Ten hours in economy is not a pleasant experience. Let's be honest about that. But it doesn't have to be the ordeal most people make it. I've done the London–Los Angeles run eight times, mostly in economy, and there is a substantial difference between doing it badly and doing it well. Here's everything I've learned.
Choosing Your Seat
This is the single most important decision you make for a long-haul economy flight, and most people get it wrong. The exit row is the obvious answer (extra legroom, usually free to select in advance on BA and American), but the seats directly in front of an exit row cannot recline — meaning the person behind you has more space, but you cannot lean back at all. Check SeatGuru before you book.
On a 3-3-3 configured 787 or 777, the best seats for a solo traveller are the window seats on the side sections — rows 30–40 on most aircraft. You have a wall to lean against for sleeping, you control the window shade, and you only have one neighbour to negotiate armrests with. The middle section on a wide body aircraft is the least desirable by almost every metric.
The Sleep Problem
Sleeping in economy is a skill, not a given. The three things that actually work: a good travel pillow (not the horseshoe — the Trtl, which supports your neck laterally, is transformative), a proper eye mask (the free ones airlines provide are too thin), and earplugs or active noise-cancelling headphones. The noise of a plane at cruise altitude is a continuous 85dB — equivalent to heavy traffic. That noise is why you can't sleep.
Melatonin is genuinely effective for regulating sleep on long-haul flights. Take 0.5mg (not the 5mg dose that's commonly sold — it's unnecessary) about an hour before you want to sleep. It's widely available in the UK on Amazon and in health food stores. It is not a sedative; it works with your circadian rhythm rather than against it. Avoid alcohol before sleeping — it disrupts sleep architecture and makes dehydration significantly worse.
Eating and Drinking
Airline food in economy is often mediocre, but it's worse when you eat it at the wrong time. On overnight flights, eat the first meal quickly, then try to avoid eating again until breakfast — your digestive system doesn't need the extra work during the sleep window. On daytime flights, eat normally and use the meals as breaks in the entertainment schedule.
Drink water constantly. The cabin humidity on most aircraft is approximately 10–15%, compared to the 40–60% of a normal room. This is why your skin feels dry, your eyes ache, and you're inexplicably tired when you land. Airlines provide water on request but not nearly as often as optimal. Bring a 750ml bottle (empty through security, fill airside) and aim to finish it before landing.
Movement and Back Pain
Get up every 90 minutes. Not to walk the length of the plane (though that's good too) but simply to stand at your seat and stretch. Hip flexor stretches, shoulder rolls, and neck stretches can be done in the aisle or at the galley. Deep vein thrombosis risk on long-haul flights is real, particularly for people over 40 or with a sedentary job. Compression socks are not fashionable but they work.
For chronic back pain sufferers: a small lumbar roll (some airlines provide them on request) changes the equation significantly. The economy seat is not ergonomically designed — the lumbar support is usually slightly too low — and a folded blanket or a dedicated travel lumbar cushion positioned correctly makes a 10-hour flight genuinely more manageable. It's one of the cheaper improvements available to economy passengers.
Arrival: Beating Jet Lag
For Los Angeles (8 hours behind London), the key is to stay awake until 10pm local time on arrival day, no matter what. A short nap (no more than 20 minutes) is fine; anything longer will push your adjustment by 24 hours. Get outside in natural light as quickly as possible after landing — even 20 minutes of sunshine in the afternoon tells your brain that it's afternoon, not 3am.
