How To Survive A Long-Haul Flight With Your Sanity – And Skincare Regime – Intact

If you want to know how to survive a long-haul flight, the best thing to do is ask an Australian. As any Aussie with a few stamps in their passport will tell you, even a quick jaunt to Bali requires a decent number of hours in a plane seat. And if you're interested in making your way to Europe or the US? Well strap yourself in, we've got an endurance event on our hands.

As an Australian living in London, long flights are just a fact of life. I've finished flights feeling like a shell of my former self but have also miraculously disembarked feeling relatively human, so with a lot of hours in an economy seat under my belt, I feel uniquely qualified to share my go-to long-haul flight tips so you can make it through your next big flight.

When it comes to long-haul dressing, it's all about comfort and layers

As far as I'm concerned, nobody does airport style quite like Rosie Huntington-Whitely, who has managed to step off an aircraft looking more put together than I have at any point in my adult life. But while I used to aspire to images of celebrities looking effortlessly put together after a big flight with envy, I've now given up. Well not given up per se, but recognised that leather trousers probably aren't the way to go and focussed my attention on more breathable fabrics.

I used to try and look smart enough that the staff manning the check in counter might take pity on me and bump me up to Business, but sadly, at the time of writing, this has never happened. With no flat beds in my future (but four long-haul trips on the horizon between now and the end of the year to prepare for) my mid-air fashion is more Pilates at 10 than First Class Lounge and I'm all about active wear and stretchy sneakers as my feet tend to swell when I'm in the air (the glamour!)

One of the trickiest things about dressing for a long period in an economy seat is temperature control. On my last journey, I needed a coat for my journey from my London Flat to Heathrow, something light enough underneath so I wouldn't combust when I stepped off in a sticky Singapore at the halfway point and something to cover all the bases when it comes to an Aussie Spring where you don't know what you're in for weather wise. The answer? Layers. A scarf that doubles as a blanket if the one provided doesn't quite covered. A jumper to keep you cosy and comfortable (or use as an extra pillow if you're getting too hot) when you know the next time you'll see a bed is still a good ten hours away. And finally: the ever essential compression socks.

Make sure your cabin baggage has everything you need

Think about everything you might need in a 24 hour time period then write it down. Whether it's medication or dry shampoo (just keep it under 100ml) or the teddy bear you still can't sleep without - you'll want to make sure it's easily accessible and not stuck in the hold. My non-negotiables are a change of clothes (which you'll be particularly grateful for if your checked-in baggage happens to go missing), any medication I might need (always pack the Imodium just in case), a toothbrush and toothpaste just in case they're not provided by the airline, chargers and international adaptors and all the tech I might need to keep me entertained while in transit.

Embrace the accessories

It took me a lot of hours in the air (and a few more scouring Amazon reviews) before I finally succumbed and purchased a travel pillow. yes, they can be bulky and annoying to drag around an airport, but they're absolutely essential to getting some shut-eye. If you can, I would also recommend you invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. And don't forget a sleeping mask.

The name of the game: Operation Hydration

Let's not kid ourselves, everyone loves free booze. But one of the best pieces of travel advice I have ever received was to skip the complimentary wines and stick to the waters. Boring? Yes. Necessary? Sadly so. And it's not just your body you need to keep hydrated - it's important to make sure your carry-on skincare game is up to the challenge.

'Air travel (especially long-haul) wreaks havoc on the skin primarily because of the low humidity of the cabin air, leading to dry, tight skin,' cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting told Grazia in 2017, recommending you take your make-up off once you're settled on board.

With the cabin pressure drying my skin out faster than I can fill out a landing card, I dedicate the bulk of my little plastic liquids bag to some skincare MVPs, such as the Transformazing sheet masks from cult A Beauty brand Go-To. If you're not quite game enough to pop on a sheet mask in public, try slathering your skin in Clinique's Moisture Surge Overnight Mask for an intense hydration.

Keep your stopovers as short as possible

Ah, the advice I wish I had taken. One long-haul flight is bad enough. But spending eight hours in an airport and then getting on another plane? Torture. Sure, a longer layover might help to keep the cost of the flights down but you will pay for it in sleep deprivation and misery. If a lengthy layover can't be avoided, get prepared before hand and take a look at what pay-per-use lounges are available so you can freshen up or sneak a nap in before the second leg of your journey.

Switch the time on your devices the moment you get on the plane

This is one of the best ways to trick your body into embracing your new time zone and warding off jet lag after you've arrived. It's all well and good to keep saying 'but it's only 11am in London!' but that's not going to be helpful when it's 2am at your destination and you're stressed that you can't get back to sleep.

Once you've landed, stay awake

When you're trying to beat jet lag, half the battle comes after you have collected your bags and cleared customs. Mid-flight naps are hard to come by and deep sleep is more or less off the table while you're in transit, so I set myself a rule: when I'm in the air, I'm allowed to sleep for as long or as little as I want. But once I've landed, I have to stay up until it's an appropriate time to head to bed.

Yes, this means you'll generally feel like you've been hit by a truck for most of your new day in your destination, but believe me, it's worth pushing through for the pay off. Nobody wants to spend the bulk of their holiday battling jet lag and sticking to a destination appropriate bedtime routine and resisting the urge to nap come midday will help cut it down.

And when you do finally get to go to sleep? Make sure your devices aren't by the bed. Set an alarm and keep your phone well away from your bed so you don't get sucked into a two hour scrolling session when you inevitably wake up in the middle of the night.