Have you ever been sitting comfy in your airplane seat and realized that you need something, and it is either in your personal bag under your seat or worse in the overhead bin? You mentally weigh the options of 1) do without 2) become a contortionist and free your bag from under the seat or 3) get up and get it from the overhead bin while everyone watches you. After 30 years of being a road warrior for business and fun this is my top hack to make your long-haul flight as comfy and stress free as possible. My 21 essentials for an amazing long-haul flight.
The Must Haves
At seat travel bag – The most important item to ensure you have everything in arms reach to make you comfy on your long-haul flight is an at seat travel bag or pouch. This is small enough to put in the seat back pocket yet big enough to fit everything you need. I put this in a spot that I can easily grab while boarding, toss on my seat, and bam! Everything is ready. When deboarding I just put everything back in (nothing gets left behind) and get off the plane. I prefer to use a pouch that is large enough to store my iPad. I recommend these from Haimont come in a set of three. The medium is what I normally use and the large comes in handy for ultra long-haul flights. Another option are these from pack all they also come in a pack of three.
Travel Table Cover and Organizer – This is also a great idea (depending on how much leg room you might need). These slip over the tray table and when your tray table is up providing convenient hanging compartments to store your at seat items. I love this one from Airplane Pockets.
Passport Holder – I always keep my passport, money, and credit cards as close to me as possible. Unbelievably passports and credit cards are stolen on planes by other passengers. Cringe I know but there will always be a rotten one in the bunch. On travel days I use my passport holder as a wallet holding my credit cards, ID, and Passport. I always suggest one that has a pen holder and that you put a pen in that holder. I know weird but even today in the 21st century some countries want you to complete a paper form. This can happen on the flight or before immigration. It is random but the one time you do not have one you will wish you did. I really like this passport holder. It has everything needed plus RIFD blocking and comes in lots of colors.
Entertainment
Figuring out how not to be utterly bored for 10+ hours is normally the priority of any long-haul flight. Personally I am not into raw dogging my flights no matter what Tic Tok says. Having all over your entertainment needs at your seat is critical. You do not want to realize that your power cord is overhead when you have hours left of travel. Here are my top recommendations for entertainment essentials.
iPad or a tablet. Now I know many airlines provide in seat entertainment, however what they offer may not be to your liking or even in your language. I found out the later when I flew Lufthansa on a flight between Argentina and Brazil. My choices were German, Spanish, or Brazilian Portuguese. Having a tablet (or phone if you prefer) preload with what you want to watch will save the flight. Also, some airlines now require you to connect your device to in-flight entertainment and have removed seat back screens. Low-cost airlines might not have anything at all. And as many airlines are cutting back your IFE may not work. I do prefer my iPad over my phone for screen size.
Tablet Holder – Keeping your tray table open so you can watch a movie can be a real pain especially if the person in front of you has decided to recline. I use a this tablet holder. I love that it can be used during meal service as it can attach to the side of the tray table. Prefer your phone? Then I suggest this phone holder. Both of these fold down small and are very light weight.
Bluetooth Headphones – You will need to be able to listen to your device or connect to the airline’s in-flight entertainment (see item below) with your own noise cancelling headphones. I am not going to get into the debate around in ear pods or over the head traditional headphones. You do you. I personally prefer Bose over the Apple brand though. For me I like the ear pods as I find these more comfortable and ever more critical they take up less space and weigh less.
Bluetooth Adapter – If your flight has in-flight entertainment this baby is a game changer. It allows you to plug in an adapter to the headphone slot and then use your personal Bluetooth headphones/pods for sound. This one from Twelve South comes with two types of plus as some airlines have a two prong plug for the headsets.
Charger for Tablet / Phone – We are so connected to our devices these days that having a dead battery can be catastrophic. While many airplanes boast having charging ports sometimes, they are 1) shared between 2-3 people so let the flight begin 2) so weirdly placed you can’t reach or find them 3) just freakin’ don’t work. That is why I love my Clutch charger. About the size of a credit card, this thing packs easily and is mag safe or can use used with the attached cord (no hunting for one).
Charging Cord – You just never know if you need one so just pack it. I like the 10ft one so it can reach anywhere.
USB Adaptors – Is it a USB A no its USB C wait no its Humm. Sound familiar? I am team just pick a universal standard, but the corporations do not care. That is why I love these USB A to USB C adaptors. There are four total two that convert your USB C to a USB A and two that do the opposite. This way no matter what charging port might be available you’re covered.
Audible – Sometimes I just want to close my else and relax on a plane. I find Audible to be a great option for this. I can listen to a book. Close my eyes and be swept away. Best of all by using this link you can get a free 30 day subscription to try it out on your next flight.
Puzzle Books – For when you just want to destress and flex the little grey cells, puzzle books are a great entertainment option. I really have been enjoying the ones from Regina Enigma the Puzzle Queen.
Comfort
Sanitation – So 2019 and 2020 proved that germs spread on planes fast. Planes are not really truly cleaned very well. That is why you need to pack some sanitation items to clean your seat on a flight. No one wants to get sick during their vacation. I use Clorox Wipes. I love this pack of 18. Each pack has 20 bleach free wipes. You can just throw one into your at seat bag and one in your carry on and you’re good to go.
Hand Sanitizer – No matter what you are going to have to use that airplane lav at some point or you are just going to be touching something that a million other people have interacted with. I never travel without some hand sanitizer. I prefer to use a liquid, some prefer wipes,. I recommend these from Touchland. They are gentle on your skin and the scent is not overpowering. Also, the thin design makes them easy to pack in your at seat bag.
Rechargeable Fan – If you are a woman over 50 just get one (side eyeing you menopause). But seriously did you know not all planes have individual air vents. Sometimes the pilot makes it hot on purpose to get people to sleep. I love this rechargeable fan it slips into your at seat bag without taking up to much room and it’s is great for sightseeing as well. It can fold onto itself and sit on your tray table for hands free air.
Pashmina – On the other side of trying to cool down is staying warm. I do not recommend travel blankets, they are too bulky and often only have one use. Instead, I suggest you invest in a cashmere pashmina. These extra big scarves can be used as a blanket or wrap. This pashmina is super soft and does not have tassels like most do. Another option is this travel scarf which has the added benefit of a hidden zipper compart to hide passports, money and credit cards.
Moisturize – Flying is brutal on your skin. The newer airplanes are better, but it still can be super drying. Also changing climates can wreak havoc. I always have dry lip and skin on long haul flights, and I swear by my favorite brand L’Occitane. Yes, I splurge a bit on this but spoil yourself. They make a lip balm, hand cream, and face cream all with shea butter and no scent. These have been my go-to for decades.
Hydrate – Staying Hydrated on a flight is critical and helps fight jetlag. That is why I suggest packing a reusable water bottle. I love my Vapur Flexible. It is more like a bag flask and due to this packs ultra-thin and light. It is a bit like drinking from a carpi sun. I also pack a couple of electrolyte power mixes to help. I enjoy Ultima Replenisher brand. These pre-portioned packs slip easily into your at seat bag.
Sleep – Snagging some Z’s on a flight can be tricky between trying to get comfy to all the noise it can be near impossible. I find a sleep mask helps. I am not rudely awakened when someone decides to see if the sun is out yet or turn on the overhead light. This sleep mask from MZOO is great as it has full blocking of light and does not put pressure on my eyes. I know most people use their headphones to block out noise, however I find it hard to sleep with them on. I use these noise blocking ear plugs from Loop. They are easy to sleep in both on and off the plane.
Medication – If you take medication, I suggest these pill zipper pouches. I love that they have colored tops so you can color code between day/night or prescription vs over the counter meds. These are also great to place your jewelry in while you sleep such as earrings. They are very versatile and at under 7 bucks for a dozen they are a steal.
Snacks – I always pack some protein bars as you never know just how awful that airline meal will be, or an expected massive delay and you end up stuck in the plane. Just remember to eat it before getting to your destination as some countries have extremely strict laws about carrying food into their country.
There you have my 21 items that you need at your seat to survive a long-haul flight. Do you think I missed something? Share in the comments.