5 Tips to Surviving a 15-Hour Flight

Hi there! Leah here. Recently, I traveled from Vancouver to Sydney. The flight is 15 ½ hours, one of the longest non-stop flights in the world. It travels over the Pacific Ocean, passing over Hawaii, before landing in Sydney. Now, I HATE flying, so spending that long on a plane is not ideal. However, the flight turned out to be okay—and here’s how you can also survive a 15-hour flight.

1-Select your Seat Wisely

Choosing the right seat for your flight can make a world of difference. Know your plane and check out seatguru.com. Know the kind of flight you want to have. If you like looking at the scenary, chose a window seat. If you want to get up and move around, choose an aisle. Also, you have to play your odds. It’s very unlikely you can get an entire row to yourself, but you can make it fairly likely that no one will sit in the middle seat. When selecting your seat, go for one that has someone either on the aisle or window already. It’s far more likely that no one will choose a middle seat, as opposed to a couple choosing the two empty seats beside you.

2-Stay Hydrated

I know you’ve probably heard this a million times, but planes are very very dry and staying hydrated will even help with jet leg. Don’t reply on the little cups of water they bring. Bring your own empty water bottle and fill it up once you pass security and ask the flight attendants once you’re on the plane. You don’t have to just drink water; have some juice or herbal tea. Keep your lips and face hydrated too by bringing travel-sized lip balm and face moisturizer to apply half way. It’s a really great pick me up during the flight.

3-Get Comfy

Select your clothes carefully; there’s going to be no runway shows up in the air. Layers, fuzzy socks, and an infinity scarf are my must-haves every time I fly.

 Neck pillows may not look glamorous, but they sure keep your tired head supported.  I like the blow up ones because they fold up so easily.

Take off your shoes. I recommend doing this early in to your flight, so you don’t have stinky feet! If you’ve been traveling all day before your flight, consider a new pair of socks just for the new flight.

4-Sleep

Sleeping is the best way to pass time on a flight.  Now it can be tricky to sleep when you’re 30,000 feet in the air, but there are a couple tricks. Take some medication. If you’re an anxious flyer a doctor can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication that usually can ease in fears and make you a little drowsy.  Use this in moderation once you consult your doctor. You can buy sleeping pills at your local pharmacies. Personally, I like ZzzQuil Nyquil because they don’t leave you feeling drowsy. If you’re not into medicated help, you can use some natural methods, such as herbal tea, limiting caffeine and maybe putting a dab of lavender oil behind your ears. 

Also, don’t forget to pop in some ear plugs to block out the sounds of the plane.

If you absolutely can’t sleep, just close your eyes, get as comfy as you can, and listen to some music. Creating a sleep playlist can help you relax and rest.

5-Keep Busy

Load up electronics. Buy a new DS game just for the flight, or do what I did and weed your entire Animal Crossing village! You can always load a new television series on your iPad, or read that steamy new adult book.  Audio books can be really convenient on a plane. Or you can even try to learn a new language with fun phone apps like Duolingo! Don’t count on getting as much important work done on a plane; there’s usually not enough room for your laptop.  Use this time to relax with your guilty pleasures.

Want even more tips? Check out our vlog!