How to Feel Like You’re Flying First Class (When You’re Stuck in Economy)
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So you’re flying economy on a long-haul flight and you’re wondering how you’ll ever survive? I mean, a 9-hour flight cramped between two people you don’t know? Yikes.
It’s especially painful when you have to walk past those ultra-cool lie-flat seats at the front of the plane and you’re contemplate selling your right kidney to be able to sit there instead of 34B.
I’ve flown both economy class and business class many times on long-haul flights and I can tell you two things:
First, you’ll survive the economy seats; the trip is worth it. And second, you can make your economy class trip a heck of a lot better with a few tricks and tips.
I’m going to detail those below, and I hope these help you have a much more enjoyable flight:
STEP #1: CHOOSE THE NEWER PLANE
I’d say that 95% of travelers don’t think about this or even realize they have an option, but I highly recommend getting a little nerdy about the type of plane you’ll be flying on, especially if it’s a long-haul flight.
Newer planes like the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350 are much quieter, and the cabin air is more humid and pressurized. It’s a lot closer to what your body is used to, so you won’t feel completely dried out by the end of it.
Obviously, this isn’t always an option, but if you have the choice, choose a newer plane model.
Step #2: Pick Your Seat
I feel like airlines charging for seats should be illegal, but that’s a discussion for another day.
I want to start by saying that I understand if you’re traveling on a budget, it isn’t always convenient for your wallet to choose your seat. However, this is one of the cheapest upgrades you can do while still keeping costs low.
Choosing your seat beforehand costs anywhere from $20 to $60 one-way, and if that means you get to sit in an aisle seat rather than the middle row, that could save you from being ultra uncomfortable for 9 hours.
Maybe it’s just because I’m Minnesotan, but I find it incredibly awkward and uncomfortable to have to tap on my plane neighbor’s should while they are sound asleep and ask them to get up so I can go to the bathroom.. for the sixth time. Sorry man!
If you can hold your bladder more, and you’re looking to sleep throughout your flight, pay for a window seat. That also give you the option to use the wall of the plane as a place to rest your head.
PURCHASING SEATS PRO-TIP #1:
This will vary from person to person, but we always try to purchase seats near the back of the plane. Sure, that means we have to board the plane later and get off later, but we’ve found that the back of the plane is usually pretty empty on certain flights.
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been able to sprawl out in our own rows after all the passengers have boarded and there are rows of seats still unoccupied.
PURCHASING SEATS PRO-TIP #2:
If you’re traveling with another person, consider having one person purchase the window seat and one person purchase the aisle seat of the same row. Mike and I do this regularly, and there are many times where no one is put in the middle seat and we get the entire row to ourselves.
Step #3: Bring The Right Clothes
Of course you’re going to show up in your plane outfit, but I highly suggest packing a few extra outfits for the plane. Here’s how it will go:
- OUTFIT #1: This will depend on when you’re leaving your departure city, but I typically go to the bathroom as soon as I walk on the plane and put my things away. That’s when I change into outfit #1, my pajamas. I bring pajamas that could also double as cozy clothes so it doesn’t look too silly in public.
- OUTFIT #2: After I wake up or about 2 hours before we land, I go back to the bathroom and change into outfit #2, which is a clean set of clothes. It’s so nice to arrive in your destination and not feeling sticky or stinky.
- COMPRESSION SOCKS: When I was younger, I always thought compression socks were for older people in nursing homes. To be fair, that’s the only place I’d ever seen them used. It turns out, compression socks are the bees knees. I ALWAYS travel with compression socks, specifically after my ankles swelled to 10x their actual size on our 14 hour flight to Bali. Never again!
- SLIP-ON SHOES: As I mentioned above, it’s very common for your feet to swell if you’re sitting in the same position for hours at a time. Wear or bring slip on shoes that make it easy to give your feet relief while also allowing a quick exit to the bathroom when needed.
- BONUS: My bonus item is a sweater or sweatshirt that I can throw on if I get cold. I’m almost always cold, so this is helpful to have when the plane inevitably turns into a tundra (why do they do that??).
Keep all of your outfits in your carry-on bag or personal item. I try to keep all of these things together in one spot so I’m not shuffling through my bag on the plane.
STEP #4: MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE
Listen, I’m not even a make-up girly who cares that much about moisturizing in real life. But when you’re on a plane for 5+ hours, moisturizing in as many ways as possible will save your life.
Here are a few non-negotiables to pack:
LOTION
Try to pack a small, unscented bottle of lotion that will get through security (under 100ml or 3oz).
Why unscented? The scented kind will actually dry you out faster, and you don’t want to bother your neighbors with a scent they are uncomfortable with. My mom can’t do certain smells because it gives her a headache, so be conscious of your plane neighbors and yourself.
EYE DROPS
When you get off the plane and look like you are higher than a kite because your eyes are so red and dried out, you’ll wish you had brought eye drops.
I’m telling you, this is one of the most underrated things you can do on a long-haul flight whether you’re traveling in business class or economy.
FACE MOISTURIZER
Again, I hardly moisturize at home, which means I’m serious when I say that it’s vital on an airplane.
Test out a few facial moisturizers at home before you bring one on board to use; this will help you know whether or not your skin will react well to it or not.
LIP BALM
Have you ever started to panic because your lips are so dry and you have nothing to relieve them? You can’t see me, but I’m raising my hand right now.
Just like everything else, your lips will become dry on the plane, and cracked lips are the worst thing in the world. Pack a stick of lip balm and apply it preemptively so that your lips never get to the point of no return.
STEP #5: STAY HYDRATED
It’s no secret that planes are dry, hence the advice from step #4. So if you want to show up at your destination feeling amazing, you have to stay hydrated.
Here are a few tips and things to pack:
Water bottle
This is an easy one. Bring a large water bottle onto the plane with you and drink regularly.
I know many people who try not to drink while on a plane so they don’t have to go to the bathroom as much, but I highly discourage that because you’re going to get dehydrated quickly.
Drink water, stay hydrated.
SKIP ALCOHOL
On most long-haul flights they offer you free alcohol, but I’m telling you it’s not worth it. Alcohol is the fastest way to become dehydrated, especially at 40,000 feet in the air.
Drink water instead.
STEP #6: Stay Clean
If you have a specific routine at home, keep that going even on the plane. Here are a few things you should still do while on the plane:
BRUSH YOUR TEETH
Bring your toothbrush and a small travel-sized tube of toothpaste and brush your teeth in the bathroom before you go to sleep and after you wake up.
Please note, you should NOT use the water in the bathroom of the plane to brush your teeth. That water is not for drinking, and they have signs all over the bathroom warning people of this.
Instead, bring your water bottle into the bathroom and use that to wet your toothbrush and wash out your mouth.
USE SANITIZER
Planes have a lot of high-touch surfaces, so I recommend packing and using hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes whenever you can.
Mike personally hates hand sanitizer because it dries out his hands, which is why we also travel with lotion (see recommendation above).
STEP #7: GET COZY
You’ve probably heard a lot of the tips above already, so we’re moving on to the things that will make you feel like you’re traveling in luxury even if you’re flying economy.
NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES
Can I just say, the people who complain about crying babies on planes are some of the silliest people ever. Do they know they know they are in a public place, and do they know they can just bring noise-cancelling headphones?
Whether it’s a crying baby, a couple arguing, or a guy snoring next to you, your noise-cancelling headphones will take care of it for ya.
There are some really low-cost options on the market, so there’s no excuse not to have these!
HEADPHONES PRO-TIP: I always try to bring a pair of headphones that are NOT wireless, too. Most planes offer movies, but their personal TVs won’t connect through bluetooth to your ear buds.
Sure, they will give you complimentary headphones that work, but they are usually cheap and uncomfortable.
EAR PLUGS
Okay, so you don’t want to listen to music or podcasts the entire time you’re flying, but you still want peace and quiet, yeah?
Ear plugs are your best friend. Bring a pair and use them, and it’ll feel like you’re flying on that plane all by yourself.
EYE MASK
Mike is the king of eye masks; he wears one whether we’re on a plane or not. I typically skip them, except on planes.
Most airplanes decide your sleep schedule for you based on the setting of the lights. But with a sleep mask, you get to decide when it’s dark or light.
PILLOW
I highly recommend bringing a pillow on a long-haul flight, but which pillow you should bring depends entirely on how you like to sleep on planes.
For me, I lower the tray table, clean it off with my sanitizing wipes, and use that as a head rest, kind of like how I used to sleep in geometry class in high school ha! If you’re like me, I recommend a pillow that packs small, but bulks up after you release it. Here’s the pillow I use and love for plane rides:
If you can’t sleep like that (Mike can’t either), I recommend a neck pillow. There are so many variations of these pillows, but I suggest getting one that is bulky enough to fully support your neck. So many neck pillows just lay on your shoulders and that won’t do you any good.
LUMBAR SUPPORT
Economy seats destroy your lower back after about 90 minutes.. ask me how I know. If you’ve noticed that, an inflatable lumbar pillow packs down to nothing in your personal item and it’ll save you a lot of back pain.
If you don’t want to buy a support pillow, a cheaper version is to roll up a packing cube with a change of clothes in it and put it behind your lower back.
FOOT HAMMOCK
This is a fun one, and it’s something I didn’t know existed until I saw a plane neighbor using one.
Economy seats don’t have foot rests, and when your feet are just dangling there for hours because you’re short like me, it becomes uncomfortable quickly.
Foot hammocks attach to your tray table and give you the option to put your feet up whenever you want.
STEP #8: SETTLE YOUR STOMACH
SNACKS
I think we can all agree that airplane food in economy class is.. meh.
I’ve had good food in economy (shout out to Emirates), and I’ve had truly terrible food in economy (I’ll save the shout outs for positive acknowledgements).
And unfortunately, even on airlines you can “trust”, you really can’t trust the food. It could be great for one flight and not great for another. So my best recommendation is to pack your favorite snacks to munch on.
If that dinner or breakfast is awful, pull out a sleeve of your favorite crackers or Trader Joe treats.
BRING DRAMAMINE OR NECESSARY MEDS
I almost never get motion sickness, but I’ve been on several flights where the turbulence is so bad that even I feel nauseous.
Pack a few non-drowsy dramamine in your personal item just in case. You never know when they might come in handy.
You should also consider any meds that you take on a regular basis and whether you’ll need to take them during your flight. If it’s prescription medicine, make sure you pack your actual script, too, just in case.
STEP #9: STAY CONNECTED
Of course the goal of most vacations is to disconnect, but if you’re on a 9-hour flight, you’ll probably do anything it takes to pass the time. And what better way to pass the time than to stay connected on your devices.
Here are two things to think about in terms of technology:
POWER BANK
Most long-haul flights will provide an outlet to plug in your devices, but I’ve also flown on a few airlines that don’t and it was really surprising.
Running out of phone battery is always such a bummer, especially during travel, so bring a small power bank just in case.
FREE WIFI
I’d say the majority of airlines don’t offer free wifi, but I’ve found a handful of them that do. Free wifi is always nice because it gives you the ability to stay connected at 40,000+ feet.
The thing you need to remember is that most airlines that offer free wifi require you to have a loyalty account with them before boarding. These are completely free, so check before you get on the plane to see if this is an option and how you can prepare for it.
STEP #10: Trick Your Mind + BE PREPARED
BREAK YOUR FLIGHT INTO CHUNKS
When you think about a long-haul flight as a massive blob of time, let’s say it’s 9 hours, it can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Instead, chop up the time in your head. So for example, boarding and takeoff is one piece. Then you’re going to eat dinner and that’s another chunk of time. Then a movie. Then you have a sleep block of time. Then you wake up and eat breakfast and watch one more show, and that’s your second to last chunk of time. Once you’re landing, you’re basically there.
For me, this helps pass the time, and I can look at my flight as six segments rather than 9 or 10 hours of time.
Do a pre-landing reset
About an hour before your plane lands, it’s time to freshen up. This includes a lot of the things I mentioned above: brushing your teeth, washing your face, changing into another outfit, using moisturizer, etc.
This is your reset before getting off the plane, and you feel like a completely different person walking off, trust me on this.
STEP #11: Prepare For Jet Lag
It’s not always possible, but do your best to beat jet lag before it beats you.
What do I mean? Well, as soon as you get on your flight, set your watch to your destination’s time and start living on that time instead.
So, if it’s daytime there, you should be awake and active (or as active as you can be on a plane). If it’s nighttime there, you should be sleeping.
JET LAG PRO-TIP: If you’re really savvy, you can start this process a few days ahead of time at home. You don’t have to do it all at once either. You could move one hour closer to your destination’s time zone each day leading up to your trip.
STEP #12: KNOW YOUR ALTERNATIVES
Okay, now I wanted to include these tips because ultimately, you don’t need to settle for economy class. You do have options, but most travelers don’t know about them.
SCORE FREE BUSINESS CLASS WITH POINTS
This is the alternative Mike and I use the most, and you don’t need to be a crazy points lady to make this work (although I’ve recently gone down the rabbit hole with this and it’s a rabbit hole I’m loving haha).
Most travel credit cards offer a sign-up bonus for spending a certain amount in the first few months, and the bonus can absolutely be enough to book a business class seat to Europe or Asia.
We’ve flown business class to places we never would’ve paid cash for (because some of them are literally tens of thousands of dollars), just by putting our normal everyday spending on credit cards and hitting the bonus.
POINTS PRO-TIP: If you’re going to do the points thing, make sure you turn auto-pay ON for your credit cards so you don’t miss a payment. I also recommend only spending money on things you would spend money on anyways, otherwise it’s no longer “free”.
USE A STOPOVER PROGRAM
Some airlines will let you break up a long-haul flight with a free or cheap stopover in their hub city, and sometimes for several days. Airlines like Icelandair, Turkish Airlines, and Qatar Airways do this.
That way you won’t have to have a straight 10-hour flight, you can fly a shorter leg, get off and explore a new country for a couple days, then continue on to your final destination.
To be clear, this doesn’t make the flight more luxurious, but it takes a chunk of time off each individual leg, and you kinda get a free mini vacation out of it.
BOOK PREMIUM ECONOMY
Premium economy is usually NOT a good idea because most premium economy sections suck. But some airlines actually have great premium economy sections.
My recommendation is to do a little research about the airline and their class seating before booking your ticket. It’ll cost you about $150 to $300 more one-way, but you will likely get more legroom, a wider seat, and better food.
TAKE A CRUISE TO YOUR DESTINATION
Let’s say you are traveling from the US to Europe. If you have enough time, consider taking a Trans-Atlantic cruise instead of flying. Ticket prices are usually comparable to economy class flights, and you get free food, a bed to sleep in, and it’s only a 7-night excursion.
The Wrap-Up
So there you have it.. you’re still going to be in economy, and I’m not going to pretend a foot hammock turns 34B into a lie-flat seat. But it’s still better than suffering from dehydration, bright lights when you’re trying to sleep, and swollen ankles.
Now go enjoy the trip!
