1. Bring Entertainment

Don't forget to bring entertainment with you.   If you're stuck on the tarmac, or already seen the inflight movies you'll be crying.  An Ipod will allow you to listen to endless music.  In the event your battery runs low, plug in your laptop to quickly recharge it.   Try and bring some movies with your laptop, and if possible copy them to your harddrive.   The DVD drive in a laptop will drain batteries many times faster than simply playing the movie from your harddrive.  Finally, bring some reading material.   Avoid brining large books as you'll end up carrying them around your entire trip!  Magazines are nice, because you can leave them for the next person or simply toss them out at your destination.    An Amazon kindle or e-book reader is fantastic.   If you don't have one already, this might be the excuse you've been waiting for.   They're incredibly easy on the eyes and hold a ton of books.   I was unsure about the concept of an ebook reader when I first got my kindle, but it's been fantastic!   It stays charged for a week, holds several books and I never need to carry large heavy books on my flights anymore! 

2. Recharge Your Batteries

If you've gone and brought your laptop, mp3 player and kindle but forgotten to recharge them, you're going to find yourself carrying around a lot of dead weight.   Try and bring a plug convertor as well, so you can recharge your devices as you cross international boundaries.  Plug your drained laptop into a wall socket when you arrive at an airport hub.  Even if it's for 15 minutes, that 15 minutes could give you another hour of playback time.   Also remember that your laptop can recharge many USB devices.  A few minutes of recharging might give you an hour or more useful play time on your ipod or kindle.  You only need to recharge the devices enough to use them for the remaineder of the flight, not a complete charge!

2. Wear Shoes

Bring some comfortable and loose shoes for the flight.  Your feet can swell during a flight, so having something comfortable will help.  Since you'll likely be sleeping it can be easier to slip in and out of loose shoes and will also help relax you.   Wear light socks to help prevent you from sweating and to help reduce foul foot ordors.

3. Two Drinks

It really is ok to ask for two drinks at a time, or ask for the can.  Just remember to drink plenty of water and juice to keep you hydrated.  Airplanes pressurize their cabins to roughly 7000 feet and the air is thinner and dryer due to this.  You'll find everything drying out, including your eyes and skin.

4. Bring (allowed) Liquids

You're allowed 1 plastic bag filled with 3oz bottles of liquids, so bring useful items and ensure they don't go over 3oz.   A small toothpaste, deodrant, eyedrops and a moisturizer are all useful for freshening up on these long flights.   If you're unable to freshen up on the flight, remember you can quickly use the bathroom at the airport once you've arrived.  You'll feel a lot better about your trip if you feel clean after a long flight!

5. Bring Food

Bring some packaged food with you.  Breakfast bars, nuts and other prepackaged foods are good.  You can have them in the airport and on your flight.   You can also bring an empty bottle.   Empty bottles are allowed past security check points, once inside the security zone simply use a drinking fountain to fill your bottle up.

6. Dress in Layers

You will be passing through many different temperature environments on most flights, from outside temperatures to airport a/c temperatures to climate found within the plane.  Depending on your destination, you will likely want to have several layers of clothing allowing you to dress up or down as you travel.  

7. Maps, Tickets, and Itinaries

Remember to print out maps, your tickets and any itinairies you'll have.   General maps of the airport and surrounding areas, and a decent close up of your hotel will help you navigate once you've landed.   Tickets and Itinaries will help in the event of any delays.  You'll be able to phone ahead to let hotels, taxi's or other parties involved know what is happening.  

8. Photocopies of Documents

In the unlikely event you get robbed or lose your wallet, having a duplicate of all your important documents will help.  While they won't be legally binding, you will be able to cancel credit cards quickly.  Copies of a passport and/or drivers license might not be legal, but they can help when you go to replace them.  Especially if you need to replace your passport in a foreign country!

9. Chewing Gum

Chewing can help with air pressure changes.  Flight pressures change during a flight so this can be an easy way to pressurize your ears.  Children find this trick especially useful since they're often unable to do it themselves.   It can also help with nervousness of flying!