Flight tips: how to have a stress-free journey

Most airlines open online check-in 24 to 48 hours before departure. Checking in the moment that window opens means you get a better choice of seats, you skip the check-in queue at the airport, and you have your boarding pass saved to your phone before you go to bed. If your airline allows seat selection at check-in, pick an aisle seat if you want to move freely, or a window seat if you want to sleep without being disturbed. Do this the evening before you fly, not the morning of.

Security queues slow down when passengers are unprepared. The rule at most airports worldwide is that liquids, aerosols and gels in hand luggage must each be in containers of 100ml or less, and all containers must fit in a single transparent resealable bag of no more than 1 litre capacity. Pack this bag the night before and put it at the very top of your hand luggage so you can pull it out in one move at the security tray.

Toothpaste, deodorant, moisturiser, and contact lens solution are the items most often forgotten or oversized. Check each one before you zip the bag.

A general rule used by most airports and airlines is to arrive at least two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before a long-haul flight. That said, if you are travelling during a busy period, checking a large bag, or flying from a large hub airport, add 30 minutes to those figures. The cost of arriving early is a coffee and some waiting. The cost of arriving late can be a missed flight. If you are unsure about your specific airport's recommendation, check the airport's official website before you travel.

Airport Wi-Fi is unreliable and phone signal can drop in large terminals. Download your boarding pass to your phone's wallet app (such as Apple Wallet or Google Wallet) before you leave home, and take a screenshot as a backup. If your phone battery dies, a printed boarding pass is the safest fallback. Some airlines still require a printed pass for certain routes or fare types, so check your booking confirmation the day before to confirm what is accepted at your specific airport.

The morning of a flight is the wrong time to find your passport, decide what to wear, or realise you forgot a charger. Pack your bag completely the night before. Set two alarms with a 10-minute gap between them. Put your passport, boarding pass, and any travel documents in the same pocket of your bag every single time you travel, so you never have to think about where they are. If you are travelling with children, lay out their clothes and pack their hand luggage the night before too.

Airport food is expensive and the queues at departure-lounge restaurants can be long, especially during peak hours. Eating a proper meal before you leave home means you are not making rushed food decisions under time pressure. If you want to eat at the airport, budget for it and factor the time into your arrival plan. Supermarkets near airports or in city centres are a practical option for snacks and drinks before you go through security, where prices are typically much lower than airside.

Busy international airports and the transport links serving them are known pickpocket locations. The risk is highest when you are distracted: at check-in, at security trays (where your bag is briefly out of sight), and on crowded shuttle buses between terminals. Keep your passport and phone in a front pocket or a zipped inner pocket rather than a back pocket or an open bag. At security, put your valuables into your hand luggage before placing the tray on the belt, and collect them before you collect your shoes. Airports in major tourist cities tend to carry a higher risk, so stay aware in crowded areas.

Aircraft cabins are cold at altitude, with temperatures that shift noticeably from boarding through cruising to landing. Wear layers you can add or remove easily. Pack a light jumper or cardigan in your hand luggage even if you are flying to a warm destination, as cabin temperatures can be surprisingly cold regardless of your final destination.

Choose slip-on shoes that you can remove quickly at security and that stay comfortable if your feet swell during the flight. Avoid tight waistbands, as cabin pressure causes mild bloating on most journeys. Compression socks are worth wearing on flights over four hours to reduce leg swelling.

Cabin air has very low humidity, typically 10% to 20%, which is drier than most deserts. This causes dehydration faster than you would expect on the ground. Drink water regularly throughout the flight rather than waiting until you feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the hours before and during the flight if you are prone to anxiety or poor sleep on planes, as both accelerate dehydration and can disrupt sleep. Bring an empty reusable water bottle through security and fill it at an airside water fountain before boarding.

If you feel anxious during the flight, a structured grounding technique can help bring your attention back to the present. One widely used method is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can physically feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. Another approach is slow breathing: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for six. Both techniques work by shifting focus away from anxious thoughts and towards immediate physical sensations.

Turbulence is normal and rarely dangerous. Modern aircraft are built to handle conditions far beyond what passengers experience, so when you use a grounding technique you can refocus with the reassurance that the risk is genuinely minimal.

If you are flying with young children, especially across time zones, the arrival day is not a sightseeing day. It is a logistics day. Children need time to adjust, eat familiar food, and sleep in a new environment before they are ready to engage with a destination. Planning activities for the arrival day sets up a situation where everyone is tired and nobody has fun. Book accommodation with early check-in if possible, keep the first evening low-key, and start the real itinerary on day two. This single adjustment removes more family travel stress than almost any other tip on this list.

Cabin noise on a commercial aircraft sits at around 80-85 decibels during cruise, roughly equivalent to a busy restaurant. Over a long flight, this level of background noise is tiring. Noise-cancelling headphones reduce this significantly and make it easier to sleep, concentrate, or simply relax. If you do not have noise-cancelling headphones, foam earplugs cost very little and reduce cabin noise enough to make a real difference. Both are worth packing in your hand luggage for any flight over two hours.

Sitting still for more than two hours increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition where blood clots form in the legs. On flights over four hours, stand up and walk to the back of the aircraft every one to two hours. Do ankle circles and calf raises in your seat between walks. If you have a history of DVT or circulatory problems, speak to your doctor before flying and ask about compression stockings or medication. Most airlines include DVT prevention advice in their in-flight safety information.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, do not book replacement travel or cancel your hotel in a panic. Flight stress peaks in these moments, and that is when you need to follow a clear process instead of reacting emotionally.

Contact your airline directly at the airport or via their app. Under EU Regulation 261/2004 (and equivalent UK protections), airlines have legal obligations to passengers when delays exceed certain thresholds. They may offer rebooking, a refund, or care such as meals and accommodation. Find out what you are entitled to before making any other decisions. Keep receipts for expenses you incur during the delay, as these may be reclaimable, and check whether your travel insurance covers costs the airline does not.

Arriving in a new country without working data creates stress, especially when navigating the airport or contacting accommodation. Check your provider's roaming rates first. If expensive, buy a local SIM at arrival or purchase an eSIM beforehand (typically £10 to £20). eSIMs activate remotely and cover most destinations. Alternatively, download offline maps on Google Maps before you fly to navigate entirely without data.