Long Haul Flight Essentials

These long haul flight essentials have gotten me through countless hours in the sky, turning painful journeys into a breeze. All the must haves for long haul flights are listed here, to make your journey feel quick and painless. Let’s dive into the best long flight travel essentials now!

I can’t even count anymore how many 15+ hour flight legs I’ve endured over the years.

And I’m not gonna lie, some of them felt like downright torture. The hours dragged on, the seat became more uncomfortable by the minute, and I thought it would never end.

But some of them seemed to fly by. Some of them felt relatively quick and uneventful, and I landed feeling – dare I say – refreshed.

The difference? Everything changed for me when I perfected my long haul flight essentials list.

In this article, I am going to walk you through everything I take into consideration before, during, and after a long haul flight. I’m going to cover the absolute must haves for long haul flights, and how to make them a more enjoyable experience.

Let’s dive in!

Long Haul Flight Essentials and Tips

So what’s considered a long haul flight?

A long haul flight is defined as anything longer than six hours.

For reference, a medium haul flight lasts between three to six hours, and a short haul flight lasts from 30 minutes to three hours.

Honestly, anything under ten hours feels manageable for me. But, I still use many of these tips for all flight lengths.

Before you fly

The key to long haul flight comfortability actually begins before you even leave the ground. Let’s talk about the long flight travel essentials to consider!

Choosing your Airline

Not all airlines are created equal.

I’m sure that comes as no surprise, but it is something to keep in mind when booking extremely long flight legs.

Typically, Asian and Middle Eastern airlines offer better amenities in service. That applies to food service, seatback entertainment systems, and comfort.

However, American based airlines like Delta and United offer a familiar standard and better than average amenities.

It is usually the budget airlines that you really need to investigate what it is you are buying before you hand over your money. How large are the seats? Do they lean back or are they static? Are there screens on the seat backs for movies and such? Is the meal service and baggage included?

These are all very important questions on long haul flights!

Research your routes

Before you click “purchase” make sure you have checked all of your layovers and connections. Often times, the very cheap routes are either full of awkwardly short or super long layovers, or are on budget airlines as mentioned above.

One strategy that I use often (and am about to use again on a 40+ hour flight sequence) is to purposely book a stopover. A stopover is basically a long layover where you plan to leave the airport and explore, and/or book a night or two in the location.

Sometimes these are free, if the airline offers them, and sometimes they will cost extra. If it’s not much extra, I think it is super worth it, as you get two vacations in one.

Some of my recent stopover examples were booking a few days in Warsaw last summer and a few days in Qatar on route to Nepal. I enjoyed each of them thoroughly and had a meaningful taste of each location.

Carry a travel planner

Call me old school, but I still oftentimes carry paper documentation of my hotels, flights, and any activities or info I may have planned. I recommend doing this for two reasons.

One, if your phone dies or doesn’t get data service in any of the countries you stop in, you could run into a problem. Some check-in counters and border controls require you to present proof of an onward flight to be let into the country. So best to have a digital and paper copy.

And two, in many parts of the world, certain activity bookings still require you to present paper vouchers. For example, in Nepal I had to present paper documents to take art in some adventure activities. I was thankful I’d planned ahead.

Consider these lightweight and well-organized options. Note, they are not just travel journals but travel planners and organizers.

Book your seat as early as possible

I always always always book my seat as early as possible, and balance that by trying to book it for free.

Many long haul flights will allow free seat selection, depending on your fare, either shortly after booking or even right at check-in. Sometimes, if you want to book prior to check-in, it will carry a fee.

Here is my strategy to make the best decision.

If you are not able to book for free immediately, keep your eye on the seating chart in the weeks leading up to your trip. You’ll get a good idea of how full your flight is.

If all of the window and aisle seats are going, I would consider paying. But, if things are looking wide open, I wait until check-in.

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Seat Glossary

Which seat you choose will really make or break your flight. Almost nothing is worse than 15 hours crushed between two strangers.

This seat glossary considers the advantages or disadvantages of different seat choices.

• Aisle Seats – My preferred seating position, I consider an aisle seat to be one of my long haul flight essentials. Aisle seats provide extra space on one side if you need to stretch out. They also allow easy access to restrooms and the flight attendant’s snack sections. However, you need to be willing to let other people out to do all the same things.
• Window Seats – The window seats are all about the views! Window seats allow a place to lean and potentially sleep. They keep you from being bumped by passing carts and people. But, they also make it harder to get out of the row, use the restroom, etc.
• Middle Seats – I think we can all agree that a middle seat is never the preferred spot, unless you are traveling with family and friends directly around you. They are always the last seats booked and if you don’t choose your own seat, this is likely where you’ll be stuck.
• Emergency Exit Row Seats – A favorite of tall folks, these have all the extra leg room. But, they come with drawbacks, too. For one, you can’t recline the seats. And for two, you cannot stow your items under the seat in front of you for take-off and landing. This means everything must go in the overhead storage bins. You also need to agree to open the emergency exit if the need arises, and children under 15 are typically not allowed in this row.
• Row in Front of Emergency Exit Row Seats – A quick but important note about this row. Because the row behind you is the emergency exit, this row of seats do not recline at all. So you don’t get the legroom or the recline. Book with caution.
• Bulkhead Seats – Bulkhead seats offer the most leg-room of all. But, I never book them because of the lack of under seat storage. Also, this is where bassinets are used, so if there are babies on the flight you will likely be next to them here.
• Last Row of Seats – While these are often next to the toilets and the food prep area, the back of the plane is often overlooked. This area is often more empty than the front sections. So, if you don’t have a tight connection to contend with, you may be able to stretch out back here.

Pack your own entertainment

Even when I’m on an airline with seatback entertainment systems, downloaded movies, books, and notebooks are definite must haves for long haul flights.

Almost-horror story here – I was once on a 14 hour flight and my seatback entertainment screen didn’t work. If I had come empty handed, I would have been in trouble because the flight was full and the attendant couldn’t fix it.

Luckily, I had several movies and TV shows downloaded to my own device. I also had a great book, and my planner nearby to reference about itinerary stops and flight times.

Always be prepared. Items of entertainment should always be near the top of your long haul flight essentials list!

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On the flight

Wear comfortable clothing

If I’m on a 15 hour flight, the last thing I’m thinking about is fashion. I want comfort above all else. Even on eight or ten hour flights, comfort is key.

Consider soft and stretchy clothing so that you can move as freely as possible. Below are some of my must haves for long haul flights.

Electronics needs

I do not get on any flight, long or short haul, without the following:

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Stay hydrated

One things I will never understand is how little some airlines give you to drink for long flights. Because of this, I always bring my own water bottle which I pre-fill at the airport.

Toiletries for freshening up

When my flight is 15+ hours, at some point I will feel the need to brush my teeth, clean my face, and freshen up. Here is what I always have on hand.

Sleep Accessories

I am admittedly not the best sleeper on airplanes. Depending on the length of my flight, I consider all of the following.

Medications and prescriptions

Travelers should be sure to carry all necessary medications and prescriptions in their hand luggage. That way, if your flight gets delayed or canceled – or if your baggage gets lost – you have all of your necessary health aids on hand. Of all of the long haul flight essentials on this list, these could be life saving.

Pro Tip: Want to see more of my travel essentials for both on and off the plane? Check out my tried and true travel essentials that have come with me across the globe! This includes camera gear to clothing to beach and hiking gear.

On the ground

Transit flights

If you are transiting through a country that is not your destination country, check the baggage policies. Some airlines and countries require that you collect your checked bag even at your layover. You are sometimes required to go through security again, and then re-check the bag.

Other times your bag will go straight through to your final destination. Be sure to ask at check in or at the gate so that you don’t leave without your luggage!

Be sure to leave at least a two hour gap on any layovers that you may need to do this.

Layovers

If you have along layover, do you plan to leave the airport? Is it possible to leave the airport?

That largely depends on the city you are in, and how long you have between flights. Some airports are very close to the city, and other airports are out in the middle of nowhere and require a long ride to and from the airport.

Unfortunately this is something you will have to research yourself based on the destination. I often leave the airport if I have a long gap to wait and I can get there reasonably easy. Just make sure to get back to the airport two hours early, because you will have to go through security all over again.

Stopovers

A stopover is a great way to see another city on the way to your main destination. I just recently took a stopover in Doha, and I’ve done so before in places like Warsaw, and Abu Dhabi, Beijing, and Spain.

If you have a crazy long flight route, I highly recommend leaving the airport and exploring. You can also book a hotel which will leave you feeling way more refreshed than if you stayed in the uncomfortable airport.

Pro Tip: Some airlines, like Qatar Airways and Turkish Air will allow a free stopover (or nearly free in some cases) if you plan in advance. See if your airline offer this. I think it is highly worth it to take advantage of a free or forced stopover!

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Layover / stopover long haul flight essentials

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I hope that these long haul flight essentials lay out the must haves to make your flight a breeze.

From entertainment to comfy clothing to layover needs and more, these must haves will help you survive long travel days.

What else would you add to this list? Let me know below if you have any tried and true items you simply can’t travel without!

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