It’s not a skill I brag about a lot, but I’m good at going to the airport and getting on a plane. I’ve flown multiple times a year ever since I moved from the East Coast to the Midwest for college in 2013, and in my not-so-humble opinion, I have it down to a bit of a science.
This isn’t to say that flying is easy on the brain and body. Quite the opposite! A plane ride is a gauntlet of punishing seating, loud strangers, gross toilets, timing that feels both extremely urgent and totally out of your control, and weird snack options. The experience can leave you sore, stressed out, and exhausted.
While so many aspects of air travel are out of your control, there are ways to make flying more comfortable, dignified, and even…fun. Below, I’ve compiled my tried-and-true tips, along with advice from fellow SELF staffers and travel experts, to help make your next flight as breezy as possible.
1. Get good sleep the night before your flight.
That means at least seven hours, ideally—even if you plan to doze on the plane, which can be a gamble. That bedrock of rest will help you deal with whatever curveballs are thrown at you: delays, snoring aisle mates, wild turbulence. Every inconvenience will be more bearable if you’re not rolling up to the airport exhausted.
2. Prep for hours of sitting with a gentle workout.
Personal trainers shared 18 different moves with SELF to help minimize the aches and pains that come with sitting in the same place for hours at a time, including banded squats, glute bridges, a calf stretch, and a classic child’s pose. And while you can certainly do them post-flight to soothe any soreness (more on this below), they’re equally great beforehand to help keep muscle cramping at a minimum.
3. Make a point to pre-hydrate.
The change in routine that comes with travel makes it all too easy to skimp on your water intake, and being dehydrated just increases the chances that you wind up tired or headache-y. It’s the reason doctors cite hydrating pre-trip as a top strategy for avoiding “leisure sickness”—and why SELF staffer Dana Leigh Smith, VP and health content lead at Condé Nast, tries to drink “as much water as humanly possible” before a flight.
4. Pack comfort items that can help you get some rest, particularly for long flights or red-eyes.
I preach the gospel of foam travel pillows—I grabbed this compactible Cabeau pillow from a Hudson News a few years ago, and it’s been my constant companion ever since. Wearing mine makes me feel like a dog in a cone, but I never fail to throw it in my backpack anyway because it makes napping way easier on my neck. If you’re a light sleeper, pack an eye mask to block out the ever-shifting plane lighting (or keep from waking up when a row mate chooses to fling open the window shade in broad daylight or flip on the reading light).
Monica Perry, SELF’s senior manager of analytics and audience development, also suggests considering a leg hammock, which is a little sling (that attaches to a tray table) where you can put your feet, particularly if you’re short. If your feet typically dangle, giving them a landing place can better support your lower back, and elevating them a bit can also help with circulation.
5. Don’t forget items to protect your peace and quiet.
A pair of earplugs or noise-canceling headphones is critical—this way, you can feel empathy instead of vitriol for parents flying with antsy, vocal kids. (And if you’re the person with those antsy, vocal kids? Here’s a Condé Nast Traveler guide to help.)
6. Prep an arsenal of snacks.
Airplane food is…famously not the best, if it’s even on offer. If you want to feel satiated for the duration of your flight, plan to bring snacks (so you don’t wind up paying $30 for a bag of Craisins and some red pepper hummus at the airport). Ideally you’d have something that’s easy to carry and eat, protein-forward to keep you full, and doesn’t generate a ton of trash. (Here are the official guidelines about specific foods you can bring on planes in the US.) Think mixed nuts, protein bars, or a banana. You can always just copy what a registered dietitian packs to eat on trips, including her signature “airport sandwich.”
7. Bring an empty reusable water bottle in your carry-on, and fill it up after you pass security.
As important as pre-hydrating is hydrating throughout the trip, and bringing an empty water bottle will spare you the high price of bottled water at the airport. You might also need to have a few plastic cups of water on an especially long flight. (Just avoid refilling a bottle in the airplane bathroom—studies have shown the available tap water can be germ-ridden.)
8. Put anything you can’t go a day without in your personal item.
This way, if you have to check your carry-on at the gate and it doesn’t show up promptly at your destination, you won’t be dealing with an emergency. Some common items to consider include medication, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a spare pair of underwear. Worried about whether your medicine is okay to bring aboard? Per TSA, you’re allowed to carry on more than 3.4 ounces of liquid medications, and unused syringes are fine if they accompany injectable meds—just know that, in both cases, you might have to go through additional screenings.
9. Wear comfortable clothing.
We’re so lucky to be alive during the golden age of athleisure. My go-to uniform: A sweater or sweatshirt that can double as a blanket or pillow (SELF’s lifestyle director Hannah Pasternak brings a huge scarf expressly for this purpose), slip-on shoes with gym socks so I can glide through TSA without bare feet touching the airport floor, leggings, and breathable cotton underwear. We’re going for function over form, but looking a little schlubby in public also makes me feel like I’m a celebrity hiding from the paparazzi. Delusional? Maybe. Comfortable? Absolutely.
10. Bring products to keep your eyes, lips, and nose moist.
Plane air is notoriously dry. Nasal spray, eye drops, lip balm, and moisturizing lotion can help you avoid feeling parched all over.
11. Check ahead if your airline has a policy for “customers of size” if you need more space than a typical seat provides.
As unfair as it is, flying comfortably while fat requires some extra preparation. Some airlines have gotten with the times and established specific policies for “customers of size,” which is the terminology carriers typically use. Southwest, for example, offers complimentary additional seats if a passenger can’t fit into a single one, including by reimbursing extra seats bought in advance.
12. Or ask to switch seats to a row that has an empty one.
When you can’t book ahead of time but think you’ll need more space, you should ask the staff at the gate whether it’s possible for you to switch to a part of the plane with an extra empty seat or even to an entire free row if your flight isn’t full, as Katie, a Delta Airlines flight attendant, tells SELF. (Katie requested that SELF omit her last name for professional reasons.) “Try just going to the gate agent and saying, ‘Hey, if there’s anywhere with a middle seat open, I’d love to be there,’” she says.
13. Request a seatbelt extender if the standard one doesn’t fit comfortably.
The best time to ask for a seatbelt extender is when you’re boarding the plane—according to Katie, that’s the easiest time for flight attendants to accommodate your request. “We have all different planes, the seats are made differently sometimes,” she says, so even if you don’t always need an extender, it’s worth asking if you think there’s any chance you could be uncomfortable. Also, it might seem like a timesaver to bring your own extender from home, but you’ll need to ask the flight attendants in order to ensure the one you’re using is Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)–compliant, because not every at-home model conforms to the aviation safety administration’s safety regulations.
14. Plan to arrive at the airport early if you have a disability.
Airlines legally have to accommodate you in the US—but that doesn’t mean they’re good at it. To ensure your needs are met as best as possible, try to get to your gate at least 90 minutes before your flight is set to take off. That way, you have time to request what you need before the airline staff has to deal with an entire flight’s worth of people boarding the plane. Arriving early also gives you time to call the airline’s complaints resolution official, the legally mandated expert on accessibility-related travel issues, if you run into problems. Their number should be available on your airline’s website, and it’s worth looking up and saving in your phone ahead of time just in case you need it.
