Australia flight for 15 hours

Pay for business class. That’s the only thing for that long a trip.

Yes, business class is the obvious solution, if you can manage it.

It's a long flight, no way around that. After you've done even longer flights (or a string of flights beginning with one at least as long as Australia), it makes flying to Europe feel like it goes by in the blink of an eye.

Of course, the best options involve getting a better seat, to the extent you can. My first time in a nice business class seat was our trip to Australia, and the hook was set. I recall being so happy on that flight, I was quite sad when we started to descend for the approach to Sydney. Upper deck of a 747, it was blissful. Only problem is you'll never want to cross an ocean in a coach seat ever again (consider yourself warned).

If you can't swing a business class seat, at least try for the best seat you can manage. Not all coach seats are equal - check seat dimensions carefully when shopping for your flight.

A lot depends on you and how you deal with the discomforts of being in a small seat for what will feel like a whole day or longer (some folks can sleep easily, others find it impossible). To the extent that you can do so without alienating those suffering around you, by all means try and get up and walk around in the plane occasionally, do some stretching and get your blood circulating. Try to sleep (or at least try to get into some zen-like state that's kinda like sleep) if you can. Avoiding eating a lot. Meditate. Concentrate on how glad you will be to be in Australia once you get there.

Some folks have preferred neck pillows and other devices. I'm sure some will chime in here.

Good luck.

My husband and I went to Australia for the Ausi Open this past January. I typically get upgraded from main to at least comfort plus with Delta. Well, the flight was over sold! I was at the window, my husband the aisle and a 6-4 man in the middle (and my husband is 6-2). At least we were all good humans. We walked the plane a lot. Found empty spots to stand and do some stretching. For the way home, I was upgraded and my husband had 3 seats to himself. Makes all the difference.

Sorry, I have few suggestions. You could follow the seat map. I usually do that and move seats when it benefits us. Also, watch prices for the upgraded seats. Sometimes if you and a travel partner pick window and aisle towards the back of the plane, the middle seat doesn't get filled. In a wide body, sometimes the middle seats in the middle section are not filled. Then if you pick an aisle you MIGHT get an empty seat next to you.

On all flights, I bring a pillow case and stuff the airline's crappy blanket and pillow and usually my husband's as well and rain coats, etc. to make myself a better pillow. I'm short, I'm more comfortable with a foot rest. I usually place my carry on backpack on the floor partially under the seat leaving room on the side. So I can put my feet on top, but also stretch out when I want.

If you come up with better strategies, do share!

Not everyone can afford or wants to pay for a Business Class seat, but Premium Economy is a more affordable option. My sister who flies twice a year USA - Oz with United, says Economy Plus is reasonably comfortable. My biggest concern for such a lengthy flight and if unable to get up and move easily, would be the possibility of a DVT.

We flew Qantas in Premium Economy, yes it was more $, but worth the comfort. On the way there, direct from LAX to Sydney, we flew on an Airbus A380-800, we were on the top deck, which was amazing in itself, and there are only about 40 seats in that cabin, so we had a lovely group of airline staff and plenty of room to stretch our legs. It's a 2-4-2 configuration, and the seats are more like bucket-type seats. It was so much better than when we flew home on a Boeing. If you can pick the aircraft, go for the Airbus.

Compression socks.

No clue what your origin and destination is, but you could compare the cost of biz class vs. a stopover at a point between your origin and destination and make do in the cheap seats for 2 shorter flights.

We flew to New Zealand last year and flew Premium Economy. Having a foot rest, more incline, a roomier seat, and a cushier blanket and pillow really helped, and we slept most of the way. (Air New Zealand)

I fly US - Japan several times a year and the flights are around 14 hours.

I avoid looking at my watch or anything that indicates the time or how much longer I have to go before landing.

I get up and walk about the cabin a few times and try and do some stretches if possible. Usually there is a bit of room near the restrooms or exit doors.

Using the restrooms periodically is a good idea. There are times when they are busy and times when they are not. On one flight we had quite a bit of turbulence and the seatbelt sign was on for over 5 hours of the 14 hour flight. After that flight, I made it a habit of hitting the restrooms regularly to be on the safe side.

I don't sleep well on the planes but I try to cat nap as much as possible. I will watch a couple of movies but only light stuff to stay relaxed. Haven't found any gadgets or meds that make things better though I have one friend who takes an antihistamine before a very long flight and it makes him so sleepy he dozes through most of the flight.

I use these tactics no matter which cabin I am in and they seem to work okay for me.

My first time in a nice business class seat was our trip to Australia,
and the hook was set. I recall being so happy on that flight, I was
quite sad when we started to descend for the approach to Sydney.

My feelings exactly the first time I flew Delta One home from Europe (which was "only" about ten hours). I was so comfortable and relaxed, and enjoying the trip - which was like sitting in my living room watching TV while someone brought me drinks and snacks - that I was also kind of disappointed when they announced the initial descent. I could have enjoyed a couple more hours! And yes, I've never flown coach on a transatlantic flight since then.

I live in Australia and fly to Europe on a regular basis, and often have legs of 14 hrs. If you can swing it, biz or premium economy are worthwhile splurges, but if not, I guess there are a few things you can do to make economy more comfortable. (I always fly economy myself, have had upgrades on occasion.) I am guessing much of the 15 hrs you will be trying to sleep. I don't bring any neck contraptions (shaped pillows, braces, etc), as I find the benefit of taking them is outweighed by having to carry them throughout the rest of my trip. They normally take up a lot of real estate in the cabin luggage. But I do take an eyemask, and I do sleep with a few drops of pure lavender oil on a tissue. It is relaxing and just lulls me off without having to take medication, which I prefer not to do in case there is some sort of emergency and I am groggy when I have to react swiftly. My husband swears by noise-cancelling headphones but I am not disturbed by noise on planes. The other big thing which I have started to do is compression socks, but this is not necessarily comfortable, I just do it as I am getting older. Some airlines build an exercise routine into the flight (a video near the end of the flight), and that is quite good. And if you have a stopover somewhere, see if you can get a shower at the airport between flights. You can do this for example in Singapore, you don't have to be in a lounge.

Lavandula

Thankfully flying to Australia is quick for us, but speaking at someone who regularly does similar length flights to Europe (in economy), I have a simple strategy- I don't try to make myself sleep
I start by doing a bit of work, watch a few movies, doze for a while. I get up to go to the toilet from time to time so I can also stretch my legs.

I am not a fan of airline food, so tend to self cater with a roll or a sandwich, plus some fruit from the airport lounge.

I don't really have any special gadgets, but I fo use a eye mask for sleeping.

My initial advice is to mentally be ready to not think of it as such a long flight. Set your watch immediately when you board the plane and don’t look at “time at home” or how many hours you have left. I watched a few movies, napped here & there, and I had an aisle seat to get up and walk every few hours to avoid achy legs. Bring a favorite small snack.

I was in a Comfort Plus seat. I did enjoy talking to the Australian young woman next to me during our last hour of the flight. She was in the Portland, Oregon area for wind-surfing on the Columbia River.

You have to connect in Nadi, but when we went to New Zealand in Jan 2024, Business Class on Fiji Airways was thousands of dollars less than the US carriers and they do fly to Australia. Their employees seemed genuinely happy to be serving their customers. They are a Quantas partner.

Since we have an airline linked credit card we earn a lot of miles and after booking the best economy ticket we can swing early in the process, we lurk looking for upgrade opportunities using miles. They inevitably arrive and many (most?) are less than the upgraded seat would have been initially.

I don’t sleep easily on flights and never like any of the options on the tv screen. So I download several hours of movies and documentaries on my iPad and phone that I’ve already watched (and liked) and watch them again. Since I already watched them, I don’t have to pay close attention and that helps me dose off. If I don’t dose off, at least I’m watching something I like. It helps if the movie is in B&W.

You may want to try Air New Zealand's new Sky Couch option in economy. You would, of course, have to change planes in Auckland but it would give you extra room on the long haul flights. (3 seats to yourself) It's many thousands of dollars less than Business Class. Seems like a good option to me. I have not experienced this class of service as of yet but I am going to give it a try on my trip to Australia next year.

Stretching is a must, medication a doctor-advice thing, but if I was going to invest in one product, I’d make it one of those slings for your feet.
I’d dispense with my usual carryon routine and go as unencumbered as possible.
Assuming you are flying economy and no airline or cc points are available for a possible upgrade? Watch at checkin time as sometimes you can pay a reduced amount for an upgrade or even bid for one.
Having seen my husband do this journey for work, attitude is everything, so whatever you have to do to get your mind and body prepared is the best course.

If we can't swing the cost of an upgrade to Biz class, we try to pick the bulkhead seats in comfort+. That way we have extra leg room to stretch out as well as to stand up from time to time. Ironically, one of the best "sleeps" I've had on an airplane was our flight from LA to Auckland sitting in a bulkhead seat. I'd also suggest bringing a comfortable pillow, eye mask and noise canceling headphones. Compression socks are also something I wear on any long flight, which seems to help me more so after the flight. Enjoy your trip! Australia is a fantastic country!

Have you booked your flight yet? Depending where you are flying from and to, look at all your options as to airlines. I flew to Brisbane from Vancouver with Air New Zealand in economy and was very happy with that choice. ANZ Economy seats on long haul flights are usually 31 to 33 inches depending on the plane and they offer, for a price of course, an economy stretch seat which gives you 36 inches. That extra few inches makes a big difference. They also had serve yourself snacks and juices available - how welcome that was! The downside of ANZ is that you have to fly via Auckland which adds to travel time but gives you a break from sitting. Even better if you can manage an overnight stay.

A mild sedative can help; as I have a tendency to motion sickness, I take a med like Gravol just before take-off and another one half way through a long flight. It’s just enough to relax me and I usually manage to drift off. People react differently to these meds so check first.

Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water. Most airlines have on going water service on long-haul flights; I usual buy a large bottle before getting on the plane (after I’ve been through Security).

iPad, quality headphones, compression socks, loafers, crossword puzzle booklet, walnut and raisin snacks, kleenex, reading glasses if needed, comfy pillow ( I bring my own which is filled with goose down), deck of cards to play solitare, own water ( buy at airport after security) and if you can’t sleep take a sleep aid.

BTW great country to visit for your 1st European city excursion. Just realize dinner is served late…like 10pm, that mid day naps are a thing, that water from city fountains is clean and refreshing, that you see dogs in restaurants, and in some religious sites you’ll need to dress appropriately.