Bulimba, Queensland -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/07/2016 --Economy class long haul flights are usually the least favorite part of traveling for most people. It's impossible to expand the cramped space, or improve the way taste buds respond to the airline food, but with a bit of planning the experience of flying economy can be enhanced without having to pay for an upgrade to business class.

Experienced travelers develop their own ways to make the journey more comfortable. These are the recommendations from our Clarity Travel Solutions team who always travel with a personal "upgrade package".

Light blanket and pillow

Snuggling under an airline blanket, resting on the pillow the airline has provided, few passengers consider the cleanliness of these objects that will be close to their face for many hours.

In 2014 USA Today quoted John Gobbels, then vice president and COO of Medjet Assist, which arranges air medical transport for its members.

"For a long-haul flight, I bring a fleece jacket to stay warm. If I ever use a blanket, it's one sealed in plastic but then only for my lower legs."

Regarding the use of airline pillows "I see them thrown in the overhead compartments," Gobbels says, "and no one is changing the pillow cases."

Most people don't have any desire to be infected by the germs of other passengers as they sleep, or even to use a blanket or pillow that has been used by someone else without thorough cleaning. Therefore an essential component of the "upgrade package" is a small light blanket and a neck pillow.

Noise cancelling headphones or earbuds

Invest in good quality comfortable earphones or ear buds that are noise cancelling. This will improve the quality of sound that is experienced. Good earphones will also eliminate the need to set the volume at a high level to overcome the sound of the flight. Noise canceling earphones that produce white noise dull the sound of the flight while sleeping, although some people find the white noise annoying and prefer just to use plain ear plugs to block out sound while they sleep.

Kindle and magazine

The Kindle is a wonderful invention for travelers as it is small and light to carry and can be read when the lights are out. However for times when all electronic equipment has to be turned off it's convenient to have something else to read, like a magazine of choice, which can be discarded after use.

Basic Toiletries

A small packet of face wipes, hand sanitizer, and a small toothbrush and tooth paste can be extremely welcome during a long flight. These simple items take up very little space in an "upgrade package" but enable passengers to arrive at their destination feeling refreshed.

Lightweight Foldable Backpack

When carry-on luggage is stored in an overhead locker it can be difficult to access, so savvy travelers organize their "upgrade package" so that everything they need can be right where they need it when they need it. Space is limited so it is recommended that the bag used must be light and take up very little space when the items are being used.

Clarity Travel Solutions recommends the RovEasy lightweight foldable backpack, available on Amazon. It is ultra light, so even with travel documents, earphones, kindle, magazine, blanket and pillow it is easy to carry and keeps everything safely together and readily accessible. When all the items in your "upgrade package" are being used it folds into a small pocket that takes up very little space.

About Clarity Travel Solutions
Founded in 2015, Clarity Travel Solutions is a branch of a family owned business providing transition services to Baby Boomers. The business owners are keen travelers and have found that the normal irritations of travel are lessened by having the right travel product when it is required. They blog about travel issues and source outstanding travel products which meet the needs of the savvy traveler.