Over the past several years I have traveled overseas quite frequently. Each time I go, I refine the process a little bit - what I wear, what I bring, what I do. This year I opened my packing document (yes, I have a running packing document so I don’t have to rethink what to pack every time!) and realized I didn’t have anything I wanted to change! I felt very accomplished! Since I have spent so much time and effort refining my overseas air travel, I thought for this blog post I would share with you my top five overseas flight tips. 

Tip #1: Think about accessibility

Okay, I did actually buy one thing for this trip, and that is a hardshell carry-on that opens at the front rather than the clamshell style that opens in the middle. I made this change for accessibility. I began to realize that as I traveled, I needed different things at different times. At check-in, I needed my travel documents accessible. Going through security, I needed my laptop and liquids to be easy to remove from my bag. While waiting in the airport, I wanted to be carrying as little as possible on my back (heavy!) or in my hands (annoying!). On the plane, I needed access to things like a neck pillow, headphones, book, and snacks. 

The difficulty that I’ve encountered with accessibility is that a clamshell style carry-on is virtually inaccessible at all times. It is not possible to just unzip a little bit and slip something in or out. It needs to be opened all the way, requiring it to lay flat with both halves open. That’s not possible in the security line or on the plane, meaning that everything needed for security and the flight must be in a backpack. I’m hoping that a front-opening carry-on with a hardshell will make the carry-on suitcase a little more accessible, while still being durable. 

That said, here is how I think about accessibility. I wear a passport belt in the airport with money and travel documents. I don’t wear it under my clothes because then it is not accessible. But wearing it on the front means it is easy to access but I can still keep an eye on it. After boarding, I slip this into my backpack because I won’t need it for the flight. My carry-on suitcase has everything I don’t want to check, but also don’t need during the flight, such as extra clothes, electronics and medications. With an accessible carry-on, I will also put things in this bag that I want in the airport but not on the flight, such as my laptop, liquids, and a cupholder that slides onto my suitcase handle and carries a bottle of water and cup of coffee. This leaves room in my backpack for the things I want to access on the plane - headphones, footrest, neck pillow, snacks, book, etc. Many planes now have a USB port for a charging cable, so I also make sure my phone charger is in my backpack.

You may wonder why I wouldn’t want my laptop accessible on the plane. Sadly, the answer to this is that, as planes have tried to economize space and seats have gotten smaller, there is hardly room to take out a laptop and fully open it on the tray table. I have found that it is fairly difficult to work effectively on a laptop while on the plane. More on this in Tip #4!

Tip #2: Take care of your ears

We have all heard the tip to chew gum or drink water on take-off and landing to keep your ears from building up pressure. I heartily agree with this tip, and I would add that taking a nasal decongestant as well is very helpful in keeping ears open during the changes in air pressure. There is one other thing that you can do for your ears, and that is to wear noise cancelling headphones. This is something I only recently added to my travel routine, but it made a huge difference. All the ambient noise on the plane causes some temporary hearing loss. It is the same thing that makes it hard to hear after a loud concert. This is frustrating both on and off the plane - listening to announcements, communicating with flight attendants, and then navigating an unfamiliar airport in a foreign language! I used noise cancelling headphones for the first time last time I flew and couldn’t believe the difference. When I took the headphones off to listen to announcements and talk with the flight attendants, I could hear clearly. In the airport, I found it much easier to navigate customs and baggage. Noise cancelling headphones were a huge improvement!

Tip #3: Take care of your legs

It’s very easy to get stiff, sore legs from sitting for long periods of time on the plane, not to mention from the change of altitude and air pressure. I have heard lots of advice on how to avoid stiffness - probably the worst advice I ever heard was “do yoga in the aisle of the plane!” Your fellow passengers would appreciate it if you found a different way to keep your circulation going. It is, of course, advisable to get up and walk, but even that is not always practical. I have found two things which help. First, it is helpful to wear compression socks. I always feel a bit like an old lady with my compression socks, but the truth is, they help immensely! Compression socks improve circulation and reduce swelling, which helps mitigate the effects of sitting for so long. My legs are not nearly as stiff if I wear compression socks while flying. Second, it is helpful to use a travel foot rest or foot hammock. The foot hammock has a strap to hang over the tray table and a “hammock” for your feet. I have found this provides more options for how to sit so I can change the position of my legs. Also, it is always more comfortable to sleep with my feet up, so this makes it easier to sleep on the plane.

Tip #4: Think about both input and output

Planes today are equipped with lots of entertainment options. There are movies galore, TV shows, even music and games. It’s easy to assume that this entertainment will be enough to keep you occupied; however, all of these things are “input”. All of them are passive entertainment that you are taking in. I have found that too much “input” on long day flights starts to get boring, and I begin to feel restless (of course, on overnight flights the goal is sleep!). It is important to have “output” options as well. This is a little more difficult on a plane and takes some planning. The obvious choice is work - bring a laptop with work projects. However, as I mentioned above, it has become more difficult to work on a laptop. A tablet would work better, or even a cell phone. I also have an app which digitizes paper notes, so I sometimes write on paper and scan it later. Journaling is an option, as well as playing thinking games like Sudoku. I think that small handiwork projects like crochet would be great, though I haven’t found an efficient way to bring a crochet project since it is bulky! No matter what you choose, think about ways that you can be exercising your brain while on the flight.

Tip #5: Hydrate! 

I find that I always feel a little stuffy after plane travel, and though many people have conjectured about the cleanliness of airplane air, I think the real problem is that it is very dry. It is important to hydrate, both before and during a flight. A few days before the flight, I start to think about drinking extra water. It is important to be hydrated before even getting on the plane. Hydrating beforehand also makes for less bathroom trips since your body is accustomed to processing what you are drinking. I also make sure to bring a water bottle on the flight. I have found that it is better to use a disposable water bottle on the plane because of the changes in air pressure. These bottles are made of a softer plastic, so as the cabin pressure changes, the bottle has some give and doesn’t lose its seal at the top. I have had many a nice water bottle leak from the top, and even lost a laptop to a leaky bottle! Disposable bottles tend to work better for this, and of course, if it gets lost or needs to be tossed, it’s not a huge loss! 

I learned another hydration tip which I never would have anticipated during Covid. During this time we had to wear masks while flying, and while it seemed terribly inconvenient, I realized that the mask prevented my nose and mouth from getting dry on the plane, especially while sleeping. The mask traps moisture and forms a humid environment for the nose and mouth. I generally only use it for sleeping, and that helps me to feel less stuffy after a flight.

Here’s a bonus tip: I have found that traditional neck pillows don’t really do much to help me sleep or support my head. The best pillow I have found is the Trtl Travel Pillow. I will admit that even this pillow is far from perfect, but I like the fact that it provides a support to lean on, so that helps make sleeping more comfortable. 

Those are my top travel tips for overseas flights! I hope they can give you some good ideas on your next international flight. And now, I’m off to pack!