10 Things I Always Do on the Plane to Land Feeling *Better* Than When I Boarded

As a bicoastal student, I’m no stranger to spending hours on a plane. On average, I fly over 20 times a year, mostly from home to school, but also during vacations. Flying from New York to California, my flights usually last around six hours, but when I studied abroad this year, they were as long as 12 hours. As much as I love traveling, it can also take such a toll on my sleep schedule and skincare routine, along with causing me anxiety (as a person who’s super afraid of flying).

Now that I’m in my third year of college, though, I’ve accrued some wisdom for ways to combat the discomforts that come with frequent plane travel, and I’ve also tapped my aunt, a former flight attendant, for some pro-level advice. From combatting any flight anxiety to preventing your skin from drying out, here are my 10 top tips for how to make your next flight so much better.

Once my luggage is packed, there are a few things I like to do the evening before flying: take an “everything shower” to feel clean throughout the trip, put my hair into tight braids to avoid tangling, and make sure my headphones are fully charged before I get to the airport. It might not seem like a lot, but trust me, missing one of these steps has seriously ruined some flights for me.

I always get so freaked out during takeoff: the loud rumbling noises, the jolt of the plane moving rapidly all of a sudden, and worst of all, the turbulence. That’s why, as soon as the plane starts to move, I like to distract myself by saying some affirmations. I always like to remind myself of how grateful I am to have the opportunity to travel, and that I know I’ll be safe as I have been on past flights. Doing this while taking deep breaths is a wonderful grounding exercise, and making this part of my routine every time I fly is extra comforting.

There’s no better feeling than seeing the snack cart finally approach your seat during a long flight, and when it finally arrives I like to know exactly what to order so that I don’t hold them up. My aunt, Naomi Diamantidis, who was a flight attendant for Qatar Airlines for five years, stresses the importance of “staying well hydrated by drinking lots of water.” That’s why I always ask for two beverages: a water, plus another drink of my choice. Flight attendants will normally be happy to serve you a cup of water alongside a separate drink.

For my second drink, I like to get a cup of English Breakfast tea, which is a usual option on the flights I’ve been on. I already experience a lot of flight anxiety, so I like to avoid coffee, which can add to my nerves. Not to mention, this tea is great to dunk a Biscoff cookie into.

For shorter flights, I love wearing under-eye patches while in the air, but for longer flights, my mom put me on to collagen face masks. I like to put mine on after the first round of snacks and drinks come by. I leave it on for the remainder of the flight so that my skin is nice and glowy after, even if I didn’t get a minute of sleep. Diamintidis suggests also bringing some travel-sized skincare items in your personal item so you can do a “little fresh-up before landing.” 

On red-eye flights, I’m always too tired to watch movies, but I can’t ever seem to fall asleep on a plane, so I opt for music instead. Having a wide variety of downloaded music makes every flight enjoyable because I’m not forced to listen to the same songs over and over again. Plus, the wifi on most flights can’t support streaming services, so you’ll be glad you downloaded your playlist before you boarded.

Even if you board the plane with full battery, chances are you’ll drain it a bit while listening to music or scrolling through old photos. So, be sure to bring a phone charger and get it back to 100% before you land. If your seat doesn’t have an outlet, you can also use a power bank to charge it throughout the flight. When you finally land, a fully-charged phone will help you figure out how to get from the airport to your destination. From my experience, it’s not fun coming off a solo flight with a phone that’s on 4% battery.

Diamantidis says she was required to wear stockings as a part of her flight attendant uniform, but she liked to wear compression stockings for better circulation. The graduated pressure of these stockings helps with blood flow and also reduces swelling in the legs.

I normally like to travel in comfortable sweats and UGGs, which isn’t clothing you’d normally pair with stockings. Luckily, you can opt for some compression socks instead, which are easy to throw on and have all of the same benefits. Bombas has some great everyday compression socks, and Maine Squeeze has some super fun knee highs.  

If you’re ever bored on a flight, one of the most productive things you can do is start deleting photos from your camera roll. Let’s face it, there’s probably a million screenshots and accidentally-taken photos taking up loads of space on your phone. Doing this on a flight especially helps me free up some storage before a vacation where I know I’ll be taking lots of pictures, but it’s also a useful way to spend some of those in-air hours. 

As a flight attendant, Diamantidis says she liked to walk as much as she could on long flights. When the seatbelt sign is off, passengers are given free access to walk around, but most people only take advantage of this to go to the bathroom. To release tension in your muscles and joints, take a stroll around your seat and move up and down the aisle or try some stretches from your seat. Plus, on bathroom breaks you can take advantage of the wider space and stretch a bit more so that you’re not sore or aching when you get off your flight. 

I hate looking at a screen for hours on end, so to give my eyes a break, I bring a physical book with me. As a college student, I have so much reading to do all of the time, and I never have the chance to get to the books I’ve been wanting to read on my own. Being on a plane finally gives me the excuse to get through my to-read list. The last book I brought on a flight was “Play It as It Lays” by Joan Didion, and I nearly finished the entire novel by the end of my flight. I completely recommend it if you’re into artistic literary fiction.