Australia has been the longest flight I’ve taken. There’s no way around it from the United States. I traveled 5 hours on my first flight to California from Chicago, where I also had a long layover, made even longer thanks to travel woes brought on by weather. Next, I traveled more than 15 hours to Melbourne, bringing my total travel time to more than 20 hours.
I knew this would be a different travel experience, primarily for the time. I made it a mission to keep myself busy and comfortable. Here’s what I packed for a long flight to Australia that helped get me through one of the longest flights of my life. And yes, I would do it again.
- Everlasting Comfort Airplane Foot Rest
- BCozzy Neck Pillow for Travel
- Miers Labs No Jet Lag Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy
- HATALKIN 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station
- PRETTYGARDEN Women’s Two Piece Outfit Sleeveless Crewneck Tops with Sweatpants
- JMIERR Men’s 2 Piece Outfits Solid Color Cotton Pullover Sweatshirt Tracksuit & Joggers Sweatpants
- Beister Medical Open Toe Thigh High Compression Stockings with Silicone Band
- MZOO Sleep Eye Mask
- Stress-Free Coloring Book For Adults By Edith Reyes
Everlasting Comfort Airplane Foot Rest
First Class or Premium Economy seats will quickly book up on longer hauls. Even if there’s a chance to upgrade, you run the risk of an expensive upgrade.
On my flight to Melbourne, an upgrade on United Polaris Business Class was priced at more than $2,000 one way and was only offered on one leg of the flight: from Los Angeles to Melbourne.
One way to minimize the risk of being uncomfortable is with an airplane footrest with memory foam. It wraps around your tray table, and then you can insert your feet in the hammock, allowing you to rest your feet.
BCOZZY Neck Pillow for Travel
The BCozzy Pillow has been one of the best purchases I’ve had to date. Initially, I chose this pillow because the brand touts it as a pillow that can make every passenger happy. Typically, passengers who take the window seat get the luckiest when sleeping, as they can prop their pillow on the window, and it keeps their head steady.
For the rest of us who like the aisle or, in an unfortunate situation known as the middle seat, it’s a game of Tetris with our bodies.
The pillow is described as one that provides comfort even to those in the middle seat. It turns out BCozzy’s pillow is worth the investment. It kept my neck in a comfortable position that didn’t put any strain on my neck. I’ve used this on every trip since Australia and found that it’s also great for the airport when sitting at the gate waiting for your flight. You don’t have to push seats together at the airport for a makeshift bed with this pillow.
Miers Labs No Jet Lag Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy
One of the things I worried about the most was extreme jet lag. Australia is more than 15 hours ahead of what I’m used to. I have the jet lag app, but I wanted to make sure I was ready to go to work once I landed.
After some research, I purchased a natural remedy to help reduce the effects of jet lag that didn’t require sleeping pills.
I found that these helped with the tired and overall exhaustion feelings. Be sure to consult with your doctor before taking the pills.
HATALKIN 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station
Have you noticed that not every international flight seat has enough outlets for you to charge your devices? Often, two outlets have to be shared between three seats. To avoid that awkward interaction, I chose Hatalkin’s 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station for my phone, apple watch, and AirPods.
It also works excellent for Samsung products and is versatile when traveling.
PRETTYGARDEN Women’s Two Piece Outfit Sleeveless Crewneck Tops with Sweatpants
Traveling comfortably starts with what you wear. I prefer breathable loose clothing for hurrying in an airport during a connection. Having pieces that I can layer and remove quickly for fast bathroom breaks is important to me. I also want something that can mask any spills in case something spills on me when I’m stuck on a plane for 10+ hours.
This two-piece set is my go-to outfit for long flights because it fits nicely, goes with every shoe in my closet, from sneakers to sandals, and I can put my compression socks underneath without the creases being seen.
JMIERR Men’s 2 Piece Outfits Solid Color Cotton Pullover Sweatshirt Tracksuit & Joggers Sweatpants
Beister Medical Open Toe Thigh High Compression Stockings with Silicone Band
Going down a rabbit hole of research, I came across some scary instances of people claiming to have gotten DVT blood clots without any prior health issues or history. I didn’t want to take any chances. I asked a flight attendant on a previous flight what kind of compression socks she had purchased. She told me tights and thigh-high compression socks. The thigh high compressions were comfortable for a majority of the flight. When there were less than two hours left, my upper thighs were tired of them. I put them on before I arrived at the airport, so they stayed on and comfortable for at least 20 hours. My feet were comfortable, and I didn’t cramp as much in my feet and legs as I usually do
MZOO Sleep Eye Mask
These eye masks are worth the investment if you have room in your carry-on luggage.
Airlines often give passengers flying in premium economy or first class a pair of slippers and an eye mask, which made what felt like insufferable flights better. I purchased an eye mask with a built-in cushion ahead of time because I wasn’t sure I could upgrade. I was pleased with the comfort and how well the mask blocked out the lights and other distractions on the plane.
Stress-Free Coloring Book For Adults By Edith Reyes
I wanted something to do with my hands beyond playing games on my phone and reading a book. A friend of mine who is a therapist suggested an adult coloring book as I listen to music or a podcast. It initially felt childish and even silly, but I didn’t mind spending the $10 on Amazon. As travelers, we look forward to trying anything or at least most things once. I’m glad I did. Coloring, in a weird way, was therapeutic. At one point during the flight, I chuckled at how coloring had distracted me from the fact there were still seven hours to go.
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