Traveling by airplane isn’t always the most comfortable situation in the world. Unless you’re flying business or first class, then the chances of you being cramped up in a tiny seat - or even worse, being stuck in the middle seat are pretty likely to happen.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take steps to make your journey a little more comfortable by bringing things along with you to make the time go faster or just help you get some rest.

So, here are some of our top tips for things that you should always consider packing in your hand luggage for a long flight.

Wipes:

Airplanes, are one of the biggest bacteria hotbeds around and although they’re supposed to be cleaned before and after every new flight, you’ll probably realize that given how they start boarding people onto a flight as soon as the people from before have gotten off, there’s really not much time for a proper cleaning, so although the crew will go around and pick up the mess that previous passengers have been too lazy to pick up after themselves, they really don’t have time to clean the plane properly.

So, although it’s not a perfect solution, making sure you bring things like some anti-bacterial wipes for using on your seat back screen and tray table is a good idea because you never know who’s been touching it before you and whether or not they washed their hands after using the bathroom.

Other wipes such as face wipes for removing make-up and just for freshening up a bit after a long flight are also nice to bring and will fit easily in your hand luggage.

Noise cancelling headphones:

Planes are loud, and even though on long flights the cabin lights will be dimmed to encourage people to sleep, not everyone will. There’s always going to be some noise on a plane, whether it’s people talking, children who are crying or simply just the noise of the engines or the seatbelt sign going on and off, if you’re looking to get some sleep, then a good idea is to bring some noise cancelling headphones with you to drown out the background noise as they really do make a big difference.

Medications you might need:

Due to security measures at airports and laws in certain countries, there are always going to be some restrictions on medications. However, when you need prescription medications, then you should always bring a note from your doctor explaining the need for them.

However, in cases where it’s just things like allergy medications, pain relief if you get headaches when flying, or even tablets to help with Relief for Diarrhoea and wind, then you can typically bring these in your hand luggage without problems and if you think you’re going to need something like that, then it’s a good idea to bring them anyway.

Snacks:

Again, there are restrictions around things like liquids and perishable products when flying, but if you’re going to be on a long flight or even having layovers, you know that food in airports and especially on planes is not the best and can be expensive if you’re buying food in the airport.

Most foods can actually be taken through security, especially if they’re dry and unopened and contain less than 100ml of liquids. So you can bring things like sandwiches, crackers, chips and chocolate and even some fruits. The only thing to make sure of is that you either finish and dispose of them before entering the new country or if you still have them, then make sure to declare them when passing through customs because some countries will impose a fine even for not declaring something as simple as a banana, and these fines are not cheap.

Entertainment:

Although airplanes traveling on long haul routes have seat back TV screens with a selection of movies and shows to watch, they’re not always the best and may be a bit outdated as well. So if you’re not really into watching TV or would prefer to bring your own movie selection along, then bring along an iPad with movies on it or some books and music to keep you busy.

Eye-mask:

If you’re planning to get some sleep on a flight during the day, then an eye-mask is a good idea to bring along with you. They’re so light and small that they’ll fit in all carry on bags, but they’re absolutely worth investing some money in a good one because they basically then work like blackout curtains, and when used along with your noise cancelling headphones or earbuds and a good neck pillow, you can get a pretty decent sleep on the plane.