Everything You Need for Long Haul Flights
Normally, a flight between China and the US takes at least 7 hours. And if you’re traveling on a student budget, you probably can’t fly in Business class. So how can you make such a long haul flight more bearable in Economy? Check out our list of must-have items for long-distance flights.
Things to keep you relaxed
Eye mask: For frequent travelers, an eye mask is probably already in your bag of useful travel items. For a long haul flight, though, an eye mask is a must! It’ll help you sleep better on the plane, and if you can fall asleep, you can easily spend half of your flight or more resting. We recommend the lavender scented mask, since lavender can help you relax more as well.
A pair of slippers: After a long flight, your legs will be very tired. Even if you have some layovers where you can get off the plane and walk around, all the traveling is bound to make your legs sore. To help, don’t wear fancy shoes: go for a pair of small, lightweight slippers for the plane.
Headphones: Whether you like big headphones with noise cancellation or simple and lightweight earbuds, make sure you bring them with you. Listening to music is one of the easiest ways to pass the time on a long flight.
Earplugs: If you’re hoping to sleep on your flight, earplugs are a great idea. You never know if other people on the plane will be talking loudly or if you’ll be sitting near a crying baby. We recommend Amazon’s top-selling brand of earplugs, Mack’s Ear. Usually the small size fits girls well.
Travel Pillow: A classic U-shaped travel pillow is like giant, puffy winter coats: it’s not very fashionable, but definitely necessary. If you have a u-shaped pillow, no matter how you fall asleep on the plane, your neck won’t hurt!
Coat: Speaking of coats, you might want to bring a small coat or jacket on the plane with you. Planes are usually very cold, especially if you’re flying for a long time. Some planes will provide blankets, but it’s hard to know if the blankets are clean. Even if they are, sometimes they aren’t very warm! It’s best to just bring your own coat with you to make sure you’re comfortable. Sometimes a very large scarf can also help.
Toothbrush: Even if you didn’t sleep much on the plane, it’s a good idea to bring a toothbrush so you can brush your teeth in the morning or whenever the plane lands. It’ll help you freshen up and feel better for when you land.
Water bottle: Anyone who has flown before knows how easy it is to get dehydrated while traveling. It’s a good idea to bring your own water bottle that you can refill in the airport (after security, of course!) and bring on the plane with you. Of course, the airline will provide you with water and other drinks on the plane, but they may be very small cups. It’s best to add one to your packing list so you can be sure to stay hydrated!
Skin Care
A long flight has the tendency to dry out your skin. Every frequent traveler has their own techniques, but these are some of our favorites.
Moisturizer: An easy way to hydrate your skin at any time. Just make sure you add to your packing list a size that is 100ml or less so you can bring it on the plane with you.
Serum: Another great option that can help you moisturize your skin.
Lip balm: Don’t forget your lips! It’s easy to get chapped lips on a long-flight, so we recommend always having some chapstick in your carry-on bag.
Face mask: If you’re not afraid of other people’s glances, an easy face mask will give your skin plenty of hydration while you’re flying. Plus, it’s a great way to kill some time!
Eye drops: Watching long movies, playing video games on your phone, reading a long book or writing papers for school will dry out your eyes on a plane, too. Don’t forget to bring a small bottle of your favorite eye drops to help refresh you at the end of a long flight!
Moisturizing Mask: Airports and airplanes are both usually very dry and may make your nose uncomfortable. There are many moisturizing masks in Japan that can definitely help you sleep and breathe better while you fly. Just make sure that you don’t use them at the same time as a steam eye mask—it’ll irritate your eyes!
Entertainment
If your flight is very long, you can’t expect to sleep the entire flight. Bring along some things so that you can work or entertain yourself during the flight.
Computer and a book: Most long haul flights have small TV screens placed in the seat back of the seat in front of you, so that you can watch movies. There are lots of great movies on planes now, but if you have your own movies or a paper to write, it might be worth it to bring your own computer. There are usually charging ports underneath the seats on the plane, so you can keep your laptop charged the whole flight.
Game player: If you have your own games you like to play, this can be a great way to pass time on the plane. Another good idea: download lots of games and music onto your phone so you’ll have plenty to do during your flight.
Misc.
Disinfectant wipes: Many people say that the tray tables in airplanes can carry a lot of germs. You might want to pack some disinfectant wipes to clean off your tray table, especially if you like to sleep on it.
Some snacks: Long haul flights will almost always give you some snacks and meals throughout the flight, but you might still be hungry. It’s always a good idea to bring some of your favorite snacks with you. Just be careful not to bring anything too big or that has a strong smell: you might overwhelm some of the people sitting near you!
A pen: When you enter the US, you’ll have to fill out the immigration card. Bring your own pen so you’ll be prepared!
Choose a Seat:
The seat you choose makes a difference! If you want to sleep without being interrupted, opt for the window seat. If you want to be able to move around more often, choose an aisle seat. For international flights, you can usually choose your seat in advance on the Internet. Sometimes you may have to wait until a certain time (a few days in advance, for example) to choose your seats. If you book a ticket with StudentUniverse, we’ll provide you a ticket number so you can choose your seats on the airline’s official website.