Long flights are very exhausting, but especially without the right travel items. However, if you get yourself the best travel accessories for long flights, you’ll not only be able to relax but perhaps even enjoy the flight.
Many have made a personal difference for me when travelling abroad on long flights. Especially after taking about seven long haul flights in the last six months alone.
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21 of the Best Travel Accessories for Long Flights
Eye Mask
My eye mask has been my saviour not just o long haul but short haul flights. It’s so essential to getting some sleep. It also means you don’t have to fight over the window cover with anyone else on the plane. Once you have an eye mask, you’ll feel more refreshed when you arrive in your destination.
Make sure you buy a high quality mask, like this one on Amazon. These keep the light out completely and help your body to reduce jet lag.
Hand Sanitiser
Now if you have flown before you’ll know why I’m recommending this! The toilets on the plane are debatable to say the least. Hand sanitiser is also good to use before you eat your food on the plane, as washing hands properly can be difficult. Many toilets on the airplanes don’t have good soap and can be dirty themselves. Hand sanitiser means you can stay clean throughout.
Buy a hand sanitiser with an alcohol content of more than 70%, like this one. These will ensure all bacteria are killed off.
Earplugs
The noise you can experience on a long haul flight can be horrendous. I once took a flight where I was sat next to a baby, had two children in front and two behind. I know it couldn’t be helped, but the noise was incredible!
After this flight I went out and bought some earplugs – best money I’ve ever spent. They don’t block the noise completely, but they do have a huge effect. These are especially important on long flights. I recommend this pair from Amazon. They’ll work a treat!
Flight socks
Now these aren’t so much a travel accessory as a travel necessity. Many people believe they are just for old or sick people, however, they help circulation for everybody. The longer flights you’re taking the more important it is to have a pair.
I recommend this pair but make sure they fit well, and check with your doctor about their fit before flying.
Neck pillow
This is one of the best travel accessories for long flights. It will stop any neck ache before you arrive at your destination. I have an inflatable one which means I can pack it away easily once I arrive at my destination. If you have a bit more room in your luggage, you can go for a more luxurious one.
Try to make sure they have a clip at the front to keep it from slipping off your shoulders. Trust me – it’s an insiders tip!
Tablet
This is the best travel item for long flights. Most long-haul flights you’ll get your own TV screen with a selection of movies or TV. In my experience, the nicer (and more expensive!) the airline, the more choice you’ll have. On Emirates, I had a huge selection, but on Air China I had perhaps only 10 films to choose from.
It may be worth picking up a tablet to have your own selection of movies and TV to watch on the airplane. I recommend the Amazon Fire 10. This is small and packable, but much larger than a phone and great to watch TV on. The tablet is cheap but has the right amount of processing power to keep you entertained on a flight.
Travel planner
As you’ll be headed off on your next journey, it’s worth taking a travel planner with you. Not just for the trip but also for your journey there. A good travel planner like this one from Amazon, will allow you to plan your next trip.
It’s also great to have a notebook with you to write down any thoughts you have about your flight or trip in general. Alternatively, pick up a journal if you want to keep track of your whole trip.
Foot Rest Sling
These slings are a newer travel accessory for long flights. They slide over the tray table in front and hang below. This allows you to put your feet up higher once your seat is back. This is so useful on a long haul flight to avoid dead legs or pins and needles. Pick up one from Amazon here.
While I recommend these, on airlines with smaller legroom it’s not as comfy to use them. However, they’re still a good item to have in your bag!
Kindle
I have never taken a long flight without my kindle, and I don’t plan on starting soon. A kindle is the perfect travel companion. They are small and slim so fit in your bag easily, but can store as many books as you want! I can’t recommend them enough. Reading books is always part of my relaxation process when I’m away. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere without it.
Pick up this one from Amazon now – it’s also waterproof so great for the pool when you arrive at your destination.
Document wallet
There’s nothing worse than taking a long-haul flight and having your passport in one pocket, flight confirmation in another. Afterwards you’re given your boarding pass and before you know it there’s paper everywhere!
I recommend buying a good wallet to store your documents in. This way they don’t get damaged and are kept separate from the rest of your stuff. On my last trip I threw my passport in my bag and got a small tear on the photo page! Although it still scanned so I could travel, it was terrifying whenever I checked in for a flight on that trip.
Portable travel bottles
As you may or may not know, you cannot take large contains of liquids (+100ml) with you on a plane. While on a short haul flight you’ll often just make do without. However, it can be nice on a long haul flight to have some liquids with you. For example, I like to bring some moisturiser with me in a small tub as my skin can get dry on a long flight. I also like to bring some perfume to freshen up with.
Pick up this great set of bottles to ensure you can have all your lotions and potions with you on the flight.
Adjustable phone stand
There’s nothing worse than being on a 14 hour flight and having to hold your phone or tablet up for the duration of the flight. Especially if you’re watching a movie or TV show. You don’t want an aching arm because of this!
Therefore, I recommend buying this mobile phone stand. It clips onto your tray table and will hold your phone in place for the flight. It’s also a great accessory for when your meal arrives.
Digital hanging luggage scale
For every long flight, it’s worth purchasing a digital luggage scale to take with you. Many airlines have restrictions on the weight of your baggage. It’s great to have for weighing your luggage before your flight out and back. It’s also useful if you have heavy hand baggage. Many airlines now place restrictions on hand baggage also.
I recommend this digital hanging luggage scale. It’s so small it’ll slide into your luggage without adding significant weight.
1 USB to 4 USB adaptor
On most long haul flights, you’ll now get a USB port on your screen to charge accessories for the flight. But imagine if you could have four USB ports instead??
Pick up this adaptor for a single USB to four USBs. It allows you to charge up to four devices at once. These could include a tablet, a mobile phone or a kindle. It’s important to keep your devices charged to ensure you can get to your final destination without getting bored or getting lost! Often, our boarding passes are now on our phones, so it’s essential we keep the battery levels up in our travel accessories.
Inflatable footrest
One of the best travel accessories for long flights is an inflatable footrest. Once blown up it will fit between your seat and the seat in front to allow you to lay flat during the night. Although warning: not for people with long legs!
Check out this inflatable footrest from Amazon. It’s the perfect one for your flight and a bonus point – is cheap for what it is!
Memory foam seat cushion
Do you ever get a numb bum on a flight? If so this seat cushion from Amazon is for you. The seat cushion consists of memory foam with a gel lining. You can pop it on top of your airline seat for a comfier experience. They’re normally recommended to people suffering from back pain. However, in my experience – they’ll do everyone a world of good on a long flight.
Lonely planet guidebook
No trip is complete without something great to read on the plane. I have to recommend picking up the Lonely Planet Guidebook to the World. It’ll give you some great reading about the place you’re visiting and ideas for future trips. Alternatively, you can always pick up one relevant to your destination.
Headphone airline adaptor
This has to be one of the best travel accessories for long flights. I absolutely hate listening to a movie or TV show through the rubbish headphones the airline provide. They don’t block out surrounding noise and often don’t fit on your head! I have a small head and always have problems with them staying on. I expect it’s worse for people with huge heads.
Pick up this one from Amazon now for less than 3$.
Blanket scarf
Ever got cold on a long haul flight? Once you leave ground the air conditioning gets whacked on and before you know it the coats are coming out of the overhead lockers. I have to recommend buying a blanket scarf. These are thick scarfs of a huge size. They can be worn on and off as a scarf but used as a blanket during the flight.
I recommend this one for keeping you snuggled up throughout your flight.
Noise cancelling headphones
So along with the headphone adaptor above to bring your own headphones, it’s important to be able to cancel out the noise on the plane. While ear plugs are great for this – you can’t listen to music or watch TV at the same time! I recommend a high quality pair of noise cancelling headphones. They’re also great if you get nervous on planes as they block out all the noises the plane makes naturally.
This great pair will allow you to stay entertained in peace throughout your long flight.
Travel toothbrush
The last of the best travel accessories for long flights I’d like to recommend is a travel toothbrush. This is a great little add on to bring onto your long flight. There’s nothing worse than not being able to clean your teeth after a long flight, especially if you’re taking a connection. I flew from London to Australia via Beijing – and not bringing a toothbrush onto the plane itself was a big mistake as you can’t access your luggage in between flights.
Tips to survive long haul flights
Set your clock to your destination: After boarding your flight make sure you adjust your clock. This way you can attempt to be on the new schedule when landing
Keep the lights on/off in line with your clock: Make sure you keep light near you when it should be daytime. On planes many close the shutters for the duration of the flight. It’s not so great if it’s daytime in the destination!
Take a small bag for under the seat: If you’re taking a larger rucksack, have a small handbag/carrier bag inside. Then once you’ve boarded, take this out and place under the seat in front of you, and the big bag in the overhead locker. This helps to keep legroom for the flight.
Booking your trip?
Insurance
Travel insurance is essential for every trip. I recommend World Nomads if you’re not travelling with any pre-existing conditions. If you are, then True Traveller is a great option.
Accommodation
I recommend booking hotels through booking.com. Unless you’re travelling through some countries in Asia such as China where trip.com or agoda.com should be checked.
Alternatively, check out AirBnb for your own apartment or a cheap room.
Flights
Check flight prices by using Skyscanner. They even let you search for the cheapest place to fly to without setting a destination.
Have a great trip!]
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