Long flights are a necessary evil in today’s world. Business and family obligations are spread all over the globe and it is necessary to travel from one place to another expediently. While high-speed airplanes certainly have the advantage in time over continental-length train lines or ocean voyages by ship, they do sacrifice a bit in terms of personal comfort – but this doesn’t have to be the case.

Comfort in Your Seat

 
You know yourself and what kind of seat you want, so you have to make this decision themselves. Some people would hate to get up for others time and time again or know they want to look out the window. Some people don’t mind getting up for others or are too timid or self-conscious to ask people to let them by. It seems pretty obvious which type of person wants a window and which type of person wants an aisle, and if you know which type of person you are, don’t fight your inner voice and book the right seat! You’ll be there for a while, after all. Also, if you know you need more legroom consider the emergency row or the seats immediately behind a bulkhead (where a wall is directly in front of you). Don’t forget to check in via phone or online if there are any better seats to upgrade to. Some of the roomier seats are either pricier, reserved for certain membership classes, or both. But restrictions are lifted as the flight gets closer and they aren’t sold.

Comfort in Yourself

 
Make sure what you are wearing is effective for what you are doing more so than how you look. Remember that you will be going through security as well as sitting and standing and maybe running for a long amount of time before you are even on the plane. Wear sensible shoes like sneakers with socks, so you don’t have to walk through security barefoot, and they should be comfortable enough to sleep in and be tied so as to slip on and off easily. Wear comfortable pants with pockets and preferably ones that don’t need a belt – both for getting through security quicker and to be comfortable when you’re sleeping. Wear a light jacket that can be folded up and stuffed into a tight place or even used as a pillow. A cotton hooded sweatshirt is a good choice. If you’re in a hurry at security, put all your pockets’ contents in the jacket pockets rather than a bin – the jacket goes through the metal detector all together and you can re-proportion the items back to your pants pockets later.

Taking Care of Yourself

 
Eat well and eat normally. Even if you are used to frequent travel or have too much pride to admit to a minor inconvenience, your body does go through stress even if your mind refuses to believe it. Stay hydrated. If you can, try to time so you can use the restroom right before boarding and hopefully won’t have to go again until the plane is well underway on its flight and at cruising altitude. Taking off is already a bit nerve-wracking, no reason to over-hydrate and have to use the restroom when you’re not supposed to get out of your seat. Plan your sleep, too. Proper slumber is an important part of your health. Even try waking up earlier than you need to on a red-eye to ensure that you will actually sleep on the plane and when you land, you’ll have gotten a full night’s sleep albeit in two discrete chunks. With the right combination of rest and nutrition you will emerge from the airplane after a long flight as fresh as from your own bed after a full night’s sleep.