How to Survive Those Long Haul Flights in Economy

Being stuck in economy for 10+ hours doesn't sound like a good time. So I've done some reading on the best ways to survive those long haul flights, and I've come across some fantastic blogs and articles (which I'll link to below), featuring in-flight health and entertainment. From my readings I've put together my own little "How to" guide. 

Seat Allocations
If the airline you are flying with allows you to pre book/allocate your seats, do so. Note that exit and bulk heads are seats are not usually able to be pre booked and usually cost extra if you want these seats. I've come across this great website Seat Guru which allows you to search for your flight number and aircraft and discover which seats are the best and which ones to stay clear of. 

In-Flight Toiletries/Survival Kit
A survival kit is a must! A small in-flight toiletry bag with the essentials (Toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash and moisturiser, eye drops, facial spray, lip balm, deodorant and hand cream) is more than enough. I'll also pack some minimal make up (concealer, powder, eyeliner and mascara) to freshen up before I land. It's handy to keep this bag in the seat back pocket in front of you. 

Entertainment (iPods, iPads etc)
Make sure all forms of entertainment you plan on using during the flight and charged, updated and ready to go well before you fly. Some planes these days have USB charging ports in your seats, but always make sure you're prepared, there's nothing worse than you iPod going flat half way through the flight.

Get Comfy 
I always try to wear something that's comfortable and not restricting.
Economy is already uncomfortable as it is, you don't need clothes making your experience even more uncomfortable. So go for something light weight, loose and breathable. Leggings, chinos or even trackies paired with a cotton tee are a good idea. I find I'm always cold during flights so I'll often take with me some warm socks (who cares if they look ugly at least your feet will be warm) and a large scarf that can double as a blanket if need be. 

Leg Room
I think everyone can vouch for me when I say there's never enough leg room in economy. I'm shortish and I struggle with this, I'd hate to think what kind of experience the tall people of this world are having. Anyway, so here are some tips I've discovering for giving yourself more leg room. 

1. Before you board the plane, pack everything you're going to need in one of those fold up reusable shopping bags. Once you're on the plane, place this bag ONLY down under the seat in front of you and all other bags can be placed in the overhead locker. 
2. If you're planning on taking your shoes off during the flight, place them in the overhead locker too, it'll give you more room (just remember to grab them and put them back on if you need to visit the bathroom).
3. Take out all the airline magazines, safety card and sick bag from the seat back pocket and put them in the overhead lockers. Less junk in your seat back pocket means more legroom for you. 

Stay Hydrated 

Planes always dry my skin out! so I make sure to moisturise before I fly, during and after, and the same goes for the lips, don't forget about them, apply lip balm regularly during to flight to help avoid drying out your lips. 

Also, drinking plenty of water during the flight will help you stay hydrated and hopefully won't dry your skin out as much.

So there you have it, my own little 'tips and tricks how to guide' for surviving those long haul flights in economy. I've created this guide from reading through the below websites and blogs which I found to be fantastic. I hope you find this as helpful as I found these blogs. 

Hitha On The Go
http://www.hithaonthego.com/travel-tip-surviving-15-hour-flights-economy/

Roundabout Travel http://www.roundabouttravel.com.au/resources/travel_articles/how_to_survive_long_haul_economy_class_travel 

Travel Supermarket Blog
http://www.travelsupermarket.com/blog/survive-long-haul-flight/

Happy Reading! :) 

Danielle xo