12 Things To Pack To Make An Ultra-Long-Haul Flight More Bearable

Even the shortest of long-haul flights can feel like a psychological marathon, particularly when most of it is spent with the seatbelt sign on. Stuck in a cramped seat with nowhere to go and precious little to keep you entertained for the duration of the flight, the long hours can stretch on endlessly. Once the lights are dimmed, if you're not one of the blessed few inexplicably gifted with the ability to sleep like babies in the cold airplane cabin amid a chorus of snores, the whole scene can start to feel a bit like purgatory — particularly when you're on an ultra-long-haul flight of 12 hours or more.

Obsessively checking the flight map will likely only add to your discomfort. As one Reddit user who flew nearly 16 hours from Vancouver to Sydney in coach put it, "There's nothing like the misery of knowing you've been sitting there for almost eight hours and you're still only half-way there. Especially when the flight starts at midnight." They recounted that the experience was so bad that they had momentarily floated the idea of remaining in Australia altogether.

When you're stuck in the middle of the world's most uncomfortable center aisle, a few quality creature comforts can go a long way toward making a flight much more bearable. Even if you can't make the plane arrive any sooner, packing the right gear in your carry-on can make the longest flights in the world feel just a little bit shorter.

While there's a fair chance your ultra-long-haul flight will offer charging outlets at each seat (even in coach), experienced travelers recommend bringing a backup plan along for the ride since there's no guarantee you won't have to share yours with a less-than-friendly seat neighbor. Worse, the outlet might not work at all. And the only thing that's worse than being stuck on a long plane ride is realizing you've got a dead outlet and no way to play Tetris or listen to your favorite podcast. What is this, the Dark Ages? Even if you plan to watch the in-flight entertainment, there's a fair chance you'll end up two-screening it to pass the time, and the last thing you need is to end up on foreign soil with nothing but a phone-shaped paperweight to summon an Uber with.

Seasoned long-haul travelers suggest saving yourself the trauma by packing a portable power bank and spare cable or two in your carry-on luggage. While TSA and the FAA don't allow power banks in checked luggage since the lithium batteries they contain could potentially start a fire — something no one wants on the ground, let alone at 30,000 feet — they are allowed in carry-on luggage. That's because when a lithium battery starts to go wonky, the cabin crew has access to fire extinguishers and/or specialized bags meant for containing lithium cascade fires, and they can quickly work to put them out in the cabin.

The only thing worse than the inevitable jet lag after a long-haul flight is remaining wide awake from takeoff to landing, aside from a little deeply unsatisfying near-sleep dozing. While sound-blocking ear tech won't guarantee sleep or change the fact that you're closer to strangers than most people are comfortable with, they can make it much easier to pretend you're somewhere else or, at the very least, to tune out snoring neighbors. You can even use your Bluetooth headphones since they still work when your phone is in airplane mode, and Bluetooth doesn't interfere with airplane operations.

Over-ear headphones are a favorite among regular air travelers since they function well for keeping out extraneous sound and can serve as a signal to seat neighbors that you're not up for idle chatter. "I love my Bose headphones," one Redditor raved. "They make such a huge difference when doing a long flight — I don't arrive exhausted."

If you go with earbuds, pros suggest springing for the open over-ear variety. While some earbuds can be almost as noise-canceling as high-quality headphones, many frequent fliers say the open kind are more comfortable for longer flights. "For me personally, pods get uncomfortable after a couple hours, plus, they can fall out randomly," one Reddit user reported. And once an earbud rolls onto the airplane floor, who knows if you'll ever see it again?

If you aim to truly shut out the world around you on an ultra-long-haul flight, no pair of dark sunglasses will come close to the absolute darkness of a quality sleep mask. Far beyond just a spa day pampering tool, sleep masks are the ultimate key to crashing out in REM land while entirely too close to hundreds of strangers. Once you're safely buckled in for the duration, your headphones combined with a cozy hoodie and a good sleep mask may just be the trick to getting a good night's sleep.

If you've only seen the cheap version, know that sleep masks can get pretty technologically advanced — and regular long-haulers say the premium versions are worth every penny on an international flight. "[R]ecently had a few long flights in a short period of time and decided to get one with moulded eye cups — game changer," advised one Reddit user. Another chimed in, "I don't sleep super well on flights, but after using an eye mask on a flight, I started using one when traveling, and now use one all the time. Blocks out ALL light."

While traditional eye masks can be uncomfortable for some users, molded eye cups offer the darkness without the discomfort of fabric rubbing against your eyelids while you sleep. For best results, pros suggest using your sleep mask about a week prior to takeoff so your body will be used to it on the day.

For most folks, tolerating a 12- to 18-hour long-haul flight requires loads of screentime. Back in the day, we were stuck with whatever the in-flight entertainment lineup happened to be, which is how one travel writer ended up watching three episodes of "House" three times on a 2006 spring break flight to the Netherlands. We can neither confirm nor deny whether that travel writer was the author of this piece. These days, most international flights offer Wi-Fi either as a free or a purchasable item. Even so, there's really no guarantee you'll have Wi-Fi available from takeoff to landing, particularly if you're on a free option. The pay version will usually run you about $20, give or take, but some folks say it's not necessarily the best way to watch your favorite Netflix series.

Reporting on their round-trip flight from the United States to Japan, one Reddit user lamented, "I was given "free Wi-Fi" but it only worked halfway through the flight and i could only use messenger and messages would send reeeaally slow." Reporting on the for-pay option, another Redditor remarked that streaming anything on airplane Wi-Fi is out of the question, explaining, "It's only good enough for email, texting (no pictures), and some browsing. Anything else gets really slow."

Fortunately, many streaming apps let you download videos for offline use. Before heading out, load your phone with a range of options: a few relaxing podcasts like "The Fall of Civilizations," a movie or two, a few episodes of a comfort travel show like "Rick Steves' Europe," and your takeoff music playlist.

Even if you're the type of person who prefers not to take supplements or medications, the one time you might want to consider making an exception is when you're trying to get some shuteye on a 14-hour transatlantic flight — that is, of course, after consulting your doctor. Many travelers swear by melatonin, an over-the-counter supplement that synthesizes the naturally occurring hormone that helps your body know when it's time to call it a night. Another popular remedy for airplane sleep and stress alike is the herbal supplement valerian root. Alternatively, you can go with an over-the-counter sleep aid like Unisom or Benadryl. And if you're truly worried about in-flight anxiety or sleep, you can always talk to your doctor about prescription options.

Of course, whatever you go with, don't make your international flight the maiden flight for your sleep meds. If you're trying out a supplement or medication you've never used before, do a test run at home one night when you're not under any pressure to wake up in the morning to get a sense of how it will affect your body. You don't want to learn it's not a good fit for you while on an airplane miles above the earth.

Don't stock your travel kit without the must-have travel essential moms everywhere swear by: Quality wet wipes. Wet wipes are one of the most endlessly useful tools you can take on any flight or any travel adventure. Whether you go with herb-infused makeup removal wipes, heavy-duty guy-marked body wipes, or just standard run-of-the-mill baby wipes, you really can't make a bad choice when choosing the best wet wipes for your carry-on.

They're great for wiping down seats, cleaning the fingerprints obscuring your window seat view, and wiping off the snack crumbs you know you're going to accumulate. They are also an absolutely crucial in-flight hygiene tool for the weary passenger covered in sweat, travel grime, and any weird airport smells that might linger on your skin after a long day of hopping flights.

When you've got nowhere to go and nothing to do other than watch the tiny airplane on the flight map slowly creep across the ocean, a little wet wipe cleanup can even feel a bit like a mini spa treatment. Use them just before landing, and it's almost like you haven't spent half a rotation marinating in weird airline energy.

If you're planning to sit next to a travel buddy or family member, a few simple card games can come in clutch on a long flight since they offer plenty of entertainment without taking up much space. If you've got children in your crew sitting on the same aisle, carrying a UNO deck is one of the simplest and most effective tricks for keeping kids entertained on a flight or really anywhere you end up waiting with nowhere to go. A simple deck of cards or a game of Old Maid can work really well, especially with younger kids.

However, if you're looking for interactive in-flight entertainment that doesn't take up a lot of space, start digging through your game closet for board games with trivia cards like Trivial Pursuit or Scattergories. Stick a small deck of these trivia cards in a sandwich baggie and you've potentially got hours of entertainment ahead of you. Or go wild and print up your own would-you-rather cards to share with your tween or teen kiddos. You probably won't even have to keep score since guessing games pulling you out of the doldrums of a long, boring flight tend to be rewarding enough.

The air in planes is notoriously dry. This can be bad enough after a short flight, but it can leave some passengers' skin crying out for some serious TLC after longer journeys. That's why it pays to plan ahead to throw everything you've got at your skin on an ultra-long flight — we're talking the trifecta of face moisturizer, lotion, and lip balm. Some long-haul flight veterans even suggest packing a moisturizing face mask that doesn't need to be wiped off or a heavy-duty winter moisturizer.

Creamy, rich moisturizers like Cerave are also a favorite among frequent fliers. "I [...] use my regular Cerave night cream for long haul flights (15+)," reported one Reddit user, adding that they use the airport restrooms to wash their face and then apply Cerave night cream just before boarding. Vaseline and Vaseline Lip Therapy are also popular options for lips. Invest in a sample-sized bottle or, in a pinch, you can even use contact lens cases for transporting a travel-sized dollop of Vaseline that won't get you in trouble for bringing too many liquids. Seasoned fliers also suggest reapplying as needed throughout your flight and remembering to hydrate from within with plenty of water and electrolytes.

One of the rare but serious risks of being stuck in a cramped airplane seat overnight is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially life-threatening condition where blood clots develop that could move to your heart or lungs. Thanks to the condition's association with being stuck in tight airplane seats with an inability to get up and stretch your legs, DVT is sometimes referred to as "economy class syndrome." And the longer you're stuck on a plane, the higher your risk of a DVT occurring.

One of the best things you can do to reduce your chance of DVT on a long flight is to stretch regularly, change positions as much as possible, and walk around every chance you get. But since that's not always possible — especially if you're on a particularly turbulent flight where the fasten seatbelt sign seems stuck on permanently — another way to help mitigate the risk is investing in compression socks.

Compression socks are designed to put pressure on your legs, gently squeezing your calves and thighs to help increase blood flow and reduce your chance of DVT. But they also help to reduce the pressure and discomfort you feel after sitting for a long time. One Redditor reported, "I wear them every trip. I have to because of a past surgery but they really do reduce swelling. And prevent blood clots as a bonus. Highly recommend!"

Layering is one of the smartest things you can do when you're planning to fly anywhere, as you really never know what the temperature will be at any given point in your adventure. If your plane ends up taxiing for a long time on a warm spring or summer day, the air in the cabin can get fairly hot and miserable. On the flip side, an airplane cabin might end up being super chilly just as you're trying to catch some Zs for the night. And that's not even factoring in the psychological factors associated with thermal regulation on a long flight where you may or may not be nervous. 

"It also can depend on where you sit," one Redditor recalled, adding, "I had a window seat and shivered the whole way on one trip. The next time I was in the center area and was comfortable, maybe a little warm." Although some international flights will offer blankets for in-flight use, many seasoned travelers prefer to bring their own pashmina or a big, cozy hoodie layered over cooler clothing. And whatever you do, avoid synthetic fabrics since they can make your pits less than fresh after a long flight.

No person in their right mind would use the water in the airplane lavatory to brush their teeth, but that doesn't mean you want to roll into an exciting new destination with hairy mouth germs, either. Fortunately, we live in a world of modern marvels where the geniuses at Big Toothpaste have come up with tiny disposable toothbrushes that require absolutely no water for use. Just pull out your adorably teensy toothbrush, zip into the bathroom for privacy, and give those pearly whites a little shine.

If you just can't bear to go one full night without an honest-to-goodness dental hygiene moment, no one worth knowing will judge you for having to go full Crest commercial in the airplane bathroom — just be sure to bring some bottled water along for the ride. According to a 2019 airplane water study, the water on planes is not safe for consumption. And when all else fails, dentists say xylitol gum can help stave off cavity growth in the absence of better hygiene options, so at the very least, pick up a pack of Trident before taking to the skies.

One of the worst things about enduring a long-haul flight is the agony of endless leg discomfort. But once again, modern technology has gifted today's travelers with wonders our grandparents could only imagine — wonders like the innovative foot hammock. These portable footrests attach to the tray table in front of you on a flight and can be adjusted to a comfortable height, allowing fliers to stretch their legs out a bit in front of them. Just be sure to check with your airline before traveling since not every carrier allows them, and those that do will generally only allow window seats to use them since they can serve as impediments in the event of an emergency.

Another alternative is the inflatable footrest, which travelers can prop their feet on. "I find it helps a lot relieving pressure on my back and getting some rest," reported one frequent flier on Reddit. "Although technically not allowed, I found cabin crew doesn't mind at all in most cases as long as you're able to tuck it under the seat in front of you when needed." Just be careful not to block anyone's exit in case of an emergency. Unlike the feet in the photo above, your tootsies don't have to spend your ultra-long-haul flight in discomfort.