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How to Survive an 18-Hour Flight — What I Learned Flying to New Zealand

ByJenna Fattah

Updated April 2026 | 4 min read

The flight from Los Angeles to Auckland is roughly 13 hours, which came after a 5-hour domestic leg from the East Coast. Eighteen hours of total flight time in economy, with a tight connection in between. That trip to New Zealand in 2023 taught me more about long-haul survival than any list of tips ever could.

The Gear That Actually Matters

After multiple trips to Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific, I have narrowed my in-flight kit to five items that make a measurable difference.

Noise-canceling headphones are the single most important thing I pack. Not earbuds — over-ear headphones that block engine drone for hours. The difference between landing exhausted and landing functional often comes down to whether I could actually sleep, and that starts with blocking noise. I use the Sony WH-1000XM5 and they have not failed me on a single flight.

A memory foam neck pillow that clips to your bag. Not the inflatable kind — those deflate halfway through the night and you wake up with your head at a 90-degree angle. Memory foam holds its shape. The one I use compresses into a pouch that clips to my backpack so it is always accessible.

Compression socks sound like something your doctor recommends and you ignore. I ignored them for years. Then I got off the Auckland flight with ankles that looked like they belonged to someone else. Compression socks keep blood circulating and reduce that swollen, heavy feeling in your legs. Put them on before boarding, not after.

A portable charger with at least 20,000mAh capacity. Some airlines have seat-back USB ports. Some do not. Some have ports that charge so slowly your phone actually loses battery while playing video. Do not rely on the plane. Charge your own devices.

A contoured sleep mask that does not press on your eyelids. The molded kind with eye cups lets you blink normally while blocking all light. Crucial when the person next to you has their reading light on at 2 AM cabin time.

Food and Hydration Strategy

Airplane food is a solvable problem if you plan ahead. I eat a full meal at the airport before boarding so the first in-flight meal is optional. I bring protein bars and trail mix as backup because the gap between meal services on long flights can be 6-8 hours. Airline snack service is unpredictable — sometimes they come around with crackers, sometimes nothing.

Hydration matters more than food. The cabin air runs at about 10-20% humidity, which is drier than the Sahara. I drink a full bottle of water before boarding, fill a reusable bottle after security, and ask for water every time the crew comes through. Skip the coffee and alcohol until the last few hours — both dehydrate you faster. This is the single most impactful habit change I made for long flights.

Sleep Timing

On the LAX to Auckland flight, departure was late evening. The play is to stay awake for the first meal service, then immediately create your sleep environment — headphones on, mask on, neck pillow positioned, compression socks already on. Do not watch a movie first. The temptation to watch one more episode of whatever is on the seatback screen costs you hours of sleep you will not get back.

I set my watch to the destination timezone the moment I board. It helps psychologically — you start thinking in Auckland time rather than LA time, which makes sleep timing feel more natural. If it is nighttime in Auckland, sleep. If it is daytime, stay awake. Simple framework, hard to execute, but it works.

Movement Breaks

Every 2-3 hours, get up. Walk to the back galley, do some basic stretches, stand for five minutes. This is not optional on flights over 10 hours. Deep vein thrombosis is rare but real, and even without that risk, sitting still for 13 hours makes your entire body feel like it has aged a decade. The aisle seat pays for itself in not having to climb over sleeping strangers.

Entertainment Planning

Download everything before you leave home. Airline wifi, when it exists, is slow and expensive. I load my iPad with 3-4 movies, a full audiobook, a podcast backlog, and downloaded Spotify playlists. That covers every mood. Bring your own headphone splitter if you are traveling with someone — sharing one screen with two sets of headphones is an underrated couple’s travel move.

The Mindset Shift

The biggest change that improved my long-haul experience was accepting that the flight is part of the trip, not an obstacle before the trip starts. You are going to be in that seat for 13 hours. You can fight it or settle into it. Read. Sleep. Watch something stupid. Eat when food comes. The hours pass either way.

My New Zealand trip was worth every minute of that 18-hour travel day. The NZ campervan road trip that followed is still the best thing I have done. And for beating the jet lag after landing, my jet lag recovery guide covers what actually works based on science and personal experience across 20+ timezone crossings.

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Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. SafetyWing, Skyscanner, Airalo, Booking.com, Viator.

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Jenna Fattah

Written by Jenna Fattah

I have visited 25+ countries across 6 continents, attended 7 Formula 1 races, and spent 4 years writing about what actually works and what I would do differently. Every recommendation on this site comes from trips I planned and paid for myself. Read more about me

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