Taking a 20-hour economy flight can feel incredibly daunting. Your back aches, your legs cramp, and finding a comfortable position can seem impossible. Recently, a viral TikTok video brought this shared experience into the spotlight. User @hiera.coffee asked her followers for their “most outrageous carry-on travel tips” before embarking on a massive journey.

@hiera.coffee i’ve found the 360headrest what’s next #travel #carryon #flights #traveltips #longflight ♬ original sound – NYES | Fashion

i’ve found the 360headrest what’s next #travel #carryon #flights #traveltips #longflight ♬ original sound – NYES | Fashion

The Internet did not disappoint. The video racked up more than 256,000 views and nearly 5,000 comments from expert flyers, flight attendants, and long-haul savants who shared decades of hard-earned travel wisdom.

We combed through every tip, cross-referenced the best ones with what frequent flyers and cabin crew actually swear by, and compiled a definitive list. Whether you’re facing a four-hour hop or a soul-testing 20-hour marathon, these are the secrets you need to know before you buckle in.

Sleep enhancers and comfort must-haves

Finding a way to sleep comfortably in an airplane seat is a universal struggle. Thankfully, a few specific items can make a world of difference when your seat feels less than ideal.

1. The Sleeper Hold and mini massage guns

Sometimes, investing in some special gear can really help you unwind. One traveler shared a great way to deal with restlessness and sore muscles:

“The only time I’ve been able to sleep on a plane was thanks to a Sleeper Hold pillow. It keeps your neck supported so you don’t wake up in pain. A miniature handheld massage gun is also a game-changer. If I needed to stretch but couldn’t get up, I’d use it to massage my legs when they started to ache. Tremendous help!”

“The only time I’ve been able to sleep on a plane was thanks to a Sleeper Hold pillow. It keeps your neck supported so you don’t wake up in pain. A miniature handheld massage gun is also a game-changer. If I needed to stretch but couldn’t get up, I’d use it to massage my legs when they started to ache. Tremendous help!”

2. Sacrum pillows for spinal support

Sitting for hours at a time puts intense pressure on your lower back. A simple cushion can significantly reduce discomfort, especially for those prone to back pain.

“A sacrum pillow placed under your bum alleviates the pressure on your lower spine and helps prevent Sciatica. It’s a small adjustment, but it makes a big difference.”

“A sacrum pillow placed under your bum alleviates the pressure on your lower spine and helps prevent Sciatica. It’s a small adjustment, but it makes a big difference.”

3. The backwards hoodie trick

You don’t need to splurge on expensive travel blankets or specialized gear to stay warm and comfortable. A simple hoodie can double as a cozy travel accessory:

“Bring a big, zip-up hoodie and wear it backwards. It works like a blanket, and you can pull the hood over your head to block out light and create a mini cocoon. Best of all, it’s easy to tie around your waist when navigating the airport. Combine with food, water, and a neck pillow, and you’re set.”

“Bring a big, zip-up hoodie and wear it backwards. It works like a blanket, and you can pull the hood over your head to block out light and create a mini cocoon. Best of all, it’s easy to tie around your waist when navigating the airport. Combine with food, water, and a neck pillow, and you’re set.”

Wellness and hydration strategies

Taking care of your body at high altitudes isn’t just about comfort—it’s crucial for your health. Flight attendants know these tips well after spending countless hours in the sky.

4. Essential hydration

It’s tempting to avoid drinking water on flights to skip frequent bathroom trips, but staying hydrated is non-negotiable. One flight attendant shared this vital reminder:

“HYDRATE. I know people don’t want to be the person constantly getting up to use the bathroom, but you lose water faster on a plane. Staying hydrated will significantly improve how you feel on arrival, preventing headaches, fatigue, and more.”

“HYDRATE. I know people don’t want to be the person constantly getting up to use the bathroom, but you lose water faster on a plane. Staying hydrated will significantly improve how you feel on arrival, preventing headaches, fatigue, and more.”

5. Nausea-busting oils and wipes

Airplane cabins can be full of unexpected and unpleasant smells. A small aromatherapy kit can help combat motion sickness and keep you feeling fresh, another flight expert explained:

“I always carry a small bottle of eucalyptus oil and some alcohol pads. If I get nauseous or there’s an unpleasant smell, I dab a little oil under my nose. It works wonders.”

“I always carry a small bottle of eucalyptus oil and some alcohol pads. If I get nauseous or there’s an unpleasant smell, I dab a little oil under my nose. It works wonders.”

6. Medical compression socks

Poor circulation during long-haul flights often leads to heavy, tired legs or even swelling. Compression socks, especially medical-grade ones, can help keep your blood flowing.

@victoria.marano please wear your compression socks ladies 🫶🏻 #travelhacks #compressionsocks ♬ Vogue (Edit) – Madonna

please wear your compression socks ladies 🫶🏻 #travelhacks #compressionsocks ♬ Vogue (Edit) – Madonna

“Compression socks are a must! Put them on before takeoff and take them off after landing. Medical-grade compression (15–20mmHg) works best. Your legs will feel less fatigued, which is especially useful if you’re planning to walk and enjoy good food once you arrive.”

“Compression socks are a must! Put them on before takeoff and take them off after landing. Medical-grade compression (15–20mmHg) works best. Your legs will feel less fatigued, which is especially useful if you’re planning to walk and enjoy good food once you arrive.”

Food, perks, and mind hacks

Travel is always better when you prepare for your own needs and show kindness to others. These tips will help you stay nourished and may even brighten someone else’s day.

7. Flight attendant goodie bag

Showing appreciation to the flight crew can go a long way—and sometimes comes with unexpected perks:

“My friends and I make goodie bags for flight attendants. We fill them with local snacks and include our business cards since we’re stylists. We usually pack six bags per trip. I’ve never paid for alcohol on a flight since starting this!”

“My friends and I make goodie bags for flight attendants. We fill them with local snacks and include our business cards since we’re stylists. We usually pack six bags per trip. I’ve never paid for alcohol on a flight since starting this!”

8. Instant ramen on the go

Airplane food can be hit or miss. Bringing your own comfort meal ensures you won’t go hungry:

“Bring a cup of instant ramen and ask for hot water, either from a restaurant before boarding or during the flight. This trick has saved me from starving when plane food options weren’t great.”

“Bring a cup of instant ramen and ask for hot water, either from a restaurant before boarding or during the flight. This trick has saved me from starving when plane food options weren’t great.”

9. Pavlovian sleep training

You can train your brain to fall asleep more easily on flights by creating a routine before your trip:

“Use the same sound or playlist to fall asleep every night leading up to your flight. Then your brain associates it with sleep. I have two airplane playlists that immediately put me to sleep because I’ve used them for 12 years. Add a neck pillow, an eye mask with built-in flat speakers, and layers of cozy clothing. A boring audiobook and noise-canceling headphones seal the deal.”

“Use the same sound or playlist to fall asleep every night leading up to your flight. Then your brain associates it with sleep. I have two airplane playlists that immediately put me to sleep because I’ve used them for 12 years. Add a neck pillow, an eye mask with built-in flat speakers, and layers of cozy clothing. A boring audiobook and noise-canceling headphones seal the deal.”

Maximizing space and ultimate relaxation

When space is tight or patience runs thin, these tips can help you stay organized and calm through every stage of your journey.

10. The airport bag hack

Sometimes you need creative solutions to bring extra items on board without hassle:

“If your carry-on is full but you absolutely need to bring more, buy something small like gum at the airport and grab a large shopping bag. Put your stuff in there and keep the receipt. Works every time.”

“If your carry-on is full but you absolutely need to bring more, buy something small like gum at the airport and grab a large shopping bag. Put your stuff in there and keep the receipt. Works every time.”

11. Heated eye masks and layered comfort

Creating the perfect sensory cocoon can help you tune out the busy, crowded cabin and fully relax:

“Use a heated eye mask underneath a regular one for total darkness and warmth. Pair it with an inflatable travel pillow (the J-shaped kind), a foot hammock, a cozy blanket, and a dose of melatonin or Tylenol PM an hour before lights out. Add noise-canceling headphones and a boring audiobook, and you’ll sleep through most of the flight.”

“Use a heated eye mask underneath a regular one for total darkness and warmth. Pair it with an inflatable travel pillow (the J-shaped kind), a foot hammock, a cozy blanket, and a dose of melatonin or Tylenol PM an hour before lights out. Add noise-canceling headphones and a boring audiobook, and you’ll sleep through most of the flight.”

12. Embracing the journey

Even with the best preparations, long-distance flights can be exhausting. One traveler humorously admitted their ultimate strategy:

“I just suffer through all the pain until it’s over, to be honest.”

“I just suffer through all the pain until it’s over, to be honest.”

Arrive rested and ready to explore

These clever packing secrets prove we have the power to make long flights more bearable. By planning ahead and packing a few supportive items, a grueling 20-hour journey can feel less like a survival mission and more like a wonderful adventure. Good luck, bon voyage, and safe travels!

Music, community and joy drive real change

In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin. 

It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest. 

The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn? 

Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.

Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world. 

Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends. 

Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.

A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission

Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education. 

But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities. 

The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere. 

You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.

Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil

In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country. 

“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says. 

But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.

Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial........

© Upworthy