We all do a lot on flights, but over 8 hours of trembling economy seats can reach your destination tired and stiff. Control whatever you can to make your journey more comfortable: create decent sleep conditions, bring your own delicious meals and be fresh on board. Below are five ways to make long-distance flights more tolerated in the economy:
1. Get travel accessories and help you sleep better
Sleeping while standing upright is not easy, but a handful of travel accessories can greatly improve the chances of snooze for a few hours.
Neck pillow
A neck pillow is important for keeping your eyes closed, whether flying or on a train. Among the AFAR editor’s favorites are the TRTL pillow, which wraps around the neck like a scarf and is held in place with a velcro closure. The internal support mechanism embraces the head in an ergonomic position and stiffens the neck. Meanwhile, a puffy infinity pillow is like a scarf encountering a sleeping bag. Wrap it around your neck and sleep against your seat, or let anyone relax on the tray table or window.
Eye mask and essential oils
To create a dark environment for sleep, bring such a silky soft eye mask from Astra, filled with lavender and flax seeds. Wearing it also means you won’t fall into an endlessly flying entertainment trap. The blue light on the screen will stop your body from making melatonin and awaken you. Also, lavender is known to aid in relaxation and has antibacterial properties, so consider tapping a few drops of essential oils.
2. Wear compression socks
Most business class amenity kits have branded socks toast to your toes. You can do even better by choosing the best defense against compression socks, stiff legs and feet and ankles (and keeping your feet warm). Make sure to get socks that go all the way to your knees. Ankle compression socks are not comparable to an overnight flight to Europe in the economy.
3. Raise your legs
Keeping your feet up is important not only for comfort, but also for reducing the risk of deep venous thrombosis and DVT. The plane foot hammock is a padded footrest that lifts your feet up a few inches away from the floor, reducing back pain, stiffness, and lower back pain and stiffness when combined with compression socks, swollen feet and ankles. The foot hammock straps loop around the metal arms of the seat tray and adjust them to find the most comfortable height.
4. Eat well and drink lots of water
Forget to settle for the iceberg salad, Soaked slices of terminal pizza, or a small bag of pretzels. Bring healthy foods from home. It costs much less than expensive airport dishes, it’s satisfying and I look forward to it on my flight. Pack snacks such as nuts, cut-up vegetables, or fruit for short flights, or with reusable containers or recyclable foils with snacks like nuts, cut-up vegetables, or fruit for short flights, or with something more important for longer flights. Think steamed sweet potatoes steamed in a black bean and brown rice, or a hummus and vegetable sandwich. Make sure that any liquid or spreadable do not exceed the TSA 3oz limit. For example, there are no jars of peanut butter or full-size hummus containers.
If you don’t have time to stuff your food, the airport store sells healthy snacks such as mixed nuts, low-sugar Greek yogurt and hummus creekyte boxes. These will keep you full and help you sleep better. Packaged flavored soups and oatmeals are often in self-contained bowls, so all you need to do is request hot water from the cabin crew.
Above all, bring a reusable water bottle with you to fill it up before boarding. It is essential to stay hydrated while flying. If you have to go to the bathroom, you will leave your seat. Yes, this will disrupt sleep, but it also helps to stretch your legs.
Related: According to frequent travelers, 11 best water bottles
5. It’ll be fresh on board
That’s what the plane’s cabin is like dry. Protects your skin and maintains hydration, and you won’t be able to feel like a zombie upon arrival.
Reusable face wipes are perfect at home, but not necessarily practical on flights. Before applying the sheet mask, you can use small wipe packs like the 15 packs of Patchy Science, which are rich in vitamin B5 and biotin (See below) And at the end of the long distance. They are a gentle, cooled way to remove excess oil and ganking from the dry airplane air and may wake you up a bit.
- buy now: Yina Divine Bio-Cellulose Masks, $98 for 5 masks, Yina.co; Lapcos Milk Sheet Mask, $20 for 5 masks, lapcosusa.com; KNC Beauty Star Eye Mask, 5 pairs of masks, $25 for kncbeauty.com
For example, if you’re on a really long flight somewhere in Asia from the US, you’ll have time to apply the sheet mask. After you’ve put your face down, jump out. Anyone who sees you is jealous of how explicit your skin is. Yina, an organic skincare brand founded by two traditional herbal medicine doctors, is packed with slow skin ingredients such as ginseng, licorice and evening primrose. More budget-friendly Rappcos milk sheets cover gentle, plump skin. To give a boost under your tired eyes, try KNC Beauty’s Star Eye Mask.
Don’t forget to wear sunscreen
The final step in high-altitude skin care is to apply sunscreen. You will approach the sun and its damaged rays, and while the plane windows will cause sunburn, it cannot completely block UVA rays that can cause skin damage. If you wear sunscreen, like the Supergoop’s invisible SPF 50, and are in a window seat, close the shade and keep harmful rays at bay.
Related: This is how you arrive at a destination that appears to have a facial rather than a 10 hour flight
To wrap up the updates in flight, brush your teeth and swipe through deodorant. Before taking off, make sure you have easy access to these toiletries and avoid sleeping tripping overhead compartments.
This article was originally published in 2020, and was recently updated on March 4, 2025, with current information. Christine Limoges and Erica Owen contributed to reporting this story.
