5 Things To Bring On A Plane For Maximum Comfort

I am a travel junkie… at least as much as my bank account allows me to be. And I travel cheap, I’m taking middle seat coach with multiple flights and long layovers kind of cheap, whatever it takes to afford the ticket. That being said, no one likes spending an 8 hour flight being uncomfortable, or a whole day of traveling feeling like they haven’t showered in a month. So to help balance out these two factors, I have developed the art of affordable yet somewhat bearable travel. Here are my 5 items I have to have for my less than luxurious plane rides.

Adjustable shoes- I don’t know the science behind it, but something about flying makes my feet swell up like crazy and I know I am not the only one. There is nothing more uncomfortable than swollen feet pressing against restrictive shoes, and I am way too much of a germ-a-phobic to wear sandals through an airport, so I always wear shoes that are easy to adjust. Mostly I go for tennis shoes that I have loosened beforehand, because you basically have to be a contortionist to reach your feet during flight without having your head in the stranger’s lap next to you.

Hoodie or Sweater- I’ll be honest, I have used those airplane blankets when I have forgotten to pack my oversized sweater, but they kind of suck. I want to be warm when those airlines crank up the A/C mid-flight, and a paper-thin “blanket” just doesn’t cut it, so do yourself a favor and throw your favorite comfy pullover in your carry-on.

Eye-mask/ear plugs- The more I travel, the more I make sure I have these items with me. I wish I was one of those people who could fall asleep anywhere anytime, but I’m not. I need darkness and quite to even have a chance of logging some zzz’s, so these items are dear to me on the red-eye flights. Also there is nothing better than falling asleep at take-off and waking up when the flight attendant tells you to prepare for landing… it’s literally magical.

Joggers/leggings/sweatpants/whatever- Unless I am catching an hour flight from Seattle to Portland, I could care less about how I look when I travel. I use to care, but that’s dead and gone, and in its place is the blessing that is joggers. I don’t travel in jeans, you can’t make me. There is nothing worse than trying to get comfortable in skin-tight jeans during a long flight, so just don’t try, wear pants you can actually sit in for long periods of time, and your travel self will thank you.

Snacks- I am a foodie… so I travel with snacks. I have honestly been stopped at airport security and had my carry-on searched because of the amount of trail-mix in it, but I have no shame. If you want to enjoy your travel experience as much as possible, you probably don’t want to be starving for the duration of your flight and those in-flight meals are often either gross or expensive, or both. So bring you food with you, you will like it better than whatever they are serving and your pocketbook and stomach will be happier.

However far away your next destination is, get there comfortably.