Let’s be honest – a long flight is a long flight. A 10-hour flight in the middle seat can be cramped and uncomfortable. However, with these essential travel accessories, your long-haul flight will be a bit less painful. The travel accessories I have selected have been tested and utilized consistently by yours truly. With that, let’s explore must-have travel accessories for your next long-haul flight.
Top 10 Travel Accessories that Make Long Flights Comfortable:
- Travel Pillow
- Eye Mask
- Earbuds
- Cozy Socks
- Slippers
- Shawl
- Portable Charger
- E-Reader
- Hydration & Snack Kit
- First Aid Kit
Travel Pillow
Sleeping on a plane has always been a struggle for me. While a travel pillow does not guarantee sleep, it can absolutely support you in getting some much-needed rest. I have had the same travel pillow for about ten years and has been with me on just about every flight I have ever taken. The pillow I have can function as both a neck pillow and a regular pillow. It zips to morph into those two different shapes, which can be really helpful when trying to find the ideal position to rest. However, any travel pillow will do!
Eye Mask
This is another super helpful travel accessory to pack in your personal item. I find that it helps me block out the hustle and bustle of the plane so that I can relax. My preference is a cotton eye mask because I find them to be a bit more breathable than the silk ones, and definitely better than polyester masks.
Earbuds
I always pack my Airpods for travel. Earbuds are essential for watching movies or listening to podcasts, while the noise-cancelling feature blocks out most of the airplane noise. I prefer earbuds to headphones because I find headphones to be too bulky and take up too much room. However, whatever you prefer works! Just make sure to pack them accessibly so you can get them easily during your flight.
Cozy Socks
A pair of comfy socks can go a long way in making a long flight much more comfortable. I always pack a pair of fuzzy socks to pair with my next item, slippers, which makes flying much more relaxed. I have also heard stellar recommendations for compression socks. While I personally have not tested these, I think they are worth a try, especially if your feet swell like mine.
Slippers
Packing slip-on slippers is another essential that I have found to be a key travel essential in my long-haul flight arsenal. Layering these with the cozy socks ensures you can settle in and turn an uncomfortable situation into a fairly relaxed one.
Shawl
A shawl or large scarf is a stylish and utilitarian addition to your long-haul flight essentials. A shawl is the perfect accessory in a variety of contexts. Whether it is a light blanket on the plane, a shoulder covering while exploring religious sites, or keeps you warm during winter travels, a shawl is a versatile item that can serve multiple purposes on your trip.
Portable Charger
I never travel without a portable charger fully charged and ready-to-go. It is an absolute life-saver when you are travelling overseas when days are long and filled with walking. Keeping one of these tucked in your day pack will prevent you from having to scramble and find a place to plug in your phone.
E-Reader
I recently fell back in love with reading again so I purchased a Kindle at the start of the year. Buying it was the best decision I have made! While I am a huge fan of movies, on a long-haul flight it can get tiresome watching movie after movie. Therefore, throwing a book into the mix makes the time pass much faster and the compactness of an e-reader is perfect so you can access a variety of options on your journey.
Hydration & Snack Kit
A few years ago I decided to stop eating the food served on airplanes because it never makes me feel good. As an alternative, I buy a few fairly healthy snacks ahead of the trip and create a small snack kit that is super easy to pack in my personal item to access whenever I’m hungry. A small cosmetic bag or packing cube is perfect to stash all of your snacks. My essential snacks are applesauce pouches, granola bars, and brownies. I also include LiquidIV pouches in my snack kit as well. It is very easy to become dehydrated while traveling, so tucking a few of these into your hydration & snack kit makes for a well-rounded pouch to keep you fueled and hydrated.
First Aid Kit
Packing a small pouch with key essentials such as bandaids, vitamin C powder or tablets, neosporin, hand sanitizer, ibuprofen, hand wipes, and antacids ensure that you are prepared for any situation on your travels.
Quick Tips to Make Travel More Relaxed
Packing Your Personal Item Efficiently
With airline baggage rules getting more and more restrictive, it is very important to pack as efficiently as possible. While packing my flight bag ends up being an artistic display of puzzling, there is still a method to my madness that enables me to not only fit everything in my bag, but also keep it fairly organized so that I can easily access the items I will need on the plane. The key is to sort all items into smaller bags and group them by likeness or when they will need to be accessed. For example, I always pack my makeup in my personal item, but I never need it until I reach my destination, so I place that at the bottom then build up from there.
First, I would group the first aid kit and hydration and snack kit in a small bag and put that on top of the makeup bag.
Next, I suggest grouping the eye mask, slippers, cozy socks, portable charger, and earbuds all in one small cosmetic bag to create an “essentials bag” that is placed at the top of your personal item so that you can easily pull it out on the plane.
The E-Reader should be placed on top of the essentials bag or slotted into an electronics sleeve built into your bag.
To save space, I always wear my shawl or wrap and then hook my travel pillow to a handle or strap on my bag.
Keeping Comfortable
Long flights are fine until you reach hour six and realize you’re only halfway through your journey. By then, my back usually hurts and my legs start to feel jittery. Therefore, well before you get to that point, it is crucial that you get up to walk around at least a little bit. My rule of thumb is to get up once every hour to stretch my legs. While I am up, I also make a point to go to the restroom and use the area by the restrooms, which is usually more spacious on long-haul flights, to stretch out my legs and do some in-place marches. This prevents my legs from cramping and helps to promote circulation. The one exception to my every hour movement rule is if you are sleeping, which quite frankly is the ultimate way to make the time pass faster and make you more comfortable on your flight.
The Wrap Up
Long flights can be uncomfortable, but packing a few key items in your flight bag will ensure your journey is a bit more comfortable. These 10 top travel accessories will keep you sane and cozy on your long-haul flight.
[Links to my favorite accessories are coming soon]
These are my choices, but what are your go-tos for long haul travel? Let me know below!