Tips For Long Haul Flights - How To Dress Comfortably

Posted May 6, 2009 by BookingBuddy

Flying long haul - either for business or pleasure - is a fairly common occurrence these days. Since long haul flights are usually defined as trips that last at least seven hours, you’ll be buckling yourself up into that tin can for a long time. The top priority for most people is often to be as comfortable as possible. Here at BookingBuddy, we’re starting a new series of tips on how to get through that long haul flight and arrive with your sanity intact. This week, we focus on dressing tips.

First of all, wear comfortable clothes. That may sound obvious, but beware, there’s a very fine line between ‘comfortable’ and ‘sloppy’. The glamourous early days of dressing up for a flight may be long over, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put some effort in. After all, a plane is still a public space, and as with most public spaces, you’re expected to put some effort into how you dress.

If you’re hoping for a seat upgrade, dressing better will also improve your chances of being bumped up, as flight crews will often select people based on the image they project. You may be tempted to wear that baby pink Juicy Couture terry-towelling tracksuit, but please, ask yourself if you really want the word ‘Juicy’ slathered over your backside. Instead, why not wear some loose fitting cotton trousers? Loose cotton clothing helps with your circulation (very important on a long haul flight), and lets your skin breathe, so that you do not leave the plane with bad body odour.

On a related note, try not to wear tight shoes or heels while inflight. Your feet tend to swell because of the air pressure, and tight shoes tend to add to the discomfort. Choose a pair of chic, flat shoes that you can easily put on and remove, so that you can remove them once you’re in the air. Taking your belt off will also increase your comfort level, as inflight bloat may cause the belt to bite into you.

When dressing for long haul, keep the ‘onion principal’ in mind – that is, wear lots of light layers that you can take off easily. The temperature in the plane tends to fluctuate, especially over a long flight. Pick clothes that can be easily put on or taken off should the temperature get too hot or cold. A pashmina also works as an extra blanket and is lightweight enough to be carried in hand baggage.

Some passengers even pack two sets of clothing – one set to wear while checking in, and a second set to change into for the duration of the flight. While a good idea in theory, that may not always be practical, since it requires you to pack more into your hand luggage. You may also need to exit the plane due to technical problems, after you’ve changed into your jammies. If you’re wearing reasonably loose cotton trousers and a t-shirt anyway, you can always skip this step.

So, those are a few tips for getting through a long haul flight as comfortably as possible, but I’m sure there are many more of you out there with your own suggestions. I’d love to hear from you, please leave your ideas in the ‘comments’ section.

(Photo: travel.msn.co.nz)

Categories: Travel Tips