Travelling on a long haul flight soon? There’s a few things you’ll want to consider in order to have a more comfortable journey.

Pick the right seat

Decide upfront what kind of flight you’re after. Are you planning to sleep on the flight? If so, then try selecting a window seat as you’ll be more protected from people walking up and down the aisle. Want to stretch your legs frequently, or need to use the bathroom often? Try and find an aisle seat - your neighbours will thank you!

Also consider where on the plane you want to sit. If you’re not familiar with the aircraft you’ll be travelling on, consider using a service such as Seatguru to identify the best seats on the plane.

And lastly, if you can’t afford to upgrade to premium economy or business class but want extra legroom see if you can find an exit row seat. Most airlines offer these for sale, but there are special requirements for sitting in an exit row so ensure you meet your airlines requirements.

Also note that you can’t place a bag under the seat in front of you in an exit row, and some exit rows have smaller windows or none at all.

Wear the right clothing

It’s important to consider what clothing and accessories you wear while flying on a long haul flight. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing as you’ll be sitting down for many hours.

Are you planning to visit an airline lounge prior to your flight? If so, make sure your clothes are comfortable and meet your lounge dress code - some airlines are more strict about this than others.

If you’re at risk for DVT (spoiler: most are on a long distance flight, if you don’t take the right precautions) then it’s also worth considering wearing compression socks. These can help manage your blood circulation while sitting.

Pay for an upgrade over point upgrades

Booked an economy flight thinking you’ll apply to get an upgrade to guaranteed premium economy or business class? Think again, as many people miss out. If you want to be sure that you’ll be getting extra legroom or a lie-flat bed in business, consider paying for the privilege.

Otherwise, prepare yourself for not getting an upgrade - and if this is unfathomable, consider cheaper options for extra legroom such as an exit row seat.

Prepare some good entertainment

While many airlines now offer Wi-Fi on international flights, others are still working to support it. So make sure you pre-load a tablet or your smartphone with a number of movies, TV shows, books and entertainment content otherwise you’ll need to rely on your airlines in-flight entertainment selection.

It’s worth noting that some streaming services such as Netflix, Apple TV and Disney+ allow you to download content for offline viewing via their apps. But make sure you do this at home or in the airport prior to boarding your flight.

Even if your flight does offer Wi-Fi, it can oftentimes be spotty or flaky and speeds can be less than desirable. So it’s worth having some content - you don’t want to be stuck on a plane for 10 hours without anything to watch or read, unless you’re a great sleeper.

Stay hydrated

Flying for long durations at altitude can often lead to dehydration. So it’s important to ensure you keep up your fluids.

That said, don’t overdo it on the alcohol. While some may want some alcohol to calm the nerves before takeoff or if you’re flying premium economy or business class it can be tempting to enjoy yourself, but you’ll likely regret it later. Passing through immigration while heavily intoxicated is also not necessarily something you’d want to experience.

Drinking too much alcohol can also impact your ability to sleep on the flight, and cause you to become disruptive or be unable to readily move around the plane.

Instead, have fewer alcoholic beverages and balance it out with water and food.

Stretch frequently

To avoid issues like DVT, it’s crucial that you walk up and down the aisle multiple times throughout your flight.

At a minimum, you should be moving around the cabin at least once every few hours although this will depend on how you feel and any underlying medical conditions you may have.

As mentioned above, having an aisle seat can greatly aid in allowing you to walk around the cabin without having to clamber over fellow passengers who may be sleeping.

Sleep if you can

Arrive at your destination well rested by ensuring you get as much shut-eye as you can while in the air. Again, this is obviously easier with a business class lie-flat seat or premium economy with more legroom - but it’s important for all to consider especially if you need to hit the ground running.

Make sure you don’t overdo it with sleep, as this could have the reverse effect and contribute to jet lag. Instead, aim to sleep for a couple of hours and then wake up for refreshments.

Otherwise if you know you won’t be able to sleep, consider loading a tablet with many multimedia options to fill in the time.

What do you do when prepping for travel? What tips do you have for others?