The opportunity to travel at the pointy end of the plane is not available to the majority of us Kiwi travellers – the numbers are low for New Zealand travellers heading away in first class – however with the right travel accessories, it’s possible to upgrade your flight in the simplest of ways. We’ve picked our top must-have travel items to improve your flight and give you some of the luxuries of travelling first class without the excessive price tag.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
The baby in the bassinet just two rows ahead, the rowdy drunken tourists in the row behind and that gaggle of school kids that are filling crowding around your seat are enough to drive you to despair as you contemplate the hours ahead of you on your long haul flight. However, with the right pair of noise cancelling headphones you can zone out of the chaos in the aisles and zone in to the movie, music or podcast of your choice. Our first choice is a pair of Bose’s QC3’s for being both compact and comfortable, whilst providing superior noise control.
Cashmere Travel Blanket
There is no denying that the average airline blanket seems to provide more static than warmth, particularly at the arctic temperature of some cabins. Don’t leave your comfort to chance, instead bring your own cashmere blanket or pashmina on-board and watch passengers and attendants alike look on in envy. We like the travel blankets from New Zealand wool.
Hoodie Pillow
Forget the standard neck pillow, it’s time to get a Hoodie Pillow for your long-haul flight. Quite simply it’s the genius combination of a sweatshirt hood with an inflatable neck pillow built in. Not only does it provide the padding no airline seat can, but you also get the bonus of the hood providing both warmth for that zero degree cabin temperature and it falls down low over your eyes to work like an eye mask. We love them for looking wayyyyy cooler than the typical neck pillow too.
There are not stocked in New Zealand yet but can be shipped here – choose from black, red, blue or grey to match your style.
Cabin Baggage
Whilst you might not actually be turning left, it doesn’t hurt if people think that you are surely heading that way and what says ‘I’m first class’ than some luxury hand luggage? We love Samsonite’s Cosmolite Spinner range for its durability and ease of movement. It’s super lightweight and comes with a 10 year warranty so you’ll be looking swanky for years to come.
Sleep Drops
There’s no denying that long-haul travel can seriously mess with your body clock but with the right planning and preparation – and product – you can beat jet lag and land at your destination ready to hit the sites running. Start by getting on the time zone of your holiday hot spot as soon as you get on the plane and only sleep when the locals do – it can be challenging but it definitely pays off. This can mean trying to nod off when you are not quite ready so we recommend Kiwi brand Sleep Drops as a helpful assistor in getting your body clock in line with your new time zone. Using only natural ingredients this will have none of the nasty side effects of an over-the-counter sleeping pill and you’ll feel as fresh as if you enjoyed a lie-flat bad when you land.
Here at Worldcare these top five items are almost as important in our carry-on as our passport and local currency. Tried and tested, we stand by these going a fair way to getting us to our destination feeling more refreshed, relaxed and almost like we never flew at all. Give them a go, and let us know in the comments if you have any other must-have travel items to improve the luxury of your trips. Don’t forget to purchase your travel insurance before you go too!
