Rainy Thoughts | Long-Haul Flights

I'm writing this for two reasons. One, I love to travel and I think people who are looking to travel on longer flights or who have and may want to see other people's perspective on long-haul flights. Two, my family is going on their very first overseas flight this summer and I wanted them to be prepared, so I thought, why not just make my list to them a whole blog. Anyway, let's get into it. 

 Before Your Flight

There are a few things I recommend you do before your long-haul flight. 

1. Get a facial or go all out on your face routine the night before. The plane makes your skin dry, and you don't want your face to feel bleh when you land. Some people also bring a mask to use on the plane. I haven't tried that yet, but just get your face clean. As a bonus, getting a facial done can get those pesty pimples out beforehand. 
2. Make sure you check off everything you need to bring with you before your flight, especially your carry-on items, as that is what you'll have access to during your flight. We'll go over the packing list shortly.
3. If you live in a house, turn-off your water. Most likely, if you're going on a long-haul flight, you're leaving for a week or more. Turning off your water ensures no leakages happen, no still water sitting in your pipes. This was my husbands idea, so I go with it. 
4. Water your plants. 
5. Check-in to your flight online. 
6. Take a shower, give your hair a good wash, and get some rest. 

 

What to Pack For a Long-Haul Flight 

I'm not going to go through the entire list of what I pack, but I will go over some things that I think everyone should have for a long-haul flight.

• Body Wipes. The very first long flight my husband and I took was to Tokyo from Texas and about 5 hours into the light, we wished we had packed something to clean the swampiness that comes from being on a place. So bring the body wipes, you won't be disappointed.
• Deodorant. See body wipes bullet above. You'll wish you had this if you didn't already.   
• Entertainment. MOST airlines should have screens for your long-haul flight complete with a plethora of shows, movies, podcasts, music and games for you to make the time pass. However, you should still bring something for you, such as a book or a portable video game device of any kind. I also would implore you to bring something without a screen, because after watching your third movie in a row, your eyes will start to get tired. Those screen-free activities will be just what you need, and want, to give your eyes a break. 
• Headphones. Your airline will probably offer you some, but it's good to bring your own. Most likely, they're going to be better quality than whatever they give you. 
•  Toothbrush/mouthwash/floss. After being on the plane, and traveling for hours on end, your teeth are going to need a little refresh. 
• Medicine. Grab a pill wheel, or box, and put in all the essentials: Tylenol, Pepto-Bismal, nausea medicine, and maybe some sleep medicine if you need it. And for my female travelers, I would recommend taking something from AZO before your flight, because you can get travelers UTI. Your body has to shift to the new timezone, your eating out of order, you may get a little dehydrated (drink your water), all things that can increase your chances of getting a UTI during your flight or afterward. So take an AZO beforehand or bring something with you because you never know. Whatever you think might go wrong on a plane, grab a pill for it.
• Hairbrush. I usually pack a compact hairbrush to brush out my hair on the flight. I get a headache after having my hair up for a while, and even if you don't put your hair up on a plane, it's good to brush it out after a long day.
• Oil Absorbing Sheets. My husband and I are oily in nature, so I take a pack of oil sheets, so that when our faces start to feel a little oily, that can be taken care of right away. 
•  Snacks. Of course, there are snacks on the plane and you may get your meals as well, but it's a good idea to bring your own snacks too. Grab a good protein bar, maybe some fresh fruit if you can get it in the airport or a smoothie. Try to stay away from anything super smelly like corn nuts, as to be polite to your seatmates around you.
•  Whatever helps you sleep. Whether that’s an ASMR podcast that you can download to your phone beforehand, or a sleep mask, or earbuds, bring it with you. My husband and I find it hard to sleep on planes and haven’t found something that truly helps us (with the only time I was able to fall asleep on a plane was when I was pregnant).
• Water. Stay hydrated! Bring a water bottle from home to fill up, or grab a big one from the airport (I usually get one with PHP leveling to counter that potential UTI), whatever the case may be, drink your water!

What to Wear

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about dressing up again for the airport/your flight. While I’m not opposed to  looking somewhat put together at the airport, I also feel like the fashion statement can be toned down a bit for a 7 - 12 hour flight. I’m not wearing my nice clothes, just to be uncomfortable for hours on end. You need to wear loose clothes and do some layering. Wear a loose shirt and a jacket or a hoodie that you can easily put on or take off to use as a blanket/pillow. I've been on many planes and sometimes they're freezing and sometimes it's hot like no one's business, so it's best to prepare for both scenarios.

 

For shoes, bring comfortable shoes with socks. And please don't take them off on the flight, or if you have the entire row to yourselves, please make sure your socks are clean. Wear a thicker pair of socks. If you have trouble with blood clots or are pregnant, wear compression socks. I don't recommend going sock-less unless you have a medical need as your feet may get cold and it's just unhygienic and some airlines do require you to cover your feet. And whatever you do, remember to put your shoes back on when you go to the restroom. 

 

As for jewelry, wear whatever is comfortable for you. I don't fly with earrings on, because they start to feel icky after being in transit for 10+ hours and they start to hurt my ears. The only thing I'll wear is my wedding ring and that's pretty much it.

 

For make-up, I go bare. After a while, my skin starts to feel oily after traveling for 12 hours, so I just do a good face/facial before my flight and let my natural face shine (but not too shiny).

  

Last Few Things

 

Always be courteous to your flight attendants. They're working, they're on the clock, and they're just trying to do their jobs just like you when you're not on vacation. And be courteous to your seatmates. Ask them if you are okay to wake them up if the lunch or snack service comes or if they want to be left alone if they are sleeping. If you are an aisle seat, let the other two seats inside know it's okay to wake you if they need to go to the bathroom. 

 

If you need to get up and walk around for a minute, or do some stretches, go do it. There will most likely be other people doing the same thing too. 

 

If you're flying with kids, I will have an updated list for this AFTER our first flight with our daughter coming up soon. For now, there's plenty of other long-haul flight tips for kids and what to pack on that end.  

 

Overall, this is going to be a long-haul flight and it will feel long, but it can feel a little less daunting when you take good steps and are prepared. What long-haul flights are you going to take this year? If you've been on a long-haul flight before, what are some things you recommend? Let us know!