Embarking on a 17-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore was more than I ever expected. A long-haul flight is more than planning movies and snacks; it’s sleep schedules, avoiding bloating and upset stomachs, and also not going crazy after sitting for so long.
This post is all about tips and essentials for a long flight from Los Angeles to Singapore.
We booked our flight on Singapore Airlines and tried to do as much research as possible. We looked up the plane, scrolled TikTok for travel tips and still…it wasn’t enough.
Let’s dive into all the details of our 17-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore.
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Flying Economy from LAX to Singapore on Singapore Airlines
We booked a direct flight to Singapore from Los Angeles. Below is a breakdown of our trip, how we prepared and a review of travel items we purchased.
What Time We Arrived at the Airport
We drove from San Diego to LAX and that took about 1.5 hours. We arrived at the airport 3 hours before our flight. For international flights, we like to arrive no later than 3 hours before the flight because checking in can be a long process sometimes.
Luckily the check-in process went smoothly on the way there and we were at our gate within the hour.
We used our Priority Pass to easily get through security and hurried on our way to grab some food and a drink to relax a bit before the trip.
What Snacks We Packed for a Long Flight
My favorite part of traveling or vacationing is packing, especially packing snacks. I honestly felt very prepared for our travels and the snacks I packed but honestly, I should have adjusted what I packed from snacks to small meals.
Singapore Airlines does provide two meals on the flight but they are around 8 hours apart. And snacks don’t really fill you up, so you’re constantly feeling unsatisfied.
I loved the snacks we packed but for our next Singapore trip I’m going to focus on including a few small meals for each of us.
Here’s a list of snacks we packed for our flight and a few notes:
Uncrustables
Perfect! Packing again for our next Singapore trip. We packed two each and this time it will be 3 each. We had one at the airport too. These are good because they store well and are more filling than a small bag of chips or something similar.
Old Trapper Beef Jerky
Loved the beef jerky. It was packed in it’s own bag and then added to my larger bag of snacks and somehow it made everything smell like Jerky. We will be packing it again but will store it in a separate bag from everything else.
Builder Bars
We packed a handful of these and I think we ended up only splitting one. We love Builder bars but for some reason we weren’t craving them or wanting them at all during the trip.
Fig Bars
I enjoy these a lot at home and like to always keep them in my bag. They’re kind of a regular go-to snack for me, so packing these was easy and I enjoyed having them on the trip.
Hot Cheetos
Hot cheetos are my vacation snack. I always have to pack my Flammin Hots!
See’s Candy
My favorite treat to buy at the airport is chocolate…See’s chocolate.
Nerds Rope Clusters
My favorite non-chocolate candy right now. They’re gummy and crunchy, the perfect texture.
Drip Drops
These are great for traveling and especially flying. You can get so dehydrated on the flight. These are easy to mix with your water and enjoy.
Fruit Snacks
Gummy fruit snacks are another simple go-to snack for us. We packed things we know we would snack on and would hold for long hours.
Meal Service in Economy
Singapore Airlines served two meals during our flight. The first meal was a dinner meal, served about 1 hour into the flight and the second meal was a breakfast meal served the last 1.5 hours into the flight.
Let’s dive in!
Meal number one served in Singapore Airlines economy was a chicken and rice dish. Airplane food isn’t great but it’s not terrible either. I ate everything.
They also served it with a piece of bread and butter on the side and cheese and crackers.
I always like to save the extra side snacks for later in the flight.
The second meal served on my flight to Singapore in Economy was a breakfast plate with eggs, beans and potatoes.
This meal was fun! A little different than the usual breakfast. They also served Chobani yogurt (my favorite) and I ordered a glass of orange juice.
Overall, the meals weren’t terrible. I do wish they stopped by a few more times to offer drinks and snacks during the flight but in the end it all worked out.
Luggage: Carry-on Only
I’m not going to lie, this was difficult for me. Carry-on only for a two-week trip! I’m proud to report that it happened and I survived and I still didn’t wear everything I packed.
As a notorious over-packer, I was so proud of myself for only using carry-on luggage. I got a lot of DMs and texts from friends and family because they couldn’t believe that I didn’t pack two huge suitcases plus the carry-on bags. I love surprising people.
For my luggage, I used an older version of the TUMI Alpha Continental Carry-on. This bag has been through it all! It’s traveled with us to India, London, Bali, Japan, Singapore, and even 10 days in Florida hahaha.
We’ve used this TUMI luggage for years, we also have the larger versions.
For my second carry-on item, I used the CALPAK Stevyn Duffel bag. I love this bag so much but I really wish it had a laptop compartment. I was able to still pack two laptops in it but I just love the separate compartment for ease and organization.
My husband also became a HUGE fan of packing cubes on this trip. He organized all of his clothes and fit in so much because of them – we both did!
Honestly, that’s one of the biggest tips for traveling with only carry-on bags – use packing cubes.
My husband packed two carry-on bags as well. He used the SwissGear Expandable luggage and the Beis Convertible Mini Weekender.
We actually panic-ordered the SwissGear luggage 3 days before our trip because our second carry-on suitcase was too small for a two-week trip. It ended up being perfect for the trip and held up great on our 40-minute walk from the Tokyo station to our hotel. (I did not hold up as well 🙂)
The Beis bag worked out great for my husband, it has the separate and detachable bottom compartment that he used for shoes and in the main area it has a laptop sleeve, which was very helpful.
He had to go into the office for a bit while we were in Singapore so he was able to detach the bottom part and just use the top bag for his laptop and a few other items to bring into the office.
Entertainment
Tips for what to do during a long flight?
Download movies or music because you’re going to have lots of time.
I ended up watching the in-flight movies available through Singapore Airlines but we had six flights with them and after the second flight, the movie and show options got a little boring.
I tried to sleep for most of the flight and I think it ruined it for me. While you should definitely sleep if you can, don’t force it.
I slept naturally for 5-6 hours but then for the remaining time I tried to force myself to sleep and it made the last 5 hours of the trip unbearable. It would have been better for me to watch a movie to make the time go by faster and then hopefully I would have fallen asleep watching the movie.
My husband didn’t mind any of the flights because he falls asleep very easily, especially while watching TV. So he loved it all.
Do what makes you comfortable and if you’re really bored, then switch it up and try something new. I’ve packed crossword puzzle books, coloring books, movies and music for long flights before. Give yourself lots of options.
In-flight Routine
I went in with many hopes for my in-flight routine, especially because I had 17 hours to do it but honestly, not much happened.
Here are the tried-and-true things I DID do though:
- Wiped down my space
- As soon as we boarded we wiped down our seats, table trays, and armrests with disinfectant wipes.
- Hydrated
- We had bottled water with us and always asked for extra whenever the staff came around.
- It kept me as hydrated as I could be in the air and getting up and using the restroom. Without having to use the restroom I think I would have stayed in my seat for 17 hours and that is not great for your body!
- Our butts were literally in pain from sitting for so long and the longest stretch I went was 6 hours.
- Moisturized
- I purchased eye masks to wear but honestly, I was cramped and unhappy that I didn’t feel like putting them on.
- I did moisturize though. I reapplied moisturizer on my hands and face 3-4 times throughout the flight and it helped with feeling refreshed and clean. I made sure to wash my hands thoroughly before doing this each time.
- Snacks on snacks
- I was SO happy that I packed us extra snacks. On the flight back, I left my snacks in my bag above me and was too afraid to grab them cause of my damn anxiety and I was so hungry that I was nauseous. It was terrible.
- But back to the 17-hour LAX to Singapore flight. We enjoyed the meals and snacks the airline provided but definitely dived into our snacks.
- I personally loved eating the See’s Candy we purchased at the airport before the flight and also the strawberry Uncrustables.
- My husband loved the beef jerky, Uncrustables, and fruit snacks.
- It helps to pack a variety of items because I really thought I was going to go for the protein bars and Hot Cheetos but I didn’t touch them until a few days later on our trip.
- Neck Pillow
- The neck pillow. This is something I have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I don’t. I will say the neck pillow we used for this trip was loads better than our previous ones but I’m still not obsessed with neck pillows. I think it would work better if I reclined my chair a bit but I refuse to recline my chair if someone is sitting behind me. So honestly, that’s probably the real reason I have issues sleeping on planes. Anyway, my husband and I both used these pillows for all six flights of our trip and were both able to fall asleep each time.
- Weighted Eye Mask
- My absolute favorite purchase for the trip was this weighted eye mask from Amazon. It was the best! I used it on all six flights and even at our hotels. I saw mixed reviews but had no issues with it at all. It fit perfectly, wasn’t too heavy where it was slipping off and it completely blocked all light.
- Compression Socks
- This purchase was difficult to make because I didn’t really believe people when they said compression socks helped them from bloated feet and ankles but it works!!! About 6 hours into the flight, my legs started to get swollen and ache; I freaked out and chugged water, moved around a bit and massaged my legs and immediately put on my compression socks
- Within about 20 minutes I could feel my legs getting better. I wore them for the rest of the flight and every flight after. I purchased this three-pack of compression socks from Amazon and used them throughout the trip (yes we did laundry lol).
Final Thoughts
This trip was tough with six flights, two 17-hour flights, two 6-hour flights, and two 3-hour flights.
I’ve never traveled so much in my life. It was honestly a lot mentally and physically because travel takes a huge toll on your body.
The biggest takeaway should be, be prepared. You know how you get when you’re tired and cranky and hungry. So pack enough snacks, stay hydrated and get lots of rest when you can.
If you have a certain morning or nighttime routine, try to stick with it as much as possible.
Do your research for packing and test new items. I’ve regretted purchasing very few travel items. Most of the time they are a lifesaver. So try something new, start a routine, and create a travel kit that works for you.
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