In the past four years, I’ve been on six 24-hour+ journeys from the UK to Australia and back, in Economy (via British Airways and Emirates). From Australia, I’ve also flown to Japan and South Korea several times (9+ hours each leg) with the budget airline Jetstar.

I’m lucky to even fathom doing this much travel in my life, but, as people who have completed these journeys will know, it is, in many ways, a painful ordeal. Totally worth it when you get where you’re going, of course, but spending that much time in the air, in a cramped, uncomfortable seat, is fundamentally not normal, and would certainly kill a medieval time-traveller in under 30 minutes.

However, I have personally managed many feats in this terrible scenario — completing Earthbound is the one I’m most proud of, alongside playing a game of Civilization VII to completion, and watching far too many Ken Burns documentaries — in relative comfort.

With another long-haul flight on the horizon, I’d like to share what I’ve learned in my travelling career, and, crucially, tell you about the key pieces of equipment that I depend on in the long dark.

In-Flight Entertainment

As a Zillennial latchkey only child from a broken home, I have been moulded, against my will, into the pre-eminent GOAT of entertaining myself over extended periods of alone time. For an embarrassingly long stretch of my life, I thought Pop-Up Pirate —or One Shot Blackbeard Crisis, as it is known in its home country of Japan — was a single-player game. With my credentials now cleared, here’s what technology I think you need to make a long-haul flight not just bearable, but enjoyable, and potentially backlog-busting.

The Handheld Headache

Historically, I have always brought a Steam Deck OLED or a Nintendo Switch with me for a long-haul flight, depending on what game I wanted to play at the time. 24 hours of sitting down is ideal conditions to dig into that hefty ATLUS RPG you’ve been meaning to finish, but there is a problem here. You’d be lucky to get 3 hours of graphically intense gaming out of either device. So if you do want to play something 3D and contemporary, like Metaphor: ReFantazio or Donkey Kong Bananza, you will need a solid power bank to back you up. My vote lies with the Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K).

It’s an absolute unit, and a carry-on space destroyer, but it’s the only thing that is going to keep your power-hungry Steam Deck alive through that dungeon slog. Slot it in your seat pocket and bring a high-wattage Anker USB-C to USB-C Cable to maximize efficiency. However, at best, you’re still only going to get an extra charge and a half out of this power bank before it’s worn out, at which point you will need to do something else.

I have a few proposals for you here. First up, if you have a Nintendo 3DS lying around, or better yet, a Nintendo DS Lite (the battery kingpin at 12+ hours), then you should pick a Pokémon or Zelda game that you haven’t played, or something cool and obscure like Contact or Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and check that out, safe in the knowledge that you’re guaranteed a solid session.

If you’re a point-and-click, puzzle, or old game weirdo like me, you can also play something more battery-friendly on your Steam Deck instead, like Myst III: Exile, Sanitarium, or The Case of the Golden Idol. Just make sure you have the Steam Input profile set up first (Community Layouts are typically great), and download a strategy guide webpage as a PDF before you fly — or just copy the text into an offline Google Doc, so you have it without WiFi.

Here is where Nintendo Switch Online games can come in handy, too. Why not dig into a legendary pixel-oldie like Earthbound or Wario Land 4? There’s also plenty of downloadable, low-intensity roguelikes, farming sims, and autobattlers out there to gorge on if you want something more mindless, too. With a Steam Deck, that landscape is your oyster.

Do you guys not have phones?

Below are four rows of mobile ports on my iPhone 17, to show the eclectic range of games available in 2026. I’ve never even played a Total War game, but does it feel comforting to have Total War: Empire there as an option if I’m suddenly tempted in a midnight haze? Yes! You could easily spend 24 hours engaging with this lot and have an excellent time. So tap away — may a thousand blossoms bloom! However, you’ll need some accessories to make the most of your smartphone on a long-haul.

First, I suggest getting a good stand for your phone. I highly recommend UAG’s MagSafe Wallet Range. Easy to snap on and off, sturdy as hell, and you can have your phone sitting horizontally or vertically, depending on whether you’re playing Poinpy or Bully. That gap between the two bits of material can also be used to snap-wedge it into your seat pocket, or any other part of the terrible, no-good plastic economy setup. If you vibe with this thing, you also never need to carry a wallet again, if that unrelated bonus appeals to you.

They don’t come cheap, sadly — £40 quid, at the time of writing — but I can never go back. The coolest thing about the MagSafe aspect of the case is that if I want to connect a light controller frame like the Backbone One for mobile games that support or recommend it, you just snap the wallet off and put it in your pocket without fiddling with the case. Three cheers for modularity.

I really like the Backbone One because it Just Works and, compared to the imposing nature of a Steam Deck, is the least obnoxious way to game on a plane, thanks to its tiny form factor. I haven’t tried the Backbone Pro, which has proper thumbsticks at the cost of heft, though I’d be interested to see if that’s even more impressive, and opens up a wider range of games, as twin-stick and movement-heavy shooters are a struggle on the one. But for what you’re typically playing on a plane, the Backbone One will suit your needs just fine.

Before we leave the gamer zone, I’d also like to give a shoutout to my trusty M4 Macbook Air. It would be completely obscene to plant a 16-inch gaming laptop onto an economy dinner table, complete with a dangling power brick, but the form factor of the latest Macbook Air config is actually pretty chill to use when you’re on a big flight, and the carry-on real estate is negligible. You don’t look like too much of a weirdo, and there are heaps of great MacOS ports on Steam these days: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Blue Prince, and DELTARUNE, to name a few recent examples. Just download them before you fly, and you’re sorted.

The Content Crèche

If you told me that you spent 24 hours doing nothing but playing video games on a long-haul flight, I would call you a liar and a fool. There’s simply no way that anyone has the stamina for that. You need to fit in a big sleep, a series of meals, and engage with some non-interactive content when it’s time to chill out. Thankfully, Old Mr. Postmode has you covered here, too. Here’s what I get up to when I’m not gaming, and specifically, what technology and services I reach for in the dark, perturbing moments when my palms are not comforted by the rubbery grip of a controller.

A Big Bag of Cans (For The Travelling Lads)

Flights tend to be quite loud, don’t they? And people can be very loud too, especially very young people who are (understandably) quite disturbed by the fact that they are suddenly hurtling through the air in a massive metal box.

Thankfully, the boffins have developed something called Noise-Cancelling that cancels (not like that) a bunch of the noise that planes and people like to make. Now, I have profound Hearing Loss, so I’ve got a built-in noise-cancelling system that lets me tune out easier than most. Some may call that a disability — and they’d be right! But what if your ears are normal?

Well, before I lost my hearing, I considered myself a bit of an audiophile, and while I have had to hang up that particular hat, I can tell you what I used then and what I still use now. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).

Why would someone with hearing loss spend hundreds of pounds on a set of headphones, you may ask. Well, they’re just really good at what they do, which is play audio at the highest quality and filter out everything else for the entire duration of a 24-hour flight. Clarity is important if you can’t hear very well.

Out of the big three (these guys, AirPods Max, and the Sony XM series), I find that the Bose earcups are the largest and most comfortable to wear over long periods, and it’s the comfort factor that sways me here. Crucially, they don’t give my hearing aids feedback like the other two, and it’s easy to fall asleep while wearing them.

Connection is universal and future-proof, with options for Bluetooth, USB-C, and your classic audio jack, so it covers any handheld console. However, if you want something like this but on a budget, I’d recommend the Anker Soundcore Space One, which retails for £60 give or take and fulfils nearly all of the same features — they’re excellent, it’s just that the Bose are the option for real audio sickos, and it was a cringe-while-clicking-complete-purchase birthday treat to myself (and they were on sale at the time!).

If you can’t do over-ears, I’d suggest grabbing a set of AirPods Pro 3 and tuning them with the built-in Hearing Test. The noise-cancelling rules, and it’s easy to flip into awareness mode when you need to choose Chicken or Beef. I’d just grab a set of these neat anti-loss lanyard cables (pic below) so that you don’t lose your expensive buds when they inevitably fall out of your ears and into the seat wormhole. For the budget-conscious, there’s also the Anker Space A40, a set of ANC sleep earbuds that punch well above their weight class.

The Cable Conundrum

I also think you should invest in at least one high-quality USB-A-to-C cable and one USB-C-to-C cable, as you’re likely to use them at some point, at the very least to charge your power bank. I’ve been consciously removing or upgrading anything in my backpack that isn’t USB-C to make this as easy as possible, but the moment that USB-A port catches you slipping, you’ll remember this moment. Don’t let that happen! I also have a little pouch full of mini accessories like Apple’s USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter, which allows me to use fancy over-ears or wired buds with my phone in a battery emergency.

Of course, this plugs up your phone’s charging port, so it might be worth investing in a MagSafe / Qi-compatible charger like the Anker Nano Power Bank, which you can slap on the back of your phone case to keep it charging in the meantime. Always be charging!

If you’re obsessed with convenience-maxxing, you may as well grab the Twelve South AirFly Pro 2, too, especially if you’re splurging on a good set of Bluetooth cans. It’s a dongle you plug into the seat’s headphone jack (or any other device) that lets you share audio with your seat partner (stranger or otherwise) and keeps any uncomfortable wires from dangling around your person. Handy if there’s a good ‘plane film’ on there, as in, something you would never go to the cinema and watch, but would happily snooze to in the Economy carriage.

Das App-ital

But what if there’s nothing you care about on the in-flight streaming service? There are often some hidden gems — I once found The End Of The Tour on a long-ass Emirates flight — but let’s be honest, it’s always easier to download a bunch of TV shows and movies you’ve been meaning to watch on Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix, or Prime Video. Typically, I’ll put a bunch of lofty, snooty movies on my phone or iPad, realise it’s the worst possible way of experiencing them, and then end up binge-watching Limmy playing Life is Strange. Here’s where my most powerful recommendation of the entire article comes in — YouTube Premium. I dunno about you, but I watch more YouTube than any streaming service, and it’s not even remotely close.

With YouTube Premium, you can download hours upon hours of documentaries, movies, video essays, let’s plays, educational videos, and more to keep you company across the flight. It’s expensive, but the ability to create a repository of my Watch Later playlist that I can access at any time is so handy for a long haul.

When I need to stop engaging meaningfully, I just open YouTube and drift off. The ace up YouTube Premium’s sleeve, though, is that YouTube Music is, for what I need it for, just as good as Spotify and Apple Music — it downloads all my music, allows me to make playlists, has lyrics baked in… so if you switch to YouTube Premium, you can get rid of your subscription to Spotify or Apple Music in the process. Wrapped day is getting a bit lame nowadays anyway (and YouTube Music has its own indistinguishable alternative).

To round out your Content Creche, I’d also suggest downloading Audible and the Kindle app so you can get some reading and listening done. Just switch to the green colourway theme that reduces eye strain first, though, as not to blast your corneas with any more bad stuff than I’m already suggesting you should.

Comfort Contingencies

The Travel Pillow Dilemma

Two choices. The Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow and the Trtl Pillow Plus. I’ve used both and recently switched from the former to the latter. Let me explain why.

You can get away with it on short-haul flights, but having a travel pillow for a 24-hour journey is non-negotiable. I’ve tried a bunch, including the Cabeau S3 and the Bcozzy, but they are disappointing compared to the aforementioned diptych. Cabeau’s range lets you strap the headrest to your headrest, a unique feature which won me over at first, but the straps simply aren’t strong enough to do the job, so the rally-car concept feels like an unwanted physiotherapy procedure in practice. Elsewhere, the Bcozzy wraps around your neck neatly, but the material is uncomfortable in the long term and makes you too warm.

The Travelrest Nest is the most comfortable travel pillow you can buy, thanks to its substantial padding and unique diagonal shape at the back that lets it sit snug against the headrest and properly brace your neck. No other travel pillow company does this for some reason. See the diagram below for a succinct explanation of why you should never buy a traditionally-shaped travel pillow.

So why don’t I use it? Unfortunately, its beefy brace-like design also makes it sit high in the front. Consciously give yourself a double chin for me. Feels a bit like that, and worse still, this pushes your earbuds or headphones off your head when you’re strapped in. It’s also chunky when bundled; you pretty much have to leave it dangling off your carry-on, and I like to travel as lean as possible. This thing gave me some of the best long-haul sleeps of my life, but the headphone issue is a dealbreaker, as I worry about losing or damaging my tech in the maw of my seat. I want a pillow I can wear at all times, or, crucially, one that stays on when I fall asleep while watching Benjamin Franklin (2022, Ken Burns).

If a travel pillow company is reading this, you know what to do. Diagonal at the back, and consider the gamers and content-watchers — don’t skimp on the front. Alas, this is why I now own and swear by the Trtl Pillow Plus. Like the Travelrest Nest, it’s a neck brace, but this one is just more literal about it, and height-adjustable, so it fits all manner of necks. You can lean any way you want, and it will keep you up, so you don’t wake up resting on a neighbour.

Super cosy and breathable on the skin, too, and crucially, it slips into a little iPad-sized carry bag that is easily stowed in an Economy seat’s stuff pocket, or your backpack. It’s ideal for one-baggers or nomadic minimalists like myself. It also solves my other issue with travel pillows — you only use them every so often, so it’s tantalizing to leave them in their own plane filth if they’re hard to wash. But you just unhook the brace part and chuck the Trtl in the machine, and you can make it smell nice for the next adventure. Sold!

Plane Clothes

Getting cosy on a plane is more than just a travel pillow, though — in my experience, you need to prep your wardrobe for the journey ahead. I’ve seen people rawdog flights in a waistcoat, skinny jeans, and dinner shoes before, and if that’s you, fair enough, I salute your bravery. But if you want to actually feel some sense of comfort in an Economy seat, please heed my advice. Let’s start from the bottom.

Compression socks! Specifically, Paire Compression Socks. I’ve tried many sets myself, bought in the airport in a rush or after plenty of research, but nothing compares to this Pair(e). They’re made of cosy Aussie Merino Wool and Eucalyptus Fibres, but more importantly, they’re strong enough to compress your calves efficiently without skimping on comfort. They’re the first pair of compression socks that I’ve worn for 24 hours straight, and my legs didn’t feel weird when I ended up on Terra Firma. The rest just tend to get scratchy at some point, and it’s the worst feeling ever.

For your tops and bottoms, I don’t think there’s any shame in going all out and procuring some Plane Pyjamas, but before we get into the weeds, this can be easily supplanted with a beloved, worn-in, almost inexplicably nostalgic T-Shirt, and a pair of stretchy activewear bottoms. For me, it’s a Team 17 shirt I got from a press event years ago — but we all have one somewhere. If you’re splurging, buy a 2-pack of Whitesville Quali-T shirts, as they are by far and away the most comfortable items of clothing you can put on your upper body.

If you are committing to the Postmode Pyjama Plan (P3), then I’d grab a set from the Japanese sleepwear brand Gelato Pique’s ‘Smoothie Collection’. If you mix and match, it doesn’t really look like you’re wearing pyjamas, but most importantly, they are made of a totally anomalous, impossibly comfortable material that makes them well worth the money. And when the time for sleep arrives, you can’t go wrong with the MyHalos ‘100% Blackout’ Sleep Mask, which is the equivalent of the Bose noise-cancelling headphones, but for your eyes.

Another long-haul Sartorial recommendation is A Good Jacket. I’ll admit that I’m probably not the person to talk to here, as I’m a Jacket Weirdo with a Buzz Rickson William Gibson MA-1 Flying Jacket that I bought at Junky Special in Shinjuku for a good chunk of money. It’s the one Cayce Pollard wears in the 2003 novel Pattern Recognition, if that means anything to anyone…

But it’s less about a specific jacket model and more about what it features, and how nice it feels to the touch. Personally, I need to wear something made of strong, easy-to-rest-on materials, a kind of wearable fortress with internal pockets that zip or clasp shut, so I can go to sleep safe in the knowledge that my phone isn’t going anywhere.

On the lighter side of the aisle, I’ve also worn this Nike x ACRONYM NRG Woven Jacket (pictured above) on a long-haul, and the breathable membrane kept me in a state of supreme homeostasis throughout. It helps that it turns into a sling, has a hook to hang it from the back of your seat, and a deep pocket where your heart is to slip your phone and passport. Basically, get a functional jacket, if you can (UNIQLO is your best friend here), because planes and airports are where we spend the most time getting things in and out of our pockets.

You Reek (Agh!)

If you’ll allow me to use some gamer parlance here: The final boss of plane travel is personal hygiene. Seriously, though, planes make you smell! Can’t get around it, like a level cap. Haha… oh god, please help me, I’m 3000 words in. Anyway, you can mitigate the cartoon stink lines with a few tricks of the trade. Here goes!

First off, let’s get you a wash pouch. The Peak Design Wash Pouch is £60, but like the brand’s 45L Travel Backpack, once you take the plunge, you will never need to buy another one. The PD Wash Pouch is weatherproof, fits everything you could need, and has a metal hook that lets you suspend it in pretty much every yucky situation, including, crucially, airplane bathrooms, where I’d suggest you go to change your shirt and pants at the halfway point (or just when you start to feel really gross, which is inevitable).

I’d also pack some roll-on deodorant, a tube of sunscreen, a mask, and some Gaviscon sachets in there to counter the terrible stodge that is plane food. I like to bring a bunch of IKEA plastic bags to dispose of the random bits of rubbish that tend to accumulate around me, too. And, depending on how long your flight is, you can bring a basic toothbrush and a little tube of toothpaste, or a handful of Colgate Wisps, which are mini-brushes-come-toothpick-thingies that are a godsend for feeling fresh in between meals.

On aftershave and perfume, I typically wear woody, amber scents like Holy Metal by Tamburins or CHANEL PARIS – ÉDIMBOURG, but on a plane, you have to be mindful of your fellow passengers. Maybe one skooch in the bathroom as a comforting treat, but in this case, you should sequester your favourite for a neutral, uncontroversial scent that won’t disturb the noses of those around you.

Maison Margiela REPLICA runs the game in this regard, with an eclectic range of 10ML scents that are easy to save for plane journeys. We all know how humming a fart can smell on an airplane, but perfume, used with reckless abandon, can be just as bad when it arrives during seatbelt confinement, so be careful!

Finally, the best thing you can do on a plane for your personal hygiene is drink lots of water, so in the spirit of that, I would suggest purchasing a Good Water Bottle and refilling it frequently. You’re being baked against your will up there, so if you don’t want to end up like Baby Prunes from SpongeBob, pick up a Zojirushi Flip Cap Flask and go to town on that thing, safe in the knowledge that your water will always be as cold as you left it. And if you’re flying without in-flight meals… Nongshim Shin Ramyun is your best friend. Just ask an attendant for some hot water and a plastic fork, or nab some from a restaurant on your way to the plane.