful, although for space purposes I do try to wear my heaviest shoes on the plane.
- Avoid seats near the bathroom. On a long-haul flight, you do not want to be in one of the rows right next to the washroom where people line up or congregate. Not only will it be very nonflexible to sleep with the movement and the unexceptionable light going off and on, but it sometimes gets stinky without a few hours.
- Question whether or not you want a bulkhead. Grabbing a seat in a bulkhead row sounds very enticing considering of the uneaten legroom. However, these seats moreover have drawbacks. First, you can’t store anything at your feet during take-off or landing, which ways that you need to alimony your most important essentials in your pockets. Next, the hairdo often uses the overhead compartments whilom these rows for either their own luggage or for essentials like emergency kits or uneaten blankets. This ways you have less space to store your stuff and increasingly stuff to store since your carry-on bag AND personal item need to go up above. You may end up with your belongings a couple of rows back, which is a big pain both during the flight and when you go to disembark.
- Try to workbench early. Ok, that sounds counterintuitive that you want to get on the plane early for a very long flight. But if stuff in one of the early boarding groups ways that you can store your belongings directly whilom your seat versus stressing well-nigh finding a user-friendly spot for your luggage makes it worth it. Most airlines offer family boarding for those with young children, and that is something you should take wholesomeness of if possible. Otherwise, it is helpful to have status with an airline or have an airline credit card, which gives you boarding priority.
- Remember to move around. I know on overnight flights you will want to get as much sleep as possible, but don’t forget that on long flights it is important for your soul to move around. If you are in the window or middle seat, try to get up surpassing the walkway person goes to sleep. A good time is usually without the first meal or instillation service and well-nigh an hour surpassing the flight is scheduled to land surpassing the flight attendants come virtually for flipside service.
- Avoid unrepealable foods. Long flights tend to mess with our digestive tracts a bit. Some swear by drinking ginger ale. I say stave fried, fatty, and spicy foods, or salty foods that make you retain water. Anything that makes you finger bloated, gassy, or with an upset stomach is not platonic for a long flight.
- Charge surpassing you go. Surpassing you leave for the airport, make sure all of your devices and redundancy shower packs are fully charged. If you use your phone or computer while waiting for the flight, try to tuition up in the lounge or gate area. Luckily, my planes now moreover offer in-seat charging, but it is not reliable.
- Download at home. Surpassing you leave home, be sure to download the airline app (it may be necessary for in-flight entertainment and it is essential for mobile boarding passes, gate transpiration alerts, and making changes in specimen of a wait or cancellation. Also, be sure to download some movies, shows, music, or books while on your strong WiFi at home considering the WiFi at the airport or on the plane are not good for streaming or downloading large files.
What to pack for a long flight
Ok, now let’s get to the good part — what to pack for a long flight. Alimony in mind that you are unliable to bring on one carry-on bag (dimensions vary by airline, sometimes international flights have slightly smaller dimensions) and one personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you.
If you siphon a separate purse, this needs to be combined with your other items for boarding. Personally, I like to alimony some of my personal essentials in a small bag or purse inside my backpack/tote in specimen there is room up whilom to store my personal item and I can alimony just what I need by me at my seat.
Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes
Most airlines will now provide you with one sanitizing wipe, but I still want to bring withal a travel pack of Wet Ones unpolluted wipes and a small snifter of hand sanitizer to wipe up before/after meals, wipe lanugo the tray table, screens, and seatbelt, and to use without touching the washroom door.
Moisturizer and Lip Balm
Long flights are very dehydrating and it is important to bring withal a nice, thick hand moisturizing surf (not thin soul lotions) and a good lip unruffle or tube of Vaseline. Be sure to wield regularly, expressly without washing your hands or using sanitizer.
Eye Drops
Between the hours of dry air on the long plane ride and a possible lack of sleep, your vision tend to get quite dry on an airplane. I unchangingly bring moisturizing eye drops (not Visine!) with my long flight essentials.
Tissues
Pack at least one small pack of tissues in your carry-on items. If your nose gets dry, you may get nose bleeds, or the dank air can make your nose run. Either way, I prefer to be prepared. It can moreover be helpful in the unfortunate instances when the washroom runs out of toilet tissue.
Mints / Gum / Toothbrush
Even if you don’t fall asleep, long flights will get you dehydrated and that tends to rationalization bad breath. It is nice to bring withal some mints or gum to refresh surpassing getting off your flight. If I do fall asleep, I like to skim my teeth surpassing getting off the flight or at the inrush airport. You can bring withal a small travel toothbrush and toothpaste, or a couple little Colgate Wisps (although I prefer to stave single-use products these are super convenient.) Just remember that if you are going to skim your teeth on the plane, bring your water snifter into the washroom with you considering the sink water isn’t drinkable.
Travel Deodorant
If you are expected to hit the ground running or the possibility of not stuff worldly-wise to trammels into your hotel right away, I like to bring a small travel deodorant (Native has a nice little one that is perfect and doesn’t take up much space.)
Body Wipes
I really like these body wipes to refresh without a long flight. When you can’t take a shower without your overnight flight wet wipes are the next weightier thing!
Melatonin
I bring withal Melatonin or sleep aids when I travel to help me increasingly hands retread to new time zones and sleep schedules. It isn’t a drug so it isn’t going to knock you out, but it can help you have a increasingly restful sleep.
Travel Pillow
It took me years to find the perfect travel pillow for my taste! I tried the Trtl travel pillow, but found it a little confining. The traditional u-shaped pillows are unwieldy and I hate putting my squatter on something that has touched the ground. I love the Cabeau Evolution Cooling Pillow. It rolls up small into a delivering specimen that clips onto a bag handle. It adjusts to requite the right support and the cooling memory foam keeps me as well-appointed as I can be while sitting upright on a plane.
Sleep Mask
I tuck a sleep mask into the pocket of the delivering specimen on my travel pillow. While I typically just use one that I’ve gotten in an mindfulness kit on a previous flight, if you want something silky soft that won’t mess up your hair too much, segregate a nice mulberry silk eye mask.
Brush
For a long flight, I bring a small hairbrush in specimen I get bad bed throne on the plane. Nice soft hair ties or scrunchies are moreover good for keeping your hair looking nice when you victorious at your final destination.
Noise-canceling Headphones
Don’t underestimate the benefits of noise canceling headphones in making a long flight increasingly comfortable. While the Apple AirPods Pro have unconfined noise-canceling qualities, the shower life is rather short. I still moreover travel with my Bose noise-canceling headphones. Luckily, now there are many unconfined options for over-the-ear or in-ear noise-canceling headphones that are wireless or wired. If you are traveling with kids, you may moreover want to bring a Bluetooth splitter.
If you don’t want to listen to music or watch movies, I moreover unchangingly travel with my Bose Sleep Buds for sleeping in hotels (so much largest than standard ear plugs!) The noise receipt is unconfined and you can play sleep sounds to help ease you into sleep.
Mobile Phone & Chargers
I can’t imagine the panic I would finger if I left on a trip without my phone. Once I left it in the car and ran when to the parking garage to get it. Not only will you need to bring your phone, make sure you put it on Airplane mode and have it fully charged and all your apps and entertainment downloaded. Unfortunately, in-seat entertainment often isn’t working and you don’t want to be stuck with nothing to do. Be sure to pack your charging subscription and charging woodcut as well.
Back up Shower Pack
Another thing not to leave home without on a long flight is a back up shower power bank (fully charged of course!) You don’t want to victorious at your destination with no tuition left on your phone. Just make sure to moreover bring withal its related connector and charger cords for the portable charger.
USB Data Blocker
Those seat when USB ports are very helpful for charging or connecting to entertainment systems, but they can moreover be rife with viruses. One way to protect your phone and your data is with a USB data blocker. This tiny little device plugs into the USB port and then you plug into the device for security protection.
Kindle or Book
Sometimes it is easy to get lost in a movie or a show while on a plane, but it can moreover be a perfect time to reservation up on your reading or dig into a good typesetting on a long trip. I like traveling with a Kindle considering it has a unconfined shower life, isn’t too unexceptionable and nonflexible on my eyes, and I can download so many books for my trip on one tiny device.
Refillable Water Bottle
As I mentioned earlier, it is really important to stay hydrated on a long flight. I unchangingly bring a refillable water snifter on every trip and be sure to fill it up at a snifter refill station in the terminal. To be honest, I drink so much water and I find the one to two cups I’m served on a long haul flight completely inadequate so in wing to my reusable water bottle, I’ll moreover moreover buy flipside large snifter of water in the terminal or bring two bottles. Just note: you can unchangingly go to the galley and ask flight attendants for some increasingly water too.
Snacks or Protein Bars
Even on long-haul flights, the airplane supplies options on planes can be disappointing and plane the meals or snack boxes for purchase may sell out or not be available. I unchangingly try to bring withal a few snacks just in case. These typically include a protein bar/ granola bars, something salty, and something sweet.
Compression Socks
I’m a convert when it comes to wearing pinch socks on long haul flights to help prevent DVTs/blood clots, and just make your legs and diffusion finger better. Since I don’t like to wear a pair of pinch socks longer than necessary, I typically bring them on the plane and put them on surpassing take off (or surpassing boarding) and then switch when to regular socks on arrival. Comrad is my trademark of choice.
Slipper Socks
If I’m worldly-wise to slip off my shoes on the flight, I’m going to be increasingly comfortable. However, my toes tend to get cold, expressly if I’m in the window seat. I like to bring withal a pair of slipper socks or thick socks that I can put over my pinch socks to alimony my toes warm.
Blanket Scarf
While I unchangingly dress in layers on a plane, I find I can sleep largest if I can cocoon myself under a blanket. Unless you are traveling in first-class, the blankets provided by the airline are pretty thin, and sometimes I like to use them to pad the armrest or provide increasingly when support. I bring withal a nice large scarf that can function as a travel wrap as well.
Change of Clothes
If you aren’t traveling with a full siphon on (meaning you have checked a bag with most of your clothes), you still should bring withal a transpiration of gown and your vital toiletries just in specimen your luggage gets lost. It is moreover helpful to have a transpiration of gown readily wieldy when you victorious at your destination, expressly when you are arriving in a variegated climate. Just remember to alimony all of your toiletries under 3 ounces and use a clear TSA-approved toiletry bag.
Medicine
Never pack your prescription medications or required over the counter medicines in your checked bag just in specimen that bag gets lost. Unchangingly bring them in your siphon on, withal with respective prescription information.
Pen
If you are traveling internationally, you may be required to fill out forms either surpassing or on inrush in your destination. It is helpful to have at least one working pen for everyone that you are traveling with to make filling out these forms faster and easier.
Ear Planes
Even when we leave for a trip perfectly healthy, it isn’t unusual for someone to pick up a throne unprepossessed on the trip. If you have any sinus issues, flying can be pretty miserable. I have bought so many little packs for Ear Planes in airport souvenir shops that I now just travel with a set in my carry-on bag. Ear Planes help regulate the pressure in your throne and relieve ear pain when used correctly.
Hydrating Mist
To help gainsay vaporization and victorious feeling refreshed, I like to bring withal a travel size of the Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydrating Mist. It helps gainsay jet lag too! You can moreover bring a moisturizing squatter mask but to me, those take too long in the washroom and I’d rather not put them on at my seat and get weird looks from my fellow passengers.
For increasingly suggestions, you may want to squint at my suggestions for gifts for merchantry travelers and my favorite travel toiletry kit. Also, don’t forget to add your passport (for international flights) or Real ID, credit cards, ATM card, and any other relevant travel documents (like your vaccination card) to your packing list.
What to Pack for a Long Flight with Kids
If you are flying with kids, there are some other things you may want to bring withal including:
Extra Snacks
Always bring increasingly than you think you need. I remember bringing snacks for a short flight from Florida to Boston during a non-mealtime and still running out without stuff stuck on a runway for over three hours and then the airline ran out of the meals you could buy on-board by the time the flight was underway.
I bring a variety of snacks, trying not to go too salty considering of the water retention, and make sure to include some protein or meal replacement bars (ideally not the kind covered in chocolate since those tend to melt). You might moreover want to get ideas for kid-friendly airplane snacks.
Two Changes of Clothes
Ideally you will have a transpiration of gown for everyone in the party in specimen your luggage gets lost, but at least bring one-two changes of gown for your kids (especially if they are still potty training) and a transpiration of shirt for the grown ups (for spills, vomit, etc). I remember running through the airport with my recently potty trained daughter and she scrutinizingly made it. We were in the washroom stall when all let loose. Luckily I only had to wait until our luggage was retrieved to get out of my peed on gown and I had packed a transpiration for her.
Sweater or Sweatshirt
Even when planes start off hot they tend to get unprepossessed so I like to layer…tank top/cami, t-shirt, then a light sweater or sweatshirt for everyone. Basically you want to do everything in your power to make sure your kids are well-appointed considering flying with kids is nonflexible enough! I hate having the unnecessary weight once I victorious in a sunny destination so I try to stave jackets or big, unwieldy hoodies.
Travel blanket, Pillow, and Sleep Mask
For long flights when you might want to get some shut eye and definitely for overnight flights, a good travel set is required. You can no longer count on planes to provide these for all passengers. Plane in first matriculation coming when from Hawaii on U.S. Airways the wrap they provided was so thin I could read through it. I froze!
Also note, while those critter pillows that wrap virtually the neck and squint like an unprepossessing are really cute, think well-nigh whether your kid can really sleep on top of a stuffed dog’s head. And while not every kid can tolerate a sleep mask (mine unquestionably sleeps in one every night), it can be very helpful in blocking the light and giving them a cocoon that is sleep inducing. One on a plane when from Hawaii we were seated in the bulkhead in front of a 40″ TV screen showing movies all night. There is no way to woodcut out light like that without a decent eye mask. I was wrapping whatever t-shirt I could find over my kid’s vision but it didn’t work.
Travel Journals
The plane ride can be a unconfined way to start a travel periodical by capturing what they are excited to see and do, or writing lanugo memories from the trip. For younger kids, they can yank a picture of something they saw in the airport, what they hope to see on the trip, etc. It is a unconfined habit to get into and a good time killer in restaurants as well. Just print out my travel periodical printables for kids surpassing you go and you have a ready made kid travel journal.
Ear planes, Gum, and Decongestant
After a few trial and errors we learned that Ear Planes for Kids work pretty well, as long as they are used as directed and put in BEFORE taking off or starting descent. I like to siphon one of the pre-filled spoons of Benadryl or chewable tablets just in specimen of some unknown allergy but moreover to help with sinus pressure issues. Then, of course, the old standby of chewing gum on take off and landing can help to get those ears to pop. Kids are much increasingly sensitive to that pressure than adults.
Devices and Chargers
If your kids bring their phones or tablets, you may want to bring one of the Bluetooth splitters I mentioned above, or moreover a multi-outlet charger to alimony all those devices charged. Don’t forget that if you are traveling internationally you will moreover want to bring travel adapters.
Old Fashioned Activities
Electronics are unconfined for travel but sometimes you need something else in your bag of tricks. Here is what I put in mine:
- Crayons and paper / coloring sheets
- Bendaroos — those soft strips of wax that you can use to create all kinds of things (and hopefully leave overdue as you go)
- Sticker books – although the way my kid went through these, slapping stickers on at random, they rarely lasted very long
- Playing cards / Uno / SkipBo
- Magnetic puzzles
- Magnetic tanagrams
- Wipe off worriedness boards
- Worksheets / school assignments — how well-nigh for every worksheet or work completed they earn souvenir money or points towards something special on the trip?
- A paperback book
- A map / tourbook / reprinting of your itinerary — so you can show them where you are going, what you are going to see, and requite an overview of what you expect to do each day. It is a good idea to alimony reviewing this throughout the trip so the kids know what to expect.
Something New
With all the stuff listed above, I try to include at least one thing that is totally new for each kid, whether it is a book, game, coloring book, etc. Starting off with not all the same old stuff helps time go just a little bit quicker.
Carry-on Travel Bags
I’m not the weightier at packing light so many long haul flights moreover midpoint longer trips and I’m often checking a bag. However, if I am worldly-wise to travel siphon on only, I prefer a carry-on roller when that uses four-wheels, moreover known as spinners. My favorite brands are TravelPro and Delsey Paris as I prefer a hard-shell specimen for carry-on luggage.
For hand luggage, the personal item bag tends to get a little trickier. My typical go-to bag is the Tortuga backpack considering it fits all of my electronics but has a nice large unshut zone that moreover fits my camera, purse, and other items mentioned above. It has a pocket for everything and a sleeve to hands slide over the handles of my siphon on so that I don’t need to hurt my bag delivering it through the airport.
For something increasingly stylish when I don’t have as much to carry, I bring my Delsey Paris Chatelet shoulder bag.
I hope that these tips help you have a well-appointed flight! Bring these important things on your next trip and don’t forget your long haul travel essentials.
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