✈️ Comfort > Chaos: My Long Haul Flight Prep Routine

Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection of travel tips and personal stories by me, Allie→ because you’re meant to experience meaningful travel no matter life’s constraints 👊🏽

Let’s dive in.

✈︎ Travel Story

✈️ Surviving Long-Haul Flights: Tips for a Comfortable Journey

Almost 4 weeks ago we came off a 13+ hour long-haul flight with our 2 kids. It was a flight that I had been dreading for weeks prior as

1) I don’t like flying

and

2) I don’t like flying with kids.

Long hauls can be daunting, and I’m not going to lie and say you can simply follow these tips and arrive feeling as fresh as a flower. But, here are a few things that we did to make our flight, and arrival a bit better.

🛋️ Leverage Lounge Access with Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X card is my MVP card 🙌. With this card our family gets complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and over +1000 Priority Pass lounges around the world. Arriving to these lounges before or during a travel day is like waking up as a 5 year old on Christmas morning, each and every time. It’s seriously elevates every single travel day.

 💺Pick your seats ahead of time

We rarely will pay for seats ahead of time, in fact, I don’t remember ever having paid. But on a long haul flight I will ALWAYS pick our seats ahead of time during the allotted timeframe when it’s free to do so. We SCORED big on this with 2 full center rows to ourselves 🙌 That meant BOTH kids could sleep totally horizontal during the night.

🎒 Pack Smart for Comfort

I’m notorious for setting up my kids’ comfortable and completely neglecting myself. Hm, welcome to motherhood. But seriously, if the kids aren’t set up, there is no relaxing for me. So, while the list below is essential, in reality, all of these things are going to my kids 🙄

• Eye Mask and Earplugs: Block out light and noise to help you sleep. Geo swears by this one and these.

• Compression Socks: Improve circulation during long periods of sitting.

• Hydration: Carry a refillable water bottle and stay hydrated- my fav for anywhere we travel!

• Snacks: Pack healthy snacks to keep your energy levels up.​

• Footwear: Our go-to on the plane, then simply toss in the washing machine!

😴 Prioritize Sleep Over Screen Time

I don’t know why, but whenever I think about getting on a long flight, I get excited thinking I’m just going to relax and binge watch all the movies. Really, this is setting me up for failure, and actually rarely happens.

My advice: prioritize your sleep schedule and resist the temptation to binge-watch movies. Perhaps change into comfortable clothes, use your eye mask and over-ear noise canceling headphones, and try relaxation techniques to help you sleep. ​Even a few hours can make all the difference with how you feel once you arrive.

🧘 Relaxation Techniques

THIS IS EVERYTHING. I’m a nervous flyer. I’m so nervous that Geo has told that now he can’t fly comfortably because he’s too worried thinking of how nervous I am.

What helps me most? A solid calming playlist, some deep breathing and eyes closed. Not to mention squeezing anyone else’s hand within reach. ​

🧴 Stay Fresh

I always pack a quick “refresher” in my hand bag- it includes toothpaste, toothbrush, chapstick, face towels and deodorant and use these just before landing. A quick refresh can make a big difference.​

By following these tips and utilizing your Capital One Venture X benefits, you can transform your long-haul flight experience from exhausting to (almost) enjoyable.

✈︎ Travel Links

• Want to the inside scoop on our travel day? Watch here!

• This is still the best elevated offer we’ve seen in years 👀

  • Don’t believe me? Read more here!

• This one hits home as we are Americans living abroad in these “dark times”.

✈︎ Poll

You may have noticed that my usual weekly send-out has shifted to every other week. As we navigate our lives raising kids abroad and traveling, we’re constantly assessing our needs, passions, hopes and dreams for this season of life.

Thanks for being here today 💛 and for each newsletter send out as we continue to figure out the roads ahead. I am quite grateful.

Warmly,

Allie & Geo