How to Survive a Long-Haul Flight on a Budget Airline

Budget airlines are becoming more popular and their flight options are increasing. This is great for budget-minded travelers like ourselves. We try to travel as much as possible, but we have to do so around our work schedules and limited vacation time. This means we do not have the luxury of booking cheap tickets for a random Tuesday or Wednesday. If we only have the weekend to fly we typically choose budget airlines to reach our destinations.

I am currently writing this post with my elbows tucked closely to my sides, from the middle seat on an 11-hour flight from Bangkok to Oslo. We are flying on the budget airliner, Norwegian Air. This is the longest flight I have ever taken on a budget airline. If you ever find yourself in my seat, here is some advice for what to expect flying on a long-haul flight with a budget airline:

Extra Fees

There are fees for almost everything on a budget airline, this is why you were able to secure your ticket for such a reasonable price. Be sure to look up the baggage policy before booking. If you do not think you will meet the carry-on requirements, then you should factor the cost of your baggage while booking the flight. You may get a better rate and perhaps even a meal included if you pay for your bags upon booking. Everything on board costs extra including blankets and pillows, so if you planned on relying on the airline for those luxuries make sure you pack a large scarf and your neck pillow!

Wait, Food Is Not Included?

Yes, you read that correctly. You may be boarding a long-haul flight and expect that the airline will need to feed you something. Nope, not on a budget airline. You won’t even get a small glass of water or a bag of salty peanuts. We looked this up in advance of our Norwegian Air flight and found out that it would cost an extra $45 per person for meals! Instead of dishing out the extra $90 on airplane food, we took a trip to the grocery store in Bangkok and was able to load up on sandwiches and snacks for only $15. As for the not having any beverages on the plane and not being able to carry anything past security….Well, we solved this problem by visiting the airport lounge before the flight. Thanks to my Priority Pass Select membership that is included with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card we were able to get several bottles of water and some sparkling water to enjoy during the flight. We also chowed down on a pretty good sized meal before boarding the plane.

What About Entertainment?

Norwegian Air is a budget airline, however that doesn’t mean we are flying on an old, crappy plane. The Norwegian planes are actually some of the nicest planes that I have flown. From the clean restrooms with automatic sink faucets to dimmers on the windows so you can look outside without the sun glaring into the plane. It’s the little things that matter (even if the window is about 4 seats away from me). The entertainment system is decent as well, it does not have an extremely wide selection, but it does have options that will keep you entertained for part of your flight if not all of it. For me any airline that gives you the option to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a great airline in my book.

Other Survival Tips

Once you have looked up the extra fees, planned your meals, and downloaded a few new kindle books or podcasts, my last bit of survival tips are helpful for any long-haul flight.

Dress comfortably and bring extra layers as flights can get cold. I always bring a large scarf and an extra pair of socks.

Packing your toothbrush and toothpaste in your carry-on bag can go a long way with helping you feel like you have decent hygiene. Getting off a long haul flight, you may not know what time it is, but you certainly feel better when your mouth feels minty clean. At least, I do.

Don’t forget the two most important items for getting shuteye on a plane: your eye mask and ear plugs. Chris swears by these items and while I am not a big fan of ear plugs, this combo can certainly help you get some sleep and ease the jet lag.

So there you have it, a bit of advice from a traveler currently flying over Turkmenistan and trying to enjoy the last 6 hours of my flight in the middle seat.