Travel Talk: 10 Unglamorous Tips for the Best Flight Ever (Even in Economy)

Once, when John and I were doing the long-distance thing, he booked me a flight from Boston to London so I could spend my birthday weekend with him. It was romantic, exciting, and so very cool. I remember dressing up for the flight and wanting to look glamorous and chic when I landed. 

That's about the last time I thought about looking glamorous or chic on a long-haul flight. 

Instead, my years of jetting back and forth between the US and UK, plus a few added trips to far-flung places like Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore, have made me somewhat of an expert in unglamorous travel. 

This is how I rock it (#sorrynotsorry): 

1. Wear compression stockings for long-haul flights. 

Trust me - you'll thank me when you land. They're the unsexiest things EVER, but compression stockings keep your feet and ankles from swelling, plus help prevent DVT. I'm so paranoid about wearing them, I'll buy a pair at the airport like these if I've left mine at home. I usually put them on under whatever I'm wearing that day, or else slip them on before the flight takes off (when I say slip, I really mean pull and grunt and groan until the person next to me slowly edges away). I make my parents wear them because I'm so nervous about them developing DVT on long flights ... I yelled at my dad once for not taking me seriously and made sure he wore them before he flew to London. 

2. Mid-flight, spritz your face with Avene Thermale Spring Water Spray

Even John exclaimed, "This feels so good!" when I sprayed this over him mid-flight when we were en route to Sri Lanka last year. The cabin air makes my skin greasy and flaky all at once (SO attractive!) and my eyes feel like they're burning by the 5th hour. So, I usually mist this over my face every two hours or so and it keeps my skin hydrated, without adding an extra layer of grease.

3. Drink SO MUCH WATER.

I always take an aisle seat because I have to pee, like, 1,000 times during a flight and there's nothing worse than asking the stranger next to you to get up 1,000 times. Before I fly, I get a huge bottle of water and make sure I drink it ALL during a 8-hour or longer flight. I also accept ANY water or juice that's coming my way when the flight attendants pass them out. This is key to helping jet lag when I land, and - perhaps it's a coincidence - I'm less likely to catch a cold/other nasty bug on the flight if I'm well-hydrated.

4. Avoid coffee, tea or alcohol.

It's so hard to decline that cute, mini bottle of wine that comes with your meal on BA flights (my dad usually ends up with two, because he's so charming). But alcohol, coffee and tea are very dehydrating and, for me, personally, prevent me from getting a good rest on the plane. Instead, I chug water like there's no tomorrow and, if possible, ask for a cup of hot water I can stick a peppermint teabag into.

5. Make a pre-flight playlist.

I get nervous and anxious flying on my own, which I dont' really get, since I've been flying 6+ hour flights by myself since I was 17 and didn't seem to have a problem with it then. But for whatever reason, I kind of hate it now, but living in the UK and having family in the US means I have to do this at least once a year. So, I make a playlist that takes me from my journey to Heathrow to the minute I land. I like listening to calming music, especially as I like to have my headphones in when I drift off to sleep. Like navigating crowds in London, having my ears full of music on the plane is a great distraction from my worries.

6. Try to get some shut-eye once the food service is over.

I have a little ritual for long-haul flights. Whether I'm flying with John or by myself (he is less entertaining than I usually anticipate on the flights - he mostly sleeps or watches a movie or pokes me to get up so he can go to the bathroom. There are no travel-version games of Scrabble or funny anecdotes to trade), I typically board, read a magazine, clutch at John's hand (if it's available - if I'm alone, I clutch my handrest) as the plane takes off, start a movie, eat the food while watching the movie, finish watching the movie, make bathroom stop #5 out of 47, and then ... put my eyeshade on and snooze. If I'm lucky, I drop off to sleep relatively straightaway and can sleep for 4 hours or so. If not, I don't try to put too much pressure on myself to actually sleep but think of it as resting my eyes, which I can do for about an hour or so before getting way too bored and watching another movie.

7. Wear an eyeshade. Preferably one shaped like a mini-bra.

This helps block out light (obvs), but combined with earphones, is a great way to help you focus on snoozing. I love the type that look like a mini-bra and doesn't touch your eyelids. So cool. NOT.

8. BRING SNACKS. BRING ALL THE SNACKS.

Unless you're flying business or first, you'll get hungry. BRING SNACKS. OMG, I cannot emphasize this one enough - BRING SNACKS. Chips (crisps, for you UK readers, not an actual, greasy, vinegar-drizzled, bag of hot chips). Granola bars (Bounce bars are great). Dried fruit. SOMETHING. ANYTHING.

9. Wet Wipes are your friend. 

Germs. Germy-germ-germs. I'm a frequent hand-washer, but Wet Wipes are great for: a) wiping between visits to the gross plane toilet; b) cleaning up spillages; c) wiping your hands after eating all those delicious snacks you brought.

10. Bring tissues and nasal spray

Need I remind you that the title of this post is "10 UNGLAMOROUS TIPS ...". Unglamorous. Do you get insanely sneezy on planes or is it just me? Once again, the dry cabin air wreaks havoc on my poor sinuses and I've got a blocked nose by the third or fourth hour. I make sure to pack extra pocket tissues and a saline spray to keep my nasal passages hydrated. I cannot believe I just wrote "nasal passages" in a post. 

Writing this post has been so cringe, I'm slinking off now to redeem my glamour points by ... I don't know, throwing a cashmere wrap around myself (which is one of my essential travel items, btw, so it ain't all about the dry nasal passages).
 

What's your most unglamorous travel tip?