I had been a while since I had to get a long haul anywhere, but my recent 17 hour jaunt to Bali has reminded me how much you actually need to prepare for a long flight, let alone a long haul holiday.
As a plus size woman, flights are uncomfortable no matter how long they are, however there were so many things that I forgot on the outgoing flight, that I MADE SURE I remembered on the way back as I didn’t want to be an uncomfy mess (again).
Now that I’ve had a little bit of a refresher of what a long haul flight is like, I thought I’d share some of my best tips with you.
? Pack Your Own Snacks
If you’re one of the lucky ones, you might end up with some INCREDIBLE plane food. It’s not impossible, but 90% of the time you’ll end up with a meal where you only like a small portion of what is to offer, which is exactly what happened to me on the way to Bali.
I wish I had known in advance to pack my own snacks as there were times where I was absolutely starving with absolutely no food in sight, especially as I didn’t like the lunch they provided at all.
100% going to be taking my own snacks on long haul from now on, even if I have to pay extortionate prices for them at the airport…
? Wear Comfortable Clothes
What you wear is so important to how comfortable you are during your flight, so I wouldn’t recommend throwing on your jeans, heels and a fancy shirt. I decided to go with leggings, a baggy top and some trainers and I couldn’t have been more comfortable.
You get practical outfits like this at places like Dorothy Perkins (https://www.groupon.co.uk/discount-codes/shops/dorothyperkins.com), Yours Clothing or New Look, or if you’re like me, you’ll get the biggest possible things from Primark to save on holidays spends.
?? Go Barefaced and Moisturise Regularly
It’s not often I’ll leave the house without a little bit of makeup on, but during my outbound flight to Bali the air conditioning made my foundation dry my face out loads. As I had no moisturiser with me I found myself going to the toilet to splash my face every so often, which didn’t really do much help.
Packing a hand luggage size moisturiser, lip balm and hand cream is so so so important if you don’t want to be irritated by dry skin before you even arrive at your destination.
?? Pack Hand Sanitiser
Similarly to above, I felt the need to wash my hands quite a lot on my flight but didn’t always want to wait in the queue for the toilets. Hand sanitiser was the perfect remedy for this!
? Drink Lots of Water
This is so important when on a long haul flight as the air con makes you feel much more dehydrated than normal. I lost count of how many times I pressed the button to ask for a glass of water, but it was so uncomfortable when I wasn’t constantly drinking it (especially as on the way out I was just getting rid of strep throat).
? Sit in an Aisle Seat
As a plus size traveller I always find a flight uncomfortable, but thankfully long haul flights have a *little* bit more leg room. Still, after a couple of hours in the same place it can become incredibly painful and cramped. My best advice is to sit in the aisle seat as you won’t feel as trapped as you would in the middle or at the window, no matter how pretty the views are….
✈️ Ask for a Seat Belt Extender If Your Need One (Or Take Your Own!)
As much as I hate asking for a seat belt extender, if you’re on a long haul flight and you’re feeling a little bit restricted, it’s probably much better to ask for one. You never know when you’ll need to refasten it for turbulence…
I’ve definitely learnt my lesson for next time…
Kirsty Leanne
xoxo
