I took a 13-hour flight from the US to New Zealand. Here are 11 small things I did to help make the trip easier.

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In June 2022, I headed to New Zealand for nan 2nd time. I was eager to return to a state filled pinch rolling greenish hills, caller seafood, and welcoming people. The only point I wasn't eager for was nan formation there.

Flights from nan US to New Zealand are among nan world's longest flights. I traveled from my location successful Denver to Los Angeles, wherever I boarded a 13-hour-long Air New Zealand formation to Auckland.

The formation clocked successful astatine 12 hours connected nan reverse way home. Business Insider received a property complaint for nan round-trip formation to Auckland. 

Even pinch my business-class ticket, which included seafood dinners, endless Champagne, and lie-flat beds, a long-haul formation is tough. Regardless of wherever I was sitting connected nan plane, present are a fewer things I did to make nan travel easier.

I chugged h2o some mornings starring up to my flights.

Frequent bath breaks aren't perfect connected a flight, but being dehydrated is moreover worse. 

According to nan Cleveland Clinic, nan ambiance successful airplane cabins makes it moreover quicker for group to get dehydrated. There are little humidity levels, which tin lead to barren throats and eyes. 

Passengers request to portion much h2o some earlier and during nan flight. The Aerospace Medical Association recommends travelers portion 8 ounces of h2o each hr they're connected a plane.

While I wasn't capable to portion 104 ounces of h2o connected nan flights, I made judge I boarded my long-haul flights hydrated. When I'm dehydrated, I person little power levels and don't consciousness for illustration myself. 

Since some flights departed successful nan evening, I had plentifulness of clip during nan time to portion water. I besides made judge I packed my reusable h2o bottle to capable up some astatine nan airdrome and earlier boarding nan flight. 

I planned a comfortable layered outfit designed for each temperatures.

For decades, flying progressive suits and ties, dresses, and elegant attire.

Today, not truthful much. For galore travelers, including myself, nan main extremity for a long-haul formation is comfort.

For me, that intends pants that aren't excessively tight, shoes that I tin deterioration for hours connected end, and, astir importantly, layers.

Since nan somesthesia tin alteration betwixt airdrome terminals, lounges, and nan formation itself, I ever make judge my outfit tin withstand some lukewarm and acold environments. 

For some of my long-haul flights, I wore sneakers, flowy pants, a vessel top, and a lukewarm layer. I was thankful I had a versatile outfit. While nan airdrome lounge was freezing, location were points passim my formation wherever I was gladsome I could unzip my overgarment aliases return disconnected my sweater to cool down.

At nan airport, I stretched and made laps astir nan terminal earlier my flight.

The knowledge that I would beryllium confined to an airplane spot and tight aisles for nan adjacent 13 hours was a daunting realization starring up to my flight.

So, earlier boarding, I attempted to get each my power out.

Before heading to nan airport, I either took a agelong locomotion aliases went for a run. Once I arrived, I continued arsenic galore elemental exercises arsenic possible.

In Los Angeles, for instance, I tracked down an quiet airdrome hallway and did immoderate stretches. At Auckland's airport, I took agelong laps astir nan terminal.

I boarded some my long-haul flights emotion tired, which besides helped make falling dormant easier. 

Before boarding my long-haul flights, I fueled up connected patient nutrient for illustration crockery and fruit.

Most of my decisions starring up to nan formation were designed to thief maine debar emotion sluggish during my travels and aft I arrived astatine my destination. That included what I ate earlier I boarded nan plane. 

Unfortunately, connected nan measurement to New Zealand, I made nan correction of devouring a cinnamon-sugar pretzel. For nan remainder of nan flight, I was bloated and lethargic. 

While a pretzel mightiness not typically upset my stomach, according to nan Cleveland Clinic, nan changes successful unit tin origin state wrong your tummy and intestines to expand, hence a stronger bloated feeling.  

Business Insider antecedently reported that fibre and macromolecule tin help travelers consciousness amended aft a long-haul flight. When I headed backmost location connected my return flight, I made judge my snack choices were connected nan healthier side. That included a fewer bowls of salad, an apple, and a protein-packed vessel of ramen.

After settling into my seat, I made an effort to opportunity hullo and convey my formation attendants.

The domiciled of formation attendants is often overlooked. Beyond pouring drinks and making judge passengers person their spot belts buckled, they perform behind-the-scenes information checks, navigate stressful situations, and think on nan alert erstwhile things spell wrong.

The bare minimum I tin do arsenic a rider is to fto them cognize I admit their work. 

For my long-haul flights, I thanked my formation attendants earlier nan level moreover lifted disconnected nan ground. I besides took nan clip to study names and person speedy chats. 

By nan clip we took off, nan formation attendants felt much for illustration friends. Later, erstwhile I wanted a solid of h2o and a snack, I didn't consciousness blameworthy approaching them since we were connected a first-name ground by this point.

I person friends who battalion gift bags aliases bars of cocoa for formation attendants astatine nan opening of their flights. On my adjacent flight, I deliberation I'll travel their illustration and propulsion immoderate candy successful my purse to convey my formation attendants for their difficult work. 

I kept my formation essentials successful my backpack but picked a smaller container to maximize legroom.

No matter wherever you're sitting, legroom is precious connected a long-haul flight.

I kept that successful mind erstwhile I packed for my formation to New Zealand. Instead of nan larger backpack I usually bring for trips and spot nether nan spot successful beforehand of me, I grabbed a smaller, purse-sized backpack.

It was conscionable ample capable to fresh my laptop and essentials for illustration headphones and an oculus disguise while not taking up each my legroom.

Sure, nan smaller backpack meant I had to sacrifice packing an other garment aliases two, but I was thankful that I could afloat agelong my legs successful my seat. 

Packing 2 types of headphones is simply a long-haul formation must.

I haven't recovered a azygous brace of headphones that I tin comfortably deterioration for much than a fewer hours. 

With that successful mind, I knew I couldn't deterioration either my Airpods aliases my over-the-ear headphones for 13 hours straight. 

So, I made judge my backpack had capable room for both. When I sewage to my seat, I was besides amazed that business-class travelers received a brace of nice, over-the-ear corded headphones for nan seat's TV.

Between nan 3 pairs of headphones, I could perceive to movies, music, and podcasts for hours without achy ears. 

A mini container of toiletries pinch a toothbrush and lotion kept maine emotion refreshed.

In business class, a mini container of toiletries was waiting for passengers erstwhile they arrived astatine their seats. Inside was a bladed oculus mask, lotion, articulator balm, receptor plugs, a brace of socks, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. 

No matter my spot class, I ever battalion nan toiletries I deliberation I'll request for a flight. So, successful summation to what Air New Zealand gave me, I besides packed my ain toothbrush, look wipes, a plush oculus mask, spare look masks, articulator balm, and gum.

Between nan 2 sets of toiletries, I had everything I needed to autumn dormant and consciousness refreshed aft nan long-haul flight. 

A comfortable oculus disguise helped maine autumn and enactment asleep.

Since I knew I wanted to effort to sleep for nan mostly of my long-haul flight, I made judge to battalion an oculus disguise that was comfortable.

Air New Zealand gave each business-class rider an oculus mask, but I thought my individual one, which I recovered had much padding and was much comfortable, was worthy nan abstraction successful my backpack. 

The oculus disguise helped artifact retired light, truthful betwixt that and my noise-canceling headphones, I astir forgot I was connected a flight. 

I came prepared pinch a hefty database of downloaded podcasts, music, books, movies, and TV shows successful lawsuit boredom struck.

On galore long-haul flights, passengers person their ain individual TVs pinch shows, games, music, and movies. 

While my surface provided ample entertainment, I besides wanted entree to nan shows and euphony I loved.

Bon Iver, for instance, has an medium I often perceive to autumn asleep. And I cognize I tin devour nan podcast "Criminal" for hours connected end.

Since I couldn't guarantee Air New Zealand would person my favourite shows and podcasts, I came prepared pinch them each downloaded connected my individual devices. 

I was productive for a fewer hours connected nan formation and successful nan airdrome lounge, which helped maine relax and autumn dormant later connected nan flight.

I ever person nan naive dream to beryllium productive connected a flight. The reality is that seldom happens. The lead-up to a formation typically involves last-minute packing and lengthy information lines. When I'm seated connected a plane, I'm fresh to relax. 

The unit to execute activity felt much aggravated connected a 13-hour formation that was portion of a business trip. I'd consciousness for illustration I wasted an full time if I disembarked nan level without checking thing disconnected my increasing to-do list. 

So, I did a small activity successful nan airdrome lounge. Once nan seatbelt signs were lifted and I was allowed to propulsion retired my laptop and tray array connected nan plane, I spent astir 2 hours working. 

I didn't activity for very long, but by checking a fewer things disconnected my to-do list, I felt zero guilt falling dormant a fewer hours later. 

While business people inherently makes a long-haul formation easier, elemental things for illustration chugging h2o and having 3 pairs of headphones made nan formation a breeze.

Thirteen-plus hours connected a level tin beryllium difficult connected nan body, truthful I was shocked erstwhile I disembarked some Air New Zealand flights emotion refreshed and energized.

Yes, having a lie-flat furniture for a nap helped, but I besides prepared much for these long-haul flights than I prepared for shorter flights.

So, whether my adjacent formation is crossed nan world aliases nan country, successful business people aliases coach, I'll make judge I person aggregate headphones packed and a fewer cocoa bars for my formation attendants.