Chances are you’ve been there – the dreaded middle seat. You don’t have the window to lean on or the aisle to stretch your legs, and you usually wind up with neither of the armrests at your disposal. If the flight is a long one, it can be excruciating, but I’ve found three must haves to minimize the misery of a middle seat.

Recently, Mr. Travel Maestro (Todd) and I vacationed in Thailand, which is approximately 8,000 miles from the east coast of the U.S. We flew from Washington Dulles to Tokyo – about 14 hours – then on to Bangkok for another five hours. When I made the initial reservations, in a flash of thriftiness I decided to brave economy class. Our last several long international flights were in business class but the economy airfare was such a steal, I barely even pouted as we walked by those comfortable business class lay-flat beds with storage nooks and foot rests to our small, hard, barely reclinable economy seat.

Going over on a weekday, we miraculously had a row of four seats to ourselves, so we were quite comfortable for the long flights. But our luck didn’t hold. On the return, the plane was filled to capacity and the configuration was three seats in each section. I selflessly took the middle seat, while he had a window seat. Good thing I came prepared with three accessories to make over my middle seat experience. Go ahead and bookmark this page now, because you’re going to want them, too.

Happy Feet Portable Footrest

At 5’3” I rarely have the problem of my knees being jammed into the seat in front of me, but very often I can’t touch the floor flat-footed. Even on short flights, this unsupported position makes my knees ache. For that reason, I always used to put my carry-on under the seat so I could prop my feet on it and relieve the pressure on my knees. However, that restricted my ability to stretch out my legs.

Enter Happy Feet from airplanefootrest.com, my saving grace for airplane-induced knee pain. Happy Feet is a molded plastic bar 13.5” x 3” that weighs only .46 pounds – for reference, that’s the same weight as my cell phone. Two sturdy 32-inch nylon cords with three length adjustment beads are attached to the bar by a collapsible housing. To use it, simply loop the cord around the arms of the seatback tray table and slip the beaded cord through a slit at the end of the bar. Voila! Your own personal, adjustable foot swing. I’ve been using it for about a year and this is a travel accessory I can’t live without!

The Versatile NAPWRAP

As a seasoned traveler, I never knew what I was missing until the design firm SITTINGBRIDGE offered me a NAPWRAP to review. I’ve never been very good at sleeping sitting up – especially confined in a middle seat – so I was intrigued.

NAPWRAP is a stretchy, circular, 3.5-inch wide fabric band that comfortably supports both of your arms so you can relax or sleep sitting up in crowded travel circumstances. The inside is super soft so it’s also comfortable as an eye mask or ear warmer – hair static notwithstanding. It’s very compact, so takes up minimal space in your carry-on. Here’s a short video that shows how the NAPWRAP works:

The fact that my NAPWRAP was complimentary did not influence my opinion of the product. I can honestly say the NAPWRAP stepped up my comfort level when dozing. I used it as an arm rest and an eye mask. If I ever make the mistake of taking a 14-hour flight without a lay-flat bed again, NAPWRAP will definitely go with me.

The Perfect Travel Pillow

There are many forms of travel neck pillows out there, each designed for a different type of seat sleeper. There’s the ever popular u-shaped pillow filled with microbeads, memory foam or your own breath. There are blankets that fold up, padded infinity pillows that twist up, and slings that prop up. One of the best sellers on Amazon is the J-pillow  that support your head, neck, and chin from your shoulder. And only for the boldest traveler, there is the ostrich pillow!

Personally, I’m a pillow purist. I like a small rectangular shape – perfect for leaning against the window or Todd’s shoulder. Everyone is different so go with whatever suits your seat shuteye style – just don’t be a bobble head.

Bonus Tip to Minimize the Misery of a Middle Seat

I learned my lesson about ultra-long flights in a middle seat – just don’t do it. Todd and I made a pact that for any flights over six hours we’ll upgrade to Business Class – or at the very least, premium economy. Arriving refreshed and ready to dive into the destination is definitely worth the cost. But for every other flight, I’ll be taking these favorite travel accessories to improve my comfort.

To plan your next long-haul adventure, contact the creative trip designers at Covington Travel today.