If you’re one of the many people surging back to international holidaymaking this year, you are likely already halfway through packing your bags – even if there are months to go between now and your flight. This excitement is well-justified, too, in a world where more of us deserve a holiday treat than ever before. But in order to make the most of your trip abroad, you first need to brave the journey.

Long flights are a marathon all of their own, a perfect storm of limited legroom, noisy neighbours, stale air and staler food. The three hours of security and gate-side waiting are hard enough, but the near-entire working day’s worth of time you spend in a pressurised can over the sea is a true slog. 

In packing for your holiday, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to pack for your flight – and make it the most comfortable journey you can possibly make it. With this in mind, here are five indispensable items you should be sure to bring along for the journey.

Headphones

Headphones might not seem like an immediately necessary item to bring with you – unless you’ve ever been unlucky enough to share a row with a crying baby and their snoring father. Wireless Bluetooth headphones are easy to pack, and can be donned in-flight with minimal fuss; extra points if you pick a pair with noise-cancelling functionality. 

As well as blocking out less-desirable noises, you can use them to feed yourself desirable noises, whether that podcast you’ve been looking to catch up on or whale noises to help you get to sleep yourself.

Portable Charger

Electronics of any kind are useless without, well, electricity. Just as watching your phone die on a regular day out can be devastating, doubly so can watching it happen early into a 14-hour non-stop flight. A rechargeable battery pack is vital for your devices and your sanity. If you bring the right plug, too, you can be sure you won’t run out of juice for the entirety of your holiday.

Reusable Water Bottle

Liquids are famously banned from entry via security in airports, and water is no different; this doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t bring a water bottle with you. Indeed, you are allowed to bring an empty water bottle through security, and most airports have handy filling stations gate-side. Avoid predatory bottled water costs before you board, and bring a collapsible water bottle to top up before you board!

Compression Socks

The stillness required of you during long-haul flights can cause circulatory issues – particularly in the form of deep vein thrombosis or DVT, wherein a blood clot forms in the legs. Compression socks are a great way to ward against this eventuality and a must-bring for those with low blood pressure.

Travel Pillow

Finally, but by no means less importantly, we come to the humble travel pillow. There is, quite simply, no way for you to get comfortable in a plane seat for any meaningful length of time – a disaster if you intend to sleep for the course of your flight! A travel pillow is indispensable for your comfort and for your wakefulness at your destination.

Final Word

Hopefully that covers the essentials, but if you’re wondering what on Earth to wear, then check out our suggestions for what to wear on a long-haul flight for tips.