We travel to India once every year, it has now become an yearly ritual for us :D. And we are all set to visit our homeland soon Yayyy!!!. Although the overall feeling and vibe of going to India is always very happy and exciting, the grueling tiresome long flight hours is the only thing that dampens the entire mood for me. The thought of sitting in a plane for really long hours is always the least exciting part of the entire trip. And if it's a connecting flight then its even more frustrating. I lack patience when it comes to really long international flights. Just like last time, we have booked a direct flight to Mumbai this time as well since it cuts the overall travel time by 5-6 hrs (14hrs always sounds better than 20 -21 hrs). Anyway, coming back to the topic, after having traveled to India and other countries in the past few years, I think there are some must haves/must do stuff which will certainly put you at ease during your long flight.
The list includes things that I think are essential and very helpful. I have not included the passport and boarding pass because you know you won't be sitting inside the flight without these two things. :P :P
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| Socks, phone and backpack is not included in the pic :P |
1) Comfortable clothing: You should certainly avoid clothes that are really tight or clothes that may get uncomfortable when traveling for long hours e.g tight jeans. It is always best to choose the most comfortable clothes like light weight sweater, t-shirts paired with long shrugs or long cardigans or a light weight jacket. Team it up with joggers, jennie pants or cargo pants. Casual and comfy that is the mantra for me.
3) Oversized blanket scarf (optional): If you are planning on wearing a light weight jacket/long cardigans/shrugs you can skip this. Flights can get uncomfortably chilly at times. Hence an oversized blanket scarf always helps.
4) Neck pillow: I never manage to get a good sleep on long flights (and when I do its like a blessing) especially when you can hardly recline you seat. Invest in a good neck pillow if possible. It did help me lot. Not only for sleeping but it also gives a good support to your neck which gets easily stressed out during long flights. Use it while watching your in flight entertainment or while reading a book .
5) Facial wipes/Kleenex tissues/baby wipes: This comes very handy when you need to freshen up your face quickly. These are also helpful to wipe your hands after meals or snacks.
6) Drink plenty of water: You all must be aware of the low humidity in cabin air. The humidity inside the cabin is usually low as compared to the usual indoor humidity. This leads to dehydration and dry skin. Hence try to drink water as much as possible and stay away from alcohol and other beverages that may cause more dehydration. Buy a big bottle of water before boarding the plane and keep on sipping throughout the flight.
8) Lip Balm: I generally avoid any kind of makeup while traveling. It is not a requirement for me. The only things that you will find in my bag apart from a moisturizer is a good plain or tinted lip balm. I reapply whenever I feel my lips are getting dry. My current favorite is Burt Bee's tinted lip balm.
9) Comb: You don't want you hair to look all messy when you land, now do you? I always carry a small wide toothed comb with me.
10) Hand Sanitizer : I bet this is something everyone has in their purse or bag. Use it before meals or after using restrooms etc. This is another must have which you will always find in my bag especially when traveling.
11) Toothbrush, toothpaste and tongue scrapper/cleaner: Nothing feels more refreshing and invigorating than a good fresh and clean mouth. Carry a small travel size toothpaste, a toothbrush and plastic tongue scrapper/cleaner.
12) Listerine coolmint strips: This is optional but I think they are quite good for long flights. These strips dissolves quickly inside your mouth and helps fight bad breath.
13) Deodorant: Trust me, a small travel size deodorant is very very helpful during long flights.
14) Ear phones/headphones and good music/movies: Everyone loves to listen to music especially while traveling. Long flight travels are no exception. Don't forget your earphones and load you phone, ipod, ipad with tons of songs or even movies so that when you are bored of the in flight entertainment you always have your favorite songs to listen or movies to watch.
15) A good book to read/Ipad/Kindle: I personally don't like reading books on Ipad or kindle. So I always carry a book in my bag. Nothing compares to reading an actual book especially when you have ample time and completely disconnected with internet and social media.
16) Snacks/energy bars/Chocolate: Carry some dry fruits and nuts in a ziplock bag and munch whenever you want. Energy bars and dark chocolates are also my favorites.
17) Big tote or back pack: Whenever I have a laptop or an Ipad with me that is only time I carry a back pack instead of a tote. I try and avoid carrying my laptop when traveling to India because hubby also takes his. I feel like its unnecessary to carry two laptops. So when there is no laptop or Ipad involved I dump all the above mentioned stuff in my tote. I carry a simple and sturdy big tote bag while traveling nothing fancy or branded. But most of the time I prefer back pack over totes because its more easy on your shoulders.
18) Pen: The next time you are traveling remember to keep a pen or two handy for filling out the customs and immigration form. This way you don't have to keep staring embarrassingly at the person sitting next to you and wait for him/her to finish and ask them for their pen. :P
So there it is, my long flight travel essentials. Do not get scared of the long list. You can easily buy travel size pack of all the things that I have mentioned so you will stay within the TSA permissible limits and it won't be heavy on your bag.
Last but not the least do not forget to stretch as much as possible and take a break from sitting for long hours on your flight.
What are your favorite travel essentials? Let me know in comments below. :)
So until next time, happy and safe traveling. :D
18) Pen: The next time you are traveling remember to keep a pen or two handy for filling out the customs and immigration form. This way you don't have to keep staring embarrassingly at the person sitting next to you and wait for him/her to finish and ask them for their pen. :P
So there it is, my long flight travel essentials. Do not get scared of the long list. You can easily buy travel size pack of all the things that I have mentioned so you will stay within the TSA permissible limits and it won't be heavy on your bag.
Last but not the least do not forget to stretch as much as possible and take a break from sitting for long hours on your flight.
What are your favorite travel essentials? Let me know in comments below. :)
So until next time, happy and safe traveling. :D