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In this article, we will show you our personal travel essentials for long haul flights – this is the stuff we always take whenever we board a long flight!
Imagine, you are going on a week-long trip to the Maledives. Awesome! If only, there wasn’t one thing before: A long haul flight in Economy Class…You already see yourself crammed in-between your neighbors and you just hope they won’t snore too loud or be smelly.
We have all been there. Markus and I absolutely love traveling around the world. And even though we are luxury travel bloggers – we do not always travel in Business Class or First Class. By far not! Most of our long haul flights have been in Economy Class too – including our round-the-world trip with Star Alliance!
We love some airlines for their quality Economy class product (Swiss Air, Turkish Airways, Singapore Air and Qatar Airways to name some..!). But even with the best Economy class airline, a long haul flight still can be really uncomfortable.
Luckily, there are a few essentials for long haul flights that can really make this type of flight more enjoyable!
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Quick list of travel essentials for long haul flights
| Image | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindle Paperwhite | Check on Amazon | ||
| INIU Portable Charger, 20000mAh Power Bank | Check on Amazon | ||
| Memory Foam Neck Pillow | Check on Amazon | ||
| MZOO Sleep Eye Mask | Check on Amazon | ||
| Bose QuietComfort 35 II Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Noise-Cancelling | Check on Amazon | ||
| Keenhealth Reusable Silicone Ear Plugs 2-Pack | Check on Amazon | ||
| Pacsafe Luggage Coversafe 25 Secret Waist Wallet, Black | Check on Amazon | ||
| Cozy-Soft Travel Blanket Compact Lightweight Portable with Bag (Sky Blue) | Check on Amazon | ||
| Vitafusion Max Strength Melatonin 10mg | Check on Amazon | ||
| Travel Bottles & TSA Approved Toiletry Bag | Check on Amazon | ||
| Bath & Body Works - 'Fresh Picks' Pocketbac Bundle of 5 Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Gels | Check on Amazon | ||
| NIVEA Soft Moisturizing Crème - All-In-One Cream For Body, Face and Hands (Pack of 3) | Check on Amazon | ||
| eos Shea + SPF Sphere Lip Balm - Aloe | SPF 30 | Check on Amazon | ||
| Simply Saline Nasal Mist | Check on Amazon | ||
| Refillable Travel Perfume Atomizer Refillable（Pack of 4） | Check on Amazon |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Travel essentials for a long haul flight to keep you entertained
Let’s face it: Not every onboard entertainment is great. And thus, especially on a long haul flight, there are a few things to bring that can make your trip much more enjoyable!
Kindle Paperwhite
Maybe you actually don’t want to watch movies the whole time during your long-haul flight! Aside from watching Netflix episodes, we usually use the time on long flights to read some interesting books.
And the Kindle Paperwhite is a great ebook reader for travelers – it’s lightweight, waterproof and affordable. And then, of course, there’s the Kindle ebook library!
Power bank (up to 20,000mAh)
Some airplanes actually don’t have a USB port – meaning that your phone battery will run dry pretty quickly if you use your phone during a long-haul flight if you, e.g., watch Netflix episodes you downloaded before (our pro tip!)
Make sure that your power bank does have a maximum of 20,000mAh – or you can’t bring it on board of an airplane!
Travel essentials for a long haul flight to help you sleep better
One of the things that are most unpleasant on long haul flights (aside, sometimes, your seat neighbor), is trying to catch some sleep during the flight in Economy class. However, there are a few travel essentials for long haul flights that can considerably “lessen the pain”!
Neck pillow / Tltr Scarf
Markus and I constantly discuss what’s the best neck pillow for a long-haul flight. I personally prefer a memory foam pillow, while Markus favors an inflatable one because it’s easier to pack.
However, Amazon also has some memory foam pillows that can really easily be compressed as well – so this is a win-win case!
Another option that is extremely hyped among frequent travelers right now are Trtl Pillows – they look like scarfs, but offer a scientifically proven neck support. We personally have not used them yet – but we heard really good things about them too!
| Image | Neck pillow | What's special? | Amazon rating | Price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory Foam Neck Pillow | Can be compressed, soft velour outside, washable cover | 4.5 (based on 700+ reviews) | Check on Amazon | ||
| Trtl Pillow Scarf | Innovative scarf with neck support, scientifically proven design, needs less space | 4.0 (based on 18,000 reviews) | Check on Amazon | ||
| trtl Pillow Plus Scarf | New model from Trtl Pillow Scarf with additional adjustable support part, scientifically proven design | 4.0 (based on 1,000 reviews) | Check on Amazon | ||
| Inflatable Neck Pillow with flat back | Inflatable Neck pillow with thin back to reduce neck fatigue, comes with a detachable hat, can be used two different ways | 4.5 (based on 500+ reviews) | Check on Amazon |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Sleep mask
The second most important of our essentials for long haul flights to help you sleep after a neck pillow is a quality sleep mask! The ones that are sometimes provided by airlines are simply not dark and comfortable enough for me.
That’s why I always carry a “total darkness” memory foam mask with me after a friend recommended it to me (thanks, Wiebke – it’s AWESOME!)
Noise-canceling headphones
I am madly in love with Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. They simply block noises so much better than any other noise-canceling headphones I have tested. And they are so much more comfortable than small headphones! They are not cheap – but there’s a reason why we both own a pair of them!
Earplugs
In case you don’t want to bring noise-canceling headphones because they are too big for you (or you don’t want to invest the money) – then get some good earplugs! Quality here varies extremely – and bad ones both do not reduce noise well enough and can be uncomfortable. Luckily, good ones are really affordable!
Pacsafe Coversafe (or another body bag)
Theft on airplanes is actually much more common than most people would think! But then again, think: You are basically sleeping in a huge dorm hall with 300 other strangers – and you have your passport, your wallet and your phone with you.
I always make sure to store my valuables in a body bag before I go to sleep on a long haul flight thus! We personally love Pacsafe’s whole product range – but any body bag will do!
A travel blanket
So here’s a gross little fact most people don’t know about airplanes: These cozy little blankets that airlines will gladly hand you are actually washed only all 5-30 days…! Yes, that means you are by far not the first person to use this blanket since it was washed the last time.
Now you will understand why we recommend a travel blanket as one of the travel essentials for a long haul flight…
Melatonin Gummies
One of the things we ALWAYS stock up on when we are in the States is Melatonin gummies and tablets! Melatonin is what your body produces to make you sleepy, so it’s super natural (unfortunately, it’s still a pharmacy product in Germany – hence the stockpiling…)
More sure to check the dosing and get something with 5-10mg to really help you fall asleep naturally on any airplane.
Sanitary products to bring on a long haul flight
Very often in life, it’s the little things that make or break a deal. And if you think about airplane travel, then you might remember that the air is pretty dry (and sometimes cold). You probably have most of these essentials for long haul flights already at home. If not, make sure to get them before you fly! 🙂
TSA approved toiletry bag with leak-proof containers
As most of you probably know, you can’t bring any liquids larger than 100ml inside your carry-on luggage and all of them need to go into a transparent TSA approved toiletry bag.
Make sure to get one with fitting leak-proof containers like the one from Globegear – or you will regret it later (we’ve been there…)
Hand sanitizer / Paper soap
Airplanes are actually pretty full of bacteria – and some other passengers might be too… Since you really don’t want to start your holiday with a cold (or worse), one of the most important sanitary essentials for long haul flights is a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer!
Don’t forget to pack them in that transparent toiletry bag for liquids though!
Hand cream (Nivea All in One)
Our next tip for travel essentials for long haul flights is also centered around your hands: bring a small tube or bottle of hand cream with you! Thanks to the dry air on airplanes, your hands will get really dry after a while and you’ll be happy if you brought a good hand cream!
We personally love the one from Nivea as it doubles as a face moisturizer too!
Lipbalm
Your lips will be suffering from the same issue as your hands: dry airplane air! Definitely make sure to bring a quality lip balm with you to moisturize your lips while on your long haul flight!
I personally love EOS lip balms – but any will do. Make sure to get one with a high SPF if you are traveling somewhere sunny!
Nasal mist/nose spray
The last stop on our “protect yourself against airplane air” is some saline nose spray. It will also help you with minor nasal congestions without any medicine – which will be crucial to proper equalizing during take-off and landing.
If you are really sick though, please get a proper nasal mist with medicine instead!
Travel perfume atomizer
Freshening up on the go after your long-haul flight will be one of your priorities for sure. And since the small versions of my favorite perfumes are usually way too expensive, I always refill a travel-sized perfume atomizer with it for my carry-on bag when going on a long haul flight!
Chewing gum
When the flight comes to an end, most people want to freshen up before landing. Sadly, this also means that the toilets will be blocked for a long time and it will be difficult for you to brush your teeth. For these cases, bring at least some chewing gum! It will also help you with equalizing during take-off and landing!
The “little things” not to forget to bring on a long haul flight
There are these items I constantly have to remind myself of bringing with me on an airplane. Hopefully, this list will remind you of some of the travel essentials for long haul flights you tend to forget too!
- Any medicine you have to take daily (E.g., “the pill”!)
- A pencil (for filling the arrival card)
- Contact lenses case filled with liquid (if you are wearing contact lenses)
- Charging cable for your phone (for a USB port or the power bank)
- Quality headphones (if you don’t have noise-canceling headphones)
- Snacks (bring some nuts or muesli bars)
What to wear – fashion essentials for a long haul flight
Having traveled on countless flights across all different types of classes – I can’t emphasize how important it is to have a comfortable flight outfit! Airplanes also tend to vary in the temperature a lot (even within the same airline) – so you want to wear layered clothing!
I would typically go for something like:
- Warm Leggins
- A cozy and thin long-sleeve or a T-shirt
- A cozy Hoodie or Sweater Jacket (love my Bench Hoodie)
- Warm socks (the best ones are the ones my mum knits though!)
- Comfortable sneakers (I love Sketchers)
One thing to consider to wear on a long haul flight are compression socks. Yes, “compression socks” do not sound sexy – but they reduce the risk of thrombosis.
This is something you probably don’t want to hear – but I personally know a young woman that died of a lung embolism (a complication that can happen with deep vein thrombosis) at the age of 26. Especially if you are female and you are taking the pill (even more if you are a smoker) – then your risk of thrombosis is higher.
And wearing compression socks can reduce this risk on a long haul flight. And actually, Amazon has some pretty cute and affordable sets out there!
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
How did you like this guide for travel essentials for long haul flights?
Do you have any other tips about what someone should bring to survive a long haul flight in Economy class? Any travel essentials for long haul flights that you always have in your carry on? Or did you like one of the ideas particularly?
Let us know in the comments below about that!
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