4 Steps to Get Comfortable in an Economy-Class Seat

What you are about to read is real.

(I mean, everything I write on this blog is real, but I felt like I needed to tell you again since this is going to sound slightly insane. Here we go..)

Yes- I actually do these things when I need to get comfortable and attempt to sleep on a long flight in an economy-class seat.

This collection of tactics is especially useful when I’m traveling alone and need to avoid leaning over onto the person in the seat next to me or being disturbed by their lights and sounds. Getting comfortable when you have a travel buddy next to you is INFINITELY easier, but we don’t always have a travel buddy, do we?

Even if it’s not real sleep, getting comfortable to get some rest on a long journey can be crucial to beating jet lag.

1. SEAT CHOICE

Seat choice is important to me. If my travel timetable determines that I need to sleep, I’ll make SURE to get a window seat for maximum lean-over potential. Determining which side of the plane you want your window seat to be on is a matter of personal preference. Consider your body and whether you’re more comfortable leaning to your left or your right.

This could go for a bad knee, a sore shoulder, a new tattoo, or any other little bodily ailment that needs attention when you’re sitting for long periods. Consider your body’s quirks when selecting your seat.

If you’re a person with a preexisting condition that requires you to get up with more frequency than the average person, the aisle seat could be right for you. It’ll give you more freedom to get up without disturbing your seatmate and the following tips for getting some rest will still apply.

If you don’t manage to get a window or aisle seat and you’re stuck in a ~~horrible place~~ middle seat in the center row of seats on a large jet, these tips and tools can also be helpful for wedging yourself upright and reaching some level of relaxation without flailing all over the person next to you.

2. BRING SUPPORT

I make every long haul flight carrying the following inside my tiny overhead carryon:

A typical stuffed neck pillow
This goes around my neck to keep my head from flopping about. Sometimes I even find it useful to wear it backward to keep my chin lifted.
A packable blanket & miniature inflatable pillow (these are a set)
An inflatable neck pillow (I deflate and stuff this into the bag with the inflatable pillow when it’s stowed)
The blanket and pillow the airline provides for a long flight
My travel scarf

The inflatable pillows, travel scarf, and airline-provided pillow and blanket go anywhere I need more support or warmth.

Sometimes this is under my hip, to support my spine, to cushion my tush, to cushion my shoulder or elbow against the armrest, to support my lower back or knees, or as additional support under my head- just wherever I feel like I need a little support or cushion for optimum comfort.

I like having multiple small soft items to move around and utilize where necessary. It can be a moving target as the trip goes on and I need to adjust my position.

*Not to worry. The stuffed neck pillow and travel blanket are the only things taking up real space in my overhead carry-on, but both fit easily in my little roll-aboard bag along with my ‘just in case‘ change of clothes and toiletries. The beauty of the inflatable pillows is that they scrunch down super small in your bag until you need them.

3. LIGHT AND SOUND CONTROL

If I’m really serious about getting some rest on a long flight (I usually am), I’ll bring an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones.

This little power combo is not only for muting general ambient sounds and lights on the plane, but they’re also good for ignoring screaming children (and their electronics) and sending a “no more talky talky” signal to an excessively chattery seatmate.

I’m a big fan of the type that fits OVER/AROUND the ear and actually against your skull rather than sitting ON the ear itself, which can cause some pressure-related discomfort after a few hours. This little detail also makes them comfortable enough to sleep in if I’m upright and leaning against the fuselage or my neck pillow.

Over-Ear Type (the good ones). Ear fits INSIDE the padded earpiece

On-Ear Type (not ideal for long-term wear). Padded earpiece sits ON the ear.

The in-ear bud type are also good to use if you don’t want the full over-ear headphone look, though they are slightly less effective at canceling noise.

Throw on some good chill sleeping music/sounds or a movie you’ve seen 1000 times and you may find yourself drifting off sooner than later.

*Note: the Bose noise-canceling headphones I like are BlueTooth enabled. Make sure you bring the included cord with you for use with the in-flight entertainment system should you choose to use it. You can remove the cord and use the BlueTooth function when you’re just using it with your phone/tablet/computer. (Also remember the charger! But not to worry, the headphones and each of the cords fit neatly inside the slim carrying case)

*2 QUICK NOTES ON AIRPLANE ETIQUETTE:

If you’re going total blackout and noise canceled, it’s a good idea to tell your seatmate if you do or don’t want to be woken up for drink/food service. That way you won’t miss a meal if you want one and won’t be poked awake unnecessarily if you don’t. Some airlines will give you a little card to display that says “please wake me for service” but not all do.
If you’re the person in the aisle seat, have a quick discussion before or after takeoff with the people in the middle/aisle seats about getting up- let them know how and that it’s ok to wake you if your eyes are closed and they need to move.

Just having that quick little out-loud understanding at the get-go makes the whole journey easier and more friendly for everyone. As the person in the aisle seat, it’s your privilege to get up whenever you like and your responsibility to make sure the people you’re blocking feel that they can also get up when they need to.

There’s nothing worse than being afraid (or unable) to wake the person in the aisle seat when you REALLY gotta pee. This is another reason why I prefer the window seat if I need to sleep on a long flight. No disturbances if I don’t want them and nobody’s bladder is my concern but my own.

If you’re in the window seat and the aisle sitter doesn’t bring it up within the first hour of the flight (rude), bring it up. I always say “excuse me, if I need to get up during the flight, should I wake you or just sort of spider monkey over the top of you?”

Usually the thought of a 5’7″ tall grown woman “spider monkeying” over the top of them is enough for a gracious welcome to be woken at any time I need to get up. Works (almost) every time. (yes- one time I was encouraged to climb over. That was weird. I made sure to rattle the seat so much I only had to do it once.)

4. ELEVATE YOUR FEET

Raise your feet juuust a little bit off the ground.

I usually rest my feet on top of my roll-aboard bag (shoes removed ONLY if they’re not stinky!) or wedge them into the lower corner of the seat leg in front of me.
*(Do NOT wedge them onto the armrest in front of you- having the feet of the person behind you touch your elbow is not nice)

Having that slight bit of lift helps to avoid fluid pooling in your legs/feet and the resulting uncomfortable swelling and stiffness. For my body, it also alleviates some of the strain on my hip flexors to have my knees more level with my hips. Try it and see what works for you.