In brief
- An in-flight comfort kit contains essential items to keep you entertained and relaxed in the air
- Packing your kit helps you to prepare mentally for the flight
- A flight comfort kit won’t remove all anxiety, but it could help change how you respond to it
What to include in your personal flight comfort kit
A flight comfort kit is a small collection of handpicked items that provide reassurance, distraction, and physical comfort before and during your flight. The best kits are simple, personal, and easy to carry. Inside the kit, you’ll have a small selection of items chosen to help you stay calm, grounded, relaxed, and distracted when you need it most.
We’re going to show you some of the things to include in your flight comfort kit, inspired by our experiences and evidence.
Why a flight comfort kit helps
Airports and airplanes can be stressful places to be. At home, you’re in safe and familiar circumstances. A comfort kit effectively bridges that gap, helping you to bring some of the comfort, calm, and confidence you have at home when you travel.
There’s evidence this works. Psychologists call this strategy “coping ahead”. You’re preparing for a stressful situation by planning how you’ll handle it.
Creating the kit can help to reduce anticipatory anxiety. When you’re waiting to depart or on the plane, you’ll have access to some practical tools to cope when anxiety arises.
Essentials for physical comfort
To feel mentally calm, you need to feel physically relaxed. Airlines provide the basics, but standard seats are far from comfortable and entertainment choices are often limited at best. The good news is that a few personal additions to your comfort kit can make a huge difference.
- A neck pillow or travel cushion can reduce tension and make rest easier to sit back and relax.
- Eye masks can block out light. This is super useful for sleep and for grounding when overwhelmed.
- Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to reduce engine noise and chatter. Evidence shows that lower sound levels reduce stress responses and promote rest.
- A light blanket or scarf can keep you warm if the plane air conditioning is a little too cold.
These small items (and anything else you might want to pack) help to counteract the discomfort of flying. Hopefully, by keeping your body relaxed, your mind will be, too.
Hydration and snacks
Dehydration worsens fatigue, irritability, and anxiety, but aircraft cabins are notoriously dry environments. Here are a few essentials to include in your flight comfort pack:
- A refillable water bottle. Fill this after you’ve passed through security.
- Hydrating snacks like fruit or cucumber slices are better than high-sugar, high-fat, and high-salt airline food.
- Oat bars or nuts pack a lot of healthy energy into a small package.
If you want a treat, then have one, but we recommend avoiding excessive sugar and caffeine because these can heighten anxiety.
Having your own food also means you aren’t reliant on in-flight service timings. You can snack when you want on what you want. It’s cheaper, too.
Sensory grounding tools
Grounding through the senses is a great way to manage anxiety. Your kit could contain a range of items that can help you, including:
- A fidget toy, or stress ball for touch.
- Scented hand cream, lip balm or something else with a soothing and relaxing smell.
- Sugar-free chewing gum, sweets, or mints. These can also help with ear-popping during descent when the pressure changes.
Grounding can help to stop your thoughts from racing. They can help by anchoring your attention in the present moment, reducing anxiety.
Relaxation and mindfulness aids
Mindfulness exercises, regulated breathing, and relaxation techniques can work well for nervous flyers. The best thing is to download our calm flying toolkit, but if you want to bring your own, then these can help:
- Printed or saved guided breathing instructions (box breath, 4-7-8 method).
- A journal or small notebook to track thoughts and feelings. Writing can help to externalise worries, thoughts, and feelings.
- Meditation apps downloaded in advance for offline use can be a great addition for some people
CBT programmes for aviophobia often include mindfulness practice as a key coping tool. While these techniques are simple to understand, having prompts to hand can make it easier to remember them when stress gets higher.
Entertainment and distraction
Distraction breaks the cycle of anxious focus, helping you to relax and be more comfortable. You can pack whatever keeps you entertained and engaged, including:
- Books, magazines, or audiobooks.
- A music player, or phone loaded with relaxing music playlists or podcasts that can keep your attention at 35,000 feet.
- A tablet pre-loaded with films or games (because wifi can be expensive or unavailable on some flights).
- Simple puzzles or games on your phone or in print.
It’s a good idea to pack several different entertainment types, especially if you’re on a long-haul flight. This gives you options to find a distraction that matches your mood.
Health and wellness items
Some people find the proximity of other people offputting and the experience of flight unsettling.
While you can’t change the environment, packing a few wellness essentials can make the experience a little more bearable.
- Hand sanitiser and wipes.
- Lip balm and moisturiser to counteract dry cabin air, especially on long haul flights.
- A small first-aid kit, including painkillers – especially if you experience headaches. (Keep all medications in their original packaging and check that they’re legal in the destination country.)
Personal comfort and emotional anchors
Comfort kits are planned out and practical, but the best ones are personal. An emotional anchor is something that provides a small bit of comfort wherever you are in the world.
It’s up to you what you bring, but some ideas include:
- A photo of a loved one.
- A scarf, jumper, or piece of clothing with a familiar smell and feel.
- A small item, keepsake or cuddly toy.
- A letter to yourself with calming reminders. You can write this yourself, or get a loved one to write it for you.
A personal memento, message from a loved one, or photo can provide reassurance wherever you are, keeping you grounded at cruising level.
Prepare to fly calmly and confidently
A personal flight comfort kit combines a handpicked selection of items to keep you calm and give you confidence. OK, so the kit won’t remove all anxiety, but it could help change how you respond to it. Instead of feeling helpless, you’re taking some control of what you’re preparing and packing.
Packing your flight comfort kit makes the flight real. But you’re not powerless, you’re being prepared. Whatever happens, you’ve prepared yourself to cope calmly and confidently.
You can download our Calm Flight Toolkit for some extra reassurance.
Please share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.
FAQs
Some travellers find that packing a flight kit prepares them both physically and mentally or the flight. It means you’ll have access to everything you need to make a flight comfortable. For some that increases confidence because you’re taking control.