These days, air travel can feel anything but luxurious. Between seemingly shrinking seats and multitudinous delays, flying can in fact feel like more of a hardship than a privilege.
With that in mind, before you fasten your seat belt for your next flight, consider some of these strategies from the editors at Self to make airline travel more agreeable and less stressful.
Go in well rested. Even if you’re taking a red eye or an early-morning flight, don’t bank on being able to sleep on the plane. Noisy seat mates, turbulence or unexpected delays are just some of the many factors that can make sleep impossible while flying. Be prepared by getting enough sleep the night before. Then any additional sleep you get on board can be considered a happy bonus.
Bring a pillow. If you haven’t joined the legions who fly with their own personal travel pillow, now’s the time to get on board. They easily attach to your backpack or can be tossed in a tote bag, and whether you’re sleeping or not, they can make often uncomfortable plane seats infinitely more tolerable by providing much needed support for your head and neck.
Block out the noise. Whether you’re trying to catch a few Zs or retreat into a peaceful state of mind, blocking out the noise around you can be essential to a tolerable plane ride, so bring your best noise-canceling headphones or at least a decent pair of ear plugs.
Keep essentials with you. If you’ve ever experienced lost luggage, then you’ll understand the need to make sure you have anything that is critical to a night’s worth of comfort in your carry-on bag, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste and a few other toiletries, hand wipes or sanitizer, a clean set of clothes, a scarf or sweatshirt, and any devices that are important to you. These go-to essentials will be invaluable should you experience a delay that has you holed up in the airport for a while.
Get the moves. Sitting for extended periods of time in a cramped airline seat takes a toll on your joints and muscles. Teach yourself a few stretches or yoga moves that you can stand up and do a few times on the flight. At the very least, get up and walk the aisle a couple of times provided the seatbelt sign is off and it’s safe to do so.
Hydrate. Don’t wait for the flight attendant to come by with water. Bring a refillable bottle and fill it before even boarding the plane. This will help you combat the effects of the plane’s dry atmosphere, which can trigger a host of issues, such as headaches and nasal congestion.
Don’t go hungry. Unless you’re flying first or business class, don’t rely on airplane food to tide you over until you get to your destination. Be prepared with plenty of your own snacks—but the right snacks. Create an airplane food stash that is portable and high in protein and nutrients, such as nuts, bananas, protein bars and dried fruit. Overly sweet and salty snacks won’t satisfy your appetite for very long and can exacerbate other plane problems like bloating and headaches.
These strategies will help you gain a little control during the unpredictable flying process so take the time to plan and prep for smoother travels.
