How to Survive a 14 Hour Flight

Hey guys! Ever been so excited to go on a vacation, but dreaded the plane ride? Even an hour long flight can be a pain. But 14 hours? Yep, thats what I did last Thursday. I do one every summer to head back home, and I've come up with a few travel-hacks over the years. Okay, maybe not a few. More like... 50. But most are either tested and approved by me or scientifically proven.

First, the worst part about plane rides. Airplane food. Just thinking about airplane food makes me disgusted. Well, if you hate airplane food, you're certainly not alone because airplane food is scientifically guaranteed to be gross. When you're that high up in the air, your taste buds are weakened and change a lot. So science has come up with what foods to order, bring, and eat on the flight.

So I've come up with some things to take on planes to give you the energy you need.

-granola bars

-dry cereal

-candy/gum

-trail mix

-carrots

-popcorn

-granola

-beef jerky

-chips

-cheese and crackers

-chocolate covered fruit/pretzels

-trail mix

-nutrition bars

-fruits and veggies such as grapes, apples, carrots, bananas, oranges, and watermelon

-dried fruit

Be sure to order rice, chicken, and curry, instead of things like pasta, beef, and pork. Also, try to stay away from airplane snacks. They're often filled with sugar and caffeine that can disrupt your sleep schedule.

Next time you fly, keep these travel-hacks in mind.

Ask for a meal anyways. It may be gross, but there is normally bread, fruits or veggies, or some plain rice to keep you from starving.

Bring an empty water bottle. At airports, water bottles are expensive, just like snacks. Bring your own to fill up after security.

Keep your laptop in an easy-to-access place. That way you can whip it out for security and shove it off your tray table when the food comes around.

Make your luggage noticeable. Sure, you might not be able to afford a new crazy-colored suitcase, but a colorful ribbon or scarf around the handle can make you bag easy to spot once you land.

In security/check in, use the stand farthest to the left. Most people are right-handed, resulting in them turning to the right. Chose the left to skip the lines.

Bring a jacket, scarf, socks, or whatever you need to keep you warm. 99% of the time planes are freezing. Make sure to pack a sweatshirt to avoid the goosebumps next time.

Wear slip-on shoes. They're easier to take off quick through security and once your on the flight. They're also easy to put on for bathroom trips on the plane.

Don't forget to speak up. If its your birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, anything, tell the flight attendant. Once we flew on my sisters birthday and a flight attendant gave our whole family (of six at the time) ice cream and sang happy birthday. They might even give you a free seat upgrade.

Pay the extra for a membership at the lounge. They are sooooo nice and always have snacks/drinks. You can even rent a private family room complete with free Wifi and a TV.

Wear heavy clothing. Nervous about your bag being overweight? Wear the heaviest clothing item you have to reduce stress.

Wear comfy clothes. No need to dress up, sweatpants and a t-shirt will do. Yoga pants and a workout shirt are my go-to for any flight. Wear the closest clothes you have to pajamas–but no bunny slippers.

Always check for free Wifi. There won't always be, but sometimes airports don't advertise their wifi.

Wear your glasses. Much like your skin, your eyes get dry in high altitude. Wear your glasses instead to avoid pain and make sleeping easier on your eyes. If needed, you can always pop in your contacts when you land.

Bring hand sanitizer and wet wipes. Airports and airplanes are dirty and full of germs. Trust me, you'll be thanking me when you don't get the flu on your vacation.

Bring earplugs, noise canceling headphones, and a eye mask. That way the light and noise on the plane don't disrupt your beauty sleep.

Take photos of your parking space. That way when you land back home you can find your car, no fuss.

Take everything out of your pockets before you reach security. That way you're not that annoying person who spends hours at security.

Hydrate. Drink water. Enough said.

Hydrate your skin, too. High altitude can result in dry skin. Moisturize before you leave for the airport and bring along travel-sized lotion and lip balm.

Buy the seat you like. Window, isle, whatever you prefer. If you can't chose your seat till you get there, get to check in early.

Don't overpack you carry on. Leave what you won't need on the plane in your checked bag. That way you won't take hours to go through security.

Bring your own blanket/pillow. I don't know about you, but my idea of cozy-ing up on a plane doesn't involve a blanket some stranger has slept with. And the airplane blankets/pillows always smell bad.

Buckle your seatbelt over your blanket. That way during turbulence/landing flight attendants won't need to wake you up.

Make a packing list beforehand. That way you don't forget anything. Check off the list as you go.

For long flights, bring a change of clothes. Just incase your luggage gets lost or your clothes get dirty.

Buy a travel pillow. Or any pillow that is comfy to sleep on in a plane.

Tire yourself the night before. Don't sleep as much as normal so you're more tired when you are on the plane.

Workout or do yoga before the flight. You'll be sitting still for a while, and it'll tire you out beforehand.

Walk around the airport instead of sitting at your gate. Again, you'll be sitting down for a while, so get moving while you can.

Use your carry-on as a footrest. While on the plane, elevate your feet for some extra comfort.

Board the plane last. Whats the rush? It's just extra to sit longer.

While on the plane, keep your blood moving. Try some of these simple movements that you can do on the plane.

-Elevate then rotate your feet in circles

-Set your heels on the floor, toes to the sky, then switch: toes to the floor, heels to the sky. Repeat a few times.

-Bend forward slightly then hold your knee to your chest for 15 seconds, then switch.

-Roll your shoulders around.

-Roll your neck around.

-Bend forward so your chest touches your knees. Get back up then repeat.

-Every now and then, get up for a walk around the aisles

SPACE SAVERS:

Tips for when your bag doesn't fit all you need.

- Take advantage of every little pocket. Nothing should be left empty.

- Large gum containers don't fit? Put them into a little mint container instead.

- Download your favorite books on Kindle/eBooks/etc instead of bringing a huge pile of books.

- Don't bring what you don't need. Can't figure out if you'll use it or not? Come up with three scenarios where you use the item. If you can't, you don't need it.

What's in my carry on:

-Gum/candy/snacks

-Kindle

-Laptop/phone

-DVD's and DVD player

-Simple toiletries (including toothbrush and toothpaste, hair ties, lip balm, etc.)

-Bullet journal & pens

-Headphones

-Notebook

-Jacket

-Empty water bottle

Make sure to keep this tips in mind next time you're headed out on a vacation to keep your flight the best it can be.

♡Eliza