This Frequent Globe Trotter’s Travel Tips Are Clutch For Surviving Long Flights Without Miserable Jet Lag

Business class, cabin view, luxury

iStockphoto / Fabian Gysel


Jet lag is straight up the worst. We tend to think of jet lag as something that really only affects us when we’re flying overseas but I’ll tell you that I recently experienced worse jet lag on an early morning flight from Florida to Las Vegas than I did on a flight last month from Miami to Barcelona.

There are so many factors to consider when traveling if you’re looking for the optimal experience. Everything from the beverage you’re drinking, snacks you’re eating, sleep patterns, supplements, and what you watch, read, or listen to.

Twitter user @KhanStopMe is a regular international traveler and he recently created a Twitter Moments thread that succinctly breaks down all of the *most important* factors to consider when traveling on a long flight. If you’ve got any trips coming up, be sure to bookmark this:

Checking bags can be fine if you’re going on a really long trip but if you can get away with stuffing everything into your carry-on and personal item then you 100% should. There is NOTHING worse than being stuck somewhere unfamiliar and all of your luggage is lost.

If you can survive 6-10 hours of just audiobooks and naps, more power to you. I have to watch TV or movies. I load up on lip balm though.

I *always* forget to ask for upgrades. Mostly because I’m cheap when it comes to flying. For some reason, I always expect that the person at the counter will ask me if I want one and they never do. But this is a great tip. That difference of $50-$150 for 12 hours of pure luxury versus stuck in a sardine can will make or break your trip. The noise-canceling headphones tip should be the #1 tip on every travel hacks list on the planet at this point.

Wipes for the table at your seat is a very good tip. Those things are beyond disgusting. Just think about how many gross things you’ve seen happen on a plane before. Bringing your own orange juice? That sounds like overkill.

Get a jacket with a zipper pocket somewhere and keep your passport in that zipped-up pocket the entire time you travel. Keep it in one place and you’ll never worry about where it is at the last minute. Also, toss a pen in your backpack so you can fill out necessary forms before you get to customs and immigration.

I had a duffel bag blow out on me in the Miami airport two summers ago and I cannot even begin to tell you how fucking annoying that was. Buy good bags, bags that will last. If your bag is falling apart, get a new one. You’ll never regret this.

Some other Twitter users chimed in with tips of their own:

I’m not sure that bringing your own oatmeal on a flight is normal, to be honest.

I guess I’d add that you should make sure to load up on Netflix and Amazon Prime downloads before you get on a plane. Always make sure you have some sort of Mophie external battery to juice up your gadgets if the battery runs low. Be sure to bring the chord that connects your wireless headphones to a plug-in because I always forget that one. And try not to load up on coffee, you’ll be dehydrated by the end of the flight for sure.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.