How to Survive Long Flights Like a Travel Pro

So, okay, no one likes the airport. Pretty much every airport is a confusing maze where everything is overpriced and everyone is bumping into everyone else. It's kind of a nightmare. 

Like, literally, I've had nightmares about being at the airport. I find all the chairs a little intimidating. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMhPljlx6FU

But if we're going to travel, the airport and flying in a plane are necessary evils. So, let's talk about how to survive the airport and flying on long flights like a travel pro. 

Surviving the Dreaded Airport

There are some key things to keep in mind when it comes to staying comfortable on a long flight:

Number 1: What you're wearing. 

What you wear to the airport is about comfort. But style always matters, too.

I said it before and I'll say it for ever: please do not wear your pajamas to the airport. I shouldn't have to explain why. 

There are lots of comfortable clothes out there that look nice and feel nice to wear. I like a lightweight, breathable pair of pants and a T-shirt, a blouse with a jacket or a maxi dress with a pashmina. 

You can go with a tracksuit if you have to but choose a cute one. Jeans are okay but you can get sweaty in jeans, so I don't think they're ideal for long flights because they aren't great to sleep in.

Number 2: What you pack. 

This is especially important because you don't want to have trouble with security but you also need some items to be fully comfortable for the duration of your flight time and your airport time.

You aren't allowed to bring any liquids over 4 ounces and every bottle with liquid that you bring has to fit inside a 1 quart bag. This goes for all gels, lotions, pastes, creams and salves. 

You aren't allowed to bring aerosols at all. 

These restrictions make it tricky, because you don't want to be on a long plane ride and not be able to clean yourself up. Especially when trying to clean up in a plane bathroom or airport bathroom is not great no matter what. 

I have some recommendations. I bring wipes. Deodorizing body wipes, make up remover wipes and hand wipes will help you stay clean and feel fresh. 

It's a lot easier than trying to bring soap and use water from a sink because then, you also have to bring washcloths. Flushable wipes break down like paper, so they're not bad for the environment if you're worried about that. 

Some larger airports do have full on showers. If you have a long layover somewhere or there is a large gap between the time your plane lands and your hotel check in time, you might want to use these facilities but you will be charged to use them. 

They aren't free. The sink in the bathroom is free. I'm just saying.

Pack your carry on luggage carefully and make sure you have all the stuff you need to clean up and spruce yourself up without going over the liquid rule. 

Remember your toothbrush and a small bottle of mouthwash  because you will want it. If you wear contacts, bring a spare case and a small bottle of solution. 

Don't forget anything you need for your hair, like dry shampoo or other products. 

And bring lotion. The air on planes is very dry, so bring body lotion and face lotion and something for your lips, like Vaseline or Chapstick. 

Keep your makeup bag in your carry on as well, because you will want it.

And my advice is to put all your bottles with liquid or lotions or gels or pastes in them inside a watertight plastic bag. This is to avoid bottles leaking or popping open. You do not want your lotion to get all over your other stuff in your bag.

Bring a pair of extra socks and extra underwear and one extra T-shirt right in your carry on, just in case. If you feel dirty and gross, having fresh items really helps and if you get something on your shirt ahead of a 14 hour flight, you're going to be grumpy. So always have a spare with you. 

Number 3: Snacks and drinks. 

Food is always a matter of great concern to me, so I've put in a lot of research when it comes to food on planes and in airports. And if you're like me, you want a drink and a snack no matter how long your flight is or isn't. 

And if you're like me, if you're on a long flight then you want multiple meals and snacks and drinks. 

Here are the issues: airlines like to charge for everything, the food they offer is typically no good and you'll go broke pretty quickly if you buy a bunch of food at the airport. 

Luckily, I'm just a little bit obsessive, in a totally healthy way, and I have put the power of my over analytical mind to work when it comes to eating at the airport and on planes. So, I can tell you how to feast like a medieval monarch while you travel. 

I do mean that literally, because they didn't have much access to utensils and processed foods and when you're flying somewhere, you won't either. 

History always looks more glamorous on TV. Those people mostly ate with their hands and they didn't have a lot of condiments…and that's what your situation is going to be like, too. 

You could drive yourself insane trying to look up individual food items and figure out if the TSA is going to let you have them. I'm going to make it super easy for you: 

You are only allowed to bring solid food. If it spreads, if It drips, if it oozes, if It leaks, if it gloops or if it smears, you can't bring it. 

So if you want to bring yourself a sandwich, you can't bring things like mayonnaise or mustard or ketchup, because those are all liquidy. 

You can bring a sandwich that is pre assembled that already has condiments on it but if you're a big sandwich eater like me, you know that doesn't work. 

You put mayo on a sandwich and eat it later and the sandwich gets all soggy and it's gross. So, maybe you think to yourself that you'll be clever and bring something like egg salad. No you won't, because that's not solid. 

It gets tricky when you're trying to eat on a plane. This is why we need this information. 

Fruit, chips, crackers, protein bars, all this is fine. You can bring a salad without dressing or even complete cooked meals, as long as they are in a closed container. 

But what about beverages? This is where they try to get you.

I get thrilled when I see a beverage cart headed my way, because the dry air on planes makes me feel parched. 

But this is a rare enough occurrence, especially on long flights. I suggest that you bring an empty water bottle. 

I use a soft plastic collapsible bottle that packs easily. You can ask them to fill it for you once you're on the plane, but empty the bottle before you go through security because they will make you if you don't.  

You will get thirsty on long flights and they will charge you for a soda, so bring your own bottle and avoid paying three times as much as you should.

That brings me to 

Number 4: Sitting at the airport

You're supposed to get to the airport two hours early for domestic flights, which means inside your own country, and three hours for international flights. 

Most of the time, unless things are just out of control, that means you're going to be sitting. 

There are things to do at the airport. You will find lots of shopping and eating places at most airports. Everything is overpriced. 

So if you're a budget traveler, that leaves you with the option of sitting around and waiting for your flight or walking around the airport to take in the sights. Neither of these is super fun. 

There is another option. Big airports also often have special VIP lounge areas. These are little exclusive areas that regular travelers can't access.

But we aren't regular. I was determined to crack this VIP lounge thing as soon as I started traveling, and I did.

 And so can you. 

All you need is a credit card. The thing is, you're going to need a specific credit card. There are a lot of them out there but what you want to look for as a budget traveler narrows down the list considerably. 

• One, you want a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. Regular credit cards will charge you for exchanging currency from your home currency into the currency of the country where you are using the card, so you want one that doesn't. 

• Two, no annual fee. A lot of credit cards that have annual fees give you great perks, including access to lounges. But I'm not going to pay an annual fee for a credit card and I don't think you should, either. 

There are credit cards with no annual fee, no foreign currency charges and access to airport lounges all over the world. I have one through US Bank, so I know they're out there.

Some of these lounges offer food, access to shower facilities, maybe even spa services and no, I'm not joking. My credit card in Philadelphia will get me a massage.

The lounges also provide a nice place to sit and wait, so I do recommend seeking out a card that has perks like this, no matter how many trips you're going to take. 

The airport is never easy, no matter how many trips you take. But the better you pack and prepare, the easier it will be to suffer through it. Now, you're ready to challenge yourself to have a much better time at the airport than ever before.

Now, Voyager, sail forth to seek and find...and try these tips for yourself!