How to survive a long-haul flight?

I have lived through a fair share of long-haul flights. Everyone who’s ever flown for more than 10 hours knows that it can be a bit of a drag. Personally, I don’t mind long flights as long as I come well prepared.

How you dress is crucial. I prefer to wear stretchy materials and layers. I would never dream of trying to survive a long flight in tight clothing. My go-to uniform is stretch jeans (somehow, I do not feel comfortable wearing sweatpants in public, so I wear soft stretchy jeans instead), a T-shirt that is long enough and has some elastane and a V-neck. On top of the shirt I wear a hoodie with a zipper so I can regulate my body temperature. I usually wear sneakers but always remove them on the plane and put on a second pair of socks. I only wear minimal makeup, a moisturizer and foundation, some waterproof mascara and tinted lip balm. I probably could skip the makeup all together but somehow, I feel more put together with at least some makeup.

For my hand luggage I always only take a large handbag and not, for example, a small wheeled suitcase. This just makes life so much easier, as the handbag fits nicely under the seat and I do not have to fight for overhead locker space. Only carrying a handbag also makes it easier to move around the airport. I have never needed more stuff on a flight than I can fit into my handbag. This includes headphones, my iPad, my mobile, a book, a magazine, a sleep mask, essential cosmetics, my camera, a travel charger, my wallet and my passport.

Once I’ve settled in my seat and the plane has taken off, I usually check out the movie offerings on the flight. I can easily watch three and sometimes even four movies during a flight. For this, I do recommend having your own headphones to get better sound quality. I prefer noise canceling headphones as they also come in handy when you want to sleep. In addition to watching movies I spend time reading while on the plane. I also try to get a few hours of sleep, and for this I pop on my sleep mask and put on some music from my own selection.

I always pick an aisle seat so I can easily get up every couple of hours to walk around and stretch a bit. Another thing I make sure to do is drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. I must admit I am a bit of a naughty traveler in that I do partake in a few alcoholic beverages on long-haul flights. This is naturally not the smartest move for hydration, but I find it helps me relax and get a few hours of sleep after the main meal.