Whether it’s your first ever long haul flight or you’re a seasoned intercontinental traveller, a flight over 8 hours may seem daunting.
Here’s our top 9 essentials to make your next long haul flight more comfortable!
1. Kindle
We love a long haul flight as an opportunity to relax (as much as possible) and so downloading a new book on a Kindle is our go-to. A Kindle is also obviously so much smaller and lighter than a book, which is great when you’ve got precious space in your luggage.
This Kindle Paperwhite has 16GB of storage and an adjustable back light so you can dim when the lights in the aeroplane cabin go down without hurting your eyes!
2. Power bank
At CHE, we never travel anywhere now without a portable power bank. Not only are they great for the flight itself but also when you’re at your destination and in a pinch. There’s been some flights where the USB port for your own charger doesn’t seem to work and so this VRURC power bank is an absolute life saver.
We love that the battery percentage is shown on the side so that you can easily see when it’s in need of a recharge and it’s got 6 ports on the side. This power bank will charge your phone 4-5 times!
3. Headphones
Noise cancellation headphones are an essential for any travel day. Even if you don’t want to listen to your music or a show, they’re handy for muffling any noise whilst you try to get some sleep. The good news is that there’s options for all budgets and if you’re looking to hold onto your pennies, we recommend the soundcore Anker Q20 Hybrid Noise Cancelling headphones and there’s the earbud version too which is comfier for sleeping.
4. Guide book
Bringing a guide book is something we love to do – obviously of the destination that you’re travelling to! It’s a great way to get excited and research things to do and see when you land. They’re also a break if you’ve had enough of your shows or regular books. Two brands that regularly bring out updated and well-known guides are Lonely Planet and Rough Guide.
5. Compression socks
Stylish and good for you?!! Okay, perhaps it’s not the first thing but these Scholl compression socks are recommended for long flights as they can help prevent blood clots and reduce swelling. You could always pop these in your hand luggage to put on once you’re on the flight if you don’t want to wear them all day. They can also help with reducing fatigue and jet lag!
6. Foot hammock
We don’t know about you, but our legs can get pretty restless during a long flight and it’s even worse if you are trying to sleep. Simply put the tray down in front of you and hook the BlueSkye foot hammock in, pop the tray back up again and you’ve got a little hammock suspended for your feet.
7. Eye mask
A perfect match with the aforementioned neck pillow: a good quality eye mask. Airplanes do tend to dim the lights for overnight flights however your neighbour may decide to do a spot of night time reading and turn on their spotlight.
Paying a bit more for a quality eye mask like the ALASKA BEAR sleep mask does make the difference – we always make sure it’s got a good amount of foam padding and space to move your eyes underneath instead of being squashed into the back of your skull!
8. Neck pillow
Chances are you’re trying to get a bit of shut eye on a long haul flight: either to pass the time or help you beat jet lag at your destination. And true, if you’ve got a window seat you could bunch up a jumper and lean on the wall – but if you’ve been given a middle or aisle seat you may want a neck pillow to avoid an awkward cuddle with your neighbour.
There’s loads of great cheap options but if you travel a lot, it may be worth investing in something that’s a bit more robust. However you can’t go wrong with a simple memory foam pillow with a zip under £10: and you can use the zip to stuff it with your clothes if you’re low on space in your suitcase.
9. Water bottle
Whilst not allowed to carry more than 100ml of liquid through security, most airports now have free water stations once you’re through that area. Bringing a reusable water bottle will keep you hydrated on that long flight, plus the air hostesses will refill it for you on the plane. These are also a must have when you’re travelling at your destination anyway to reduce plastic waste and – if you’re in a country where you can drink tap water – most restaurants and cafes will refill it for you for free.
If you fancy a treat, we love the Chilly’s reusable water bottle.
Getting ready for a long haul flight should be an exciting process, and whether you use it to relax, have a kip or catch up on some work, hopefully these essentials will help you out along the way! We’ve used all of these items on flights and will be taking them in the future too.
