Tips for Flying on Your First Long Flight : The Best Long Flight Tips

The best travel tips for surviving a long flight, whether you’re a first-time flier, a nervous flier, or someone who can’t sleep on planes, these tips will help you conquer your next long flight and show up to your destination fresh, excited and (most importantly!) not jet-lagged!!

If you’re preparing for a long flight of 10+ hours, you should be excited!!! Chances are you’re going somewhere incredible – like on your honeymoon, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip across the world! But with these exotic destinations comes what some would argue the worst part of the trip – the TRAVEL day. Ugh.

But…. I like to think of a long flight and the travel day as a PART of the trip – an excuse to put on your cutest and comfiest travel clothes, and cuddle up with some movies or binge-watch your favorite TV show. Did I mention almost every international flight has free wine? Huge score. 

Which brings me to my first tip for surviving your first long-haul flight:

1. Change your mindset about flying!

If you treat flying for 10+ hours as a chore, it will be. But if you treat it as an excuse to relax, and pack all your favorite entertainment options, snacks, and travel beauty essentials, it can be like a relaxing spa day in the sky.. even in economy!

speaking of…

2. Pack some long-flight travel beauty essentials

The air when you’re flying can be insanely dry, so you have to think ahead to make sure you show up to your destination fresh-faced, especially if you’re flying on a long flight!

I’m always that person taking off my makeup and piling on my skincare routine in-flight, and I swear by it when it comes to fighting jet lag and the harmful effects flying can have on your skin. 

Here’s my in-flight beauty routine for long flights:

Makeup remover wipes – I use these ones because they’re individually wrapped

In-flight mask – My favorite is the appropriately-named Jet Lag Mask by Summer Fridays – get the mini travel sized version here. I also like the sheet masks like this one.

Serum – after you mask, the best thing to do in-flight is a serum – I love the Drunk Elephant skincare line (literally, it changed my skin, which you can read more about here), and they have a “littles” collection of travel-sized products that is AMAZING for travel. I use the vitamin C serum in flight, followed by the B-hydra intensive.

Facial oil – I use the virgin marula facial oil from the littles pack I just mentioned – it’s GOLD.

A toothbrush and some travel-sized mouthwash – I can’t go to bed without brushing my teeth, so I bring a toothbrush with me in my carry-on, and some travel-sized mouthwash so I can feel fresh when we arrive. 

Dry shampoo – By the time we land off of a long flight, my hair gets GREASY – so this travel-sized Oribe ( my favorite dry shampoo) comes in the clutch. I always have it and a mini hair brush handy on long flights. 

3. Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment

Entertainment is key to surviving a long flight! Is there a show you’ve been hearing about you’ve wanted to binge? A couple books you haven’t gotten around to reading? I always pack my noise-cancelling headphones, and tune out the airplane world and dive into some dramatic binge-worthy show or movie (seriously, these babies are KEY to a pleasant, easy flight, they spoil you – I can never travel without them again)

 

4. Pack Snacks

One of my go-to routines for feeling comfortable on planes is packing homemade snacks that I love for long flights! I have a tradition of making my plane cookies any time we go anywhere longer than a few hour flight away – like every flight to Bali. These are the best because the oatmeal makes them feel like a healthy breakfast (and as far as cookies go, they are pretty healthy!) and the gooey sea-salted chocolate hits the spot when you’re up in the air. Trust me on this one and make these before your next flight. 
READ MORE: JETSET’S PLANE COOKIES RECIPE

I’ll also often pack a yummy sandwich from a local deli I love (sandwiches keep well on planes), some cut up veggies, almonds, popcorn (yummy individual size bags of popcorn here!), and other healthy snacks to munch on throughout the flight. 

5. Stay Hydrated!

I always, always bring a reusable water bottle with me on the plane. I LOVE my s’well. It is a life saver when it comes to staying hydrated and fighting jet lag. I can’t stand having to rely on the flight attendants for a tiny cup of water every few hours – when you’re up in the air it’s easy to get dehydrated, and drinking water is super important.

I also have a routine of mixing in some Liquid IV into my water bottle when I first get on the plane – it’s a “hydration multiplier” so you can get basically 4x the amount of hydration from a single bottle. (you can find Liquid IV here

 

6. Get some sleep!

Absolutely the most important thing you can do while traveling on a long flight is to make sure you get your rest. This is mainly because when you show up at a destination around the world, jet-lagged and adjusting to a completely new time-zone, your body cannot afford to be any more exhausted that it already will be. It’s also key to staying healthy while traveling! If you get some great sleep on the flight, you’ll get your trip started on the right foot and be ready to take on your vacation at full-speed.  

The most important things you can bring with you on a long flight are:

A GOOD EYEMASK, some melatonin gummies, a travel pillow, and earplugs (or noise-cancelling headphones)

This is my favorite eye-mask in the world and it is worth every penny!!! The 100% silk fights wrinkles and creases while you sleep, and is the softest, most luxurious eye mask out there. Comes in a bunch of different colors too, but this palm fronds print is the one I have 🙂 

Big fan of the Hunzi infinity travel pillow! So comfy and cute.

Should you have melatonin on a long flight? Absolutely!

Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone, and taking a melatonin supplement helps you fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed, not groggy like some sleeping pills can. I like these melatonin gummies, or LiquidIV SLEEP – which hydrates you at the same time as well!!!

6. Dress comfortably!

What should you wear on a long flight? When it comes to getting the best sleep on a long flight, being comfortable is super important! I am suuuper loyal to my ALO yoga pants for traveling (and working out) – I love the goddess legging – they are the absolute softest leggings out there – and I can’t imagine ever going on a long flight without them!!

 

LOVE this alo getaway hoodie. So freaking comfy for planes.

These white sneakers are the BEST travel shoe. They feel like you’re walking on clouds, yet they’re sturdy enough to work out in in the resort gym when you get to your destination. I love them for travel days, long flights, and for walking around cities, resort gyms, and everything! 

and wear a cute travel face mask to protect yourself and others while flying!

I also always pack a pair of compression socks to put on on any long flight as well. Compression socks (like these ones I wear from Amazon) help with your circulation, reduce swelling, and help with recovery, making them a must-have for any flight

See my other posts:

The best suitcases, carry-on bags, travel purses and more

Travel beauty essentials : Jetsetchristina’s top picks

How to be a better instagram husband

The Best Hotels in Bali 

What to pack for Napa Valley

Bora Bora vs. the Maldives

PREV

Black Friday Flight Deals 2019: Here are the Cyber Week Travel Deals Going On Right Now

NEXT

Custom Bali Honeymoon Itineraries by Jetset Christina

WRITTEN BY:

Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

LEAVE A COMMENT