How to Survive a Long-Haul Flight: A Comfort Guide
Long flights don't have to be miserable. From beating jet lag to sleeping in economy, here's how to arrive feeling human.
A long-haul flight is just a few hours of planning away from being genuinely comfortable. Here's how the frequent flyers do it.
Choose your seat wisely
Aisle seats give you freedom to move; window seats give you something to lean on and control over the blind. Avoid seats by the galley and toilets if you want to sleep.
Beat jet lag before you land
Set your watch to the destination time as you board and try to eat and sleep on that schedule. Get daylight when you arrive — it's the fastest way to reset your body clock.
Stay hydrated
Cabin air is dry. Drink water regularly and go easy on alcohol and caffeine, which both worsen dehydration and disrupt sleep.
Move to stay healthy
Stand, stretch and walk the aisle every couple of hours. It keeps you comfortable and reduces the risk of stiffness and swelling on very long flights.
Pro tip: A neck pillow, eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones are the three items that turn economy sleep from impossible to doable.
The bottom line
Hydrate, move, adjust to destination time and bring the right kit. Do those and you'll step off the plane ready to enjoy your trip.
