Going on my first super long haul flight - what can I buy to make it more comfortable?

Noise cancellation headset

This. Cutting out a lot of the noise also cuts out a lot of the fatigue.

Noise-canceling headphones. Eye mask (some planes might provide one, but get a nice one that fits you). A good mask (planes can be very low-humidity so even if you aren't worried about anything else, this can help keep you more comfortable).

Wear loose-fitting clothing (except compression socks if that's something you want to do) or otherwise comfy clothing.

Other than that, get up and stretch every couple of hours if you can and are not sleeping.

I have flown from NY to Tokyo multiple times (which is like 15 hours depending upon weather).

This is a great list.
I wear loose athletic pants for long flights. Not bedtime sweatpants, but Adidas style pants. I wear comfy shoes, that I unlace once I start napping.
I bring a sweatshirt so it becomes a pillow and something to pull over my eyes if it's needed.
I also have a couple of airplane blankets and I bring my own. It comes in handy on flights where we cheap seats people don't get blankets, and in airports when it's nap time. I roll it up tight and strap it on the bottom of my backpack.
I also bring Sudoku puzzles. It's a nice diversion from watching videos the whole way.
I got a Manta Sleep mask on the recommendation of a friend last year and it is so, so good. I take it everywhere with me now, and use it on any flight where I need to get some rest. That and good earbuds make a huge difference if you’re a light sleeper like me.
- Which type of Manta did you go with. They apparently have quite a few variants, and I might invest in one for my next flight.

Elastomeric respirator like 3M 6200. It will be more comfortable than an N95 if worn for a long time. But wear an N95 (maybe change them every few hours as they get damp) if you have to. Plane rides are super spreaders and so are airports.

Absolutely this. I went on a trip recently with my coworker for a conference overseas. I wore a N95 and he didn't. And he has 'bad coughs" after the flight and was coughing up a storm for the whole trip and even lost a few days being sick.
Maybe it's Covid. Or maybe just nasty air.

Ear plugs or noise canceling headphones

As an alternative, IEM style earbuds or circumaural headphones. Both can offer a lot of isolation from exterior noise without active electronics.

Build a flight routine:

Screenshot your QR code to board. Crop it to just the code so your boarding zone is missing, and board in the middle of the second main group (Zone 2, Group 2, Etc. Not any of the special categories). No one will stop you.
Pick a seat in the back of the plane. You will deplane slower, but no one fucking cares unless you have a connection
Because of 1), you will board and head straight to the back, giving you time to sort your carry on and backpack/purse.
Stow the carry on immediately, drop your bag into your aisle seat. Remove your seating essentials once you size up your seat.
Bring a magnetic phone mount you can clip to the closed tray table (check amazon for one you like), plug in your charger brick, but not the cable, other passengers will kick it.
Open the overhead air vent nozzles to full, point them at your seat. If you sit, and it's too much, point 1 or 2 of the others away. If you like all 3... Hope the other passengers never notice.
On a long haul you will probably be given a little pillow and blanket. Temporarily toss these in the overhead ontop of your bag. If need a neck pillow, get that out of your backpack. For lumbar support, if you think the provded pillow is enough, grab it after takeoff. You don't want the blanket or pillow now.
Stow your water bottle (bring a refillable 24oz or 36oz tall steel bottle). This will hold the flap of your seat back pocket open a bit. Stow any snacks you want, and gadgets. Overload this pocket, items you consume will decrease over time, so anything goes here, stuff it.
Once you have everything out and stowed, your gadgets, headphones (I recommend over-ear noise canceling if you fly frequently) your phone mount your everything, then stow your backpack in the overhead. Again, no one will stop you. The flight attendants are helping load the plane and prep, and people do this anyways. On a long-haul it's first come first serve, hence the seat selection toward the back.
Raise all the arms of the seats on your asile. This will let the other passengers get in faster. Raise the aisle armrest by pushing the button in the back of the arm by the hinge.
Wait, and fully extend your seat belt while you wait, so it's super easy to grab and buckle later. Wipe down anything you like with a wet wipe, especially your headrest and armrest handles. Keep the armrests up though.
Once your seat mates have shown up, lower the two arm rests closest to you, and plug in your charger cable to the charger brick. Buckle up loosely.
After takeoff, use the rest room immediately, grab your blanket if you want to rest, and settle in. Late notice, but if you wear slip ons: slip them off now and relax in your seat. You can change socks after landing. Your feet will thank you. At this point, raise the headrest if you need to, and bend the sides, most headredts are now adjustable on the sides as well and can form a C shape to support your head. This is not as good as a neck pillow bit helps tons when combined with one.
During flight, press the hinge button on your asile armrest again whenever you need to get up, to make getting out easy. If anyone needs out, grab your phone, and unplug your cable from the charger brick, and sidestep into the aisle, take two steps forward or back, away from the nearest restroom, and then reseat but don't lower the armrest until they return. DO buckle again. (Freak turbulence on long hauls is no joke sometimes).

Bonus 1) Lookup and purchase a plastic shim for AC adapter prongs online. Maybe 5 bucks, infinitely reusable. US airplane plugs tend to be very very loose due to extreme overuse. This will keep you from chasing your charging brick around the floorboards.

Bonus 2) For headphones, Bose Quiet Comfort or Sony WH1000XM3 or XM4s. The XM3 and XM4s IMO are superior noise cancelling to the Bose (subjective), and both fold up and are more compact than the later Sony XM5 series. You can find either of these "renewed" on Amazon sometimes for a huge discount. Buy them and never look back.

This works on 99% of flights. You get to stretch out as much as your seating allows, should have all your stuff accessible, and be comfortable to rest if you can. Personally I am too tall to sleep comfortably on most flights so instead I listen to podcasts or read something with very low volume background orchestral music as background to avoid silence/white noise. You'll have to adjust for what works for you, but that early start gives you tons of time to get situated and I think this makes the real difference.

Regarding your first tip, I'm not sure where you're flying, but I fly around the US for work, and they absolutely will send you to the back of the line if you try to board in the wrong spot. Happened to me once recently by accident, got two flights and their boarding groups mixed up. They weren't rude about it or anything, but they were not going to let me on before my group.
- That's why you crop it to just the QR code.
  The ticket scanner on most devices and stands displays only Name and Seat Assignment. Not zone. If you've, they can't un-scan it.
  Walk up with the cropped QR code ready (try to leave some of the app background color as a border, just crop it so no text is cutoff and the zone is missing) and there is almost no chance they stop you and say "sorry I need you to reload your app so I can verify your zone".
  They just scan it and move on. Walk with confidence and try it. I've done this literally dozens of times this year alone.
  If you walk up with a printed boarding pass, they might stop you if they see it in time. And if you use the app, same, it's usually bold obvious text there.
  Worked on Delta, United, and AA this year. Won't dox myself getting too specific, but multiple cross country flights with each. Always the middle or middle front of the second main boarding group.
I haven't been on a long-haul flight that had the air nozzles "customizbale" or at all?
- In the US airlines at least, most lately let you angle them like a ball-in-socket joint. They aren't too "customizable" but you can generally point them and adjust how open they are. Older planes are less adjustable however.

I picked up a set of AR glasses for my last flight and was surprised how much of a game changer they were. I plugged them into an older Samsung phone and the Samsung Dex software let me switch the main phone screen off. This gave me something like 9 hours of video time on a larger screen that I could watch in any head position, with shows I brought myself.

Buy the upgraded seats.

On the flights I had, it was something like
Regular seats - $500
First class - $3000
They also had "upgraded" seats which were just regular seats but in the center of the plane for an extra $200.
As a fan of sitting in the back, I never find them worth it.

3D eye mask
in ear noise cancelling headphones
zip up travel hoodie

Most long haul flight have seats with decent head rests but for shorter flights I want to sleep on, I use a soft cervical collar. More comfortable without it on but it means you don’t wake up with your head in a weird position and sore neck.

3D eye masks mean your eye lashes aren’t brushing against the eye mask.

I prefer in ear headphones as it means you can rest your head against the window or whatever, it is more comfortable and you don’t get buzzing from the plane being carried through.

I got a great travel hoodie that has heaps of pockets, some on the inside, a big hood with a fold down flap for extra darkness, ensures a comfortable temperature etc.

For shorter trips I’d recommend a moisture wicking long sleeve top to help keep you at a comfortable temperature but not take up space in your bag.

Edit: The hoodie I got years ago and still have was a Burton Sleeper Hoodie, sadly it seems they have stopped making them?

Lots of good advice in this thread already, but I want to add a few details:

that loose hoodie would be even better if the pockets zip up. Losing important items on a plane sucks. Also the pockets work great as a security checkpoint stash: remove your metal and empty your pants pockets all into your sweatshirt pockets, zip them, remove and put in the bin. On the other side you put it back on and have everything easily available.
if you can't find a zippable hoodie, go with a non-hoodie with zip pockets and a beanie that you can pull down over your eyes.
for sleep aids, it's a good idea to wait until after the first meal, which is usually within the first two hours of the flight, but you can ask and make sure.
make sure your headphones have a plug, not just Bluetooth. The in-flight entertainment usually does not work with only Bluetooth, though some do.

As a frequent flier I'd say the most important thing is what you do before and after your flight, not during. Go in well hydrated (get those electrolytes!) and well rested. If you're flying far east/west, adjust your eating and sleeping ahead of going, to make sure the adjustment is not so hard on arrival. If you're arriving in the morning, try to sleep on the plane... if you're arriving in the evening, don't sleep on the plane. Additionally, when you arrive, wait until the appropriate time to sleep/eat as not to prolong jet lag.

My wife and I bring water bottles we can fill up after going through security, and packs of pedialyte powder to mix into it.
- Heh, we do the same. I appreciate that Changi airport has bottle-filling fountains at every gate.
  I really appreciate Haneda airport for having bottle scanners, so you can just bring your filled bottles through security. Saw this at an airport in Europe, too, but can't remember where (domestic Athens maybe?).
The food thing really is a game changer.
Adjust your meals to match the meal time where you’re going day or two ahead of time.
Your body will respond.
try to sleep on the plane
That requires a good travel pillow to avoid a massive crick in the neck that can produce immense pain.
Drip drops. Thank me later.
- Yeah, this kind of thing. We have pocari sweat powder.

Earplugs are number one. I also suggest compression socks since no one else has, they help with restless legs since you sit there for so many hours. If you have the money, a steam deck :)

Tbh, an edible if you are into that and comfortable with it. Definitely bring some headphones and download some audiobooks, music, or podcasts you like. A sleep mask if helpful if those are comfortable for you and other people seem to like those neck pillows.

Snacks

Tbh, an edible if you are into that and comfortable with it.
Do NOT do this if you are going into a country, such as some in East Asia, that consider presence of the drug in the body as possession of that substance. Japan did this for all but THC, but were changing the law to include it (I'm not sure if they have yet; it was only excluded because of some traditional ropemakers IIRC).
- Even residue is enough to get you fucked royally in the UAE.
- While this is true, "long flights" can be 8-12 hours in length and you will have to take the edible pre tsa check so you will be very sober by the time you land. No shot they test you without obvious reason
Never thought “SharkFucker420” would advocate the use of THC.
- Who woulda thunk right?
  Seriously though an edible on a flight is like fast travel
- Me neither. Fucking a shark sounds like a LOT of work. Can't we just sit on the couch and eat dorittos?
Not mushrooms though. :)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-duty-alaska-airlines-pilot-accused-trying-shut-engines-wrestled-cockp-rcna121906
- Who would want mushrooms on a plane jesus christ thats a recipe for a panic attack.
  Edit: he wasnt even on them?!?! 44 hours and its long gone out your system. Bro was just not mentally well

Going alone? On a wide body if the middle has 4 or 5 seats, move to an inside aisle seat next to a couple or group of three, respectively. They're more likely to disturb each other to get up for bathroom breaks than you. If you can do this with one seat between, that seat will be one of the last to fill.

I love me some window seats, but on the long haul it sucks to have to wake peeps to go take a piss.

Do get up and walk the plane. Your legs will thank you.

Buy a little sign that sticks on your seat to let the flight attendants know to wake you for food or do not disturb.

Steam deck

I was concerned about battery life with my international trips that I mostly played classic/retro looking games. the flight I had didn't have outlets, only USB ports which did slow trickle charging.
im glad I did because I was at 10% power left after like 5 hours of gaming.
- I normally mix in some retro games with an inflight movie and it usually covers the time. I also have a phone with some music and a kindle loaded with books using calibre

Take a thin, snug hoodie. When your ready to sleep, take your arms out of the sleeves, zip it up, and cross your arms across your body. You'll sleep better and your back and shoulders won't feel as strained. I also have a long, wide scarf that i use for this. For neck pillows, i like the turtl one -hard but kind of flexible plastic with a wrap around sleeve. it works well and it's easy to pack.

A neck pillow and cookie package. A pair of headphones for your device and a power bank.

Power banks are not allowed to be used on most long haul flights I've been on (trans-pacific), and when transiting through China they even confiscate them if they are over a certain capacity, but all flights have AC plugs at each seat.
- Yeah, make sure it's not above a certain voltage. You can find this information on the website of your airline. I think it was 12500mAh for most, but I could be wrong.
- Not sure about US companies, but I've never seen an AC plug on European and Asian companies' airplanes. They do have USB ports but they're underpowered (barely enough to keep my battery at the same level while playing music on BT headphones) or straight up don't work. Ask a flight attendant in the latter case, they'll reboot your screen which might fix the issue.
- That's crazy. I never had this experience and I pack at least 2-3 power banks during my flight to Europe/Southeast Asia because I'm a gadget nerd.
  Then again I never flew to China and stick to western airplanes because that's what my company pays for.
Definitely the neck pillow! A nice proper one if you have the space, but at least an inflatable one! And a big bottle of water once you're through security.
- An empty bottle, you often can refill them for free after the check in. Thanks for reminding me.

Seat selection.

My buddy is 6'2" and he swore up and down to seat selection being the best perk on the plane.

Those goofy inflatable neck pillows really do work

Crocs or sandals. Wear them with socks. This keeps your feet dry so they don't smell and you can easily remove them for comfort and put them back on to go to the bathroom.

And

Any noise cancelling headphones with something to play music or podcasts. Even if you sleep through it, planes are loud, you should protect your hearing.

Some good suggestions here already. Adding one more - bring water onto the plane. Stay hydrated. As a bonus, it gives you an excuse to go for frequent walks to the bathroom.

Depends on your time of day/night:

Sleeping mask
Comfy jacket/scarf
Melatonin
Ear plugs
Some of your favorite snacks

I haven't had anything else, myself. Other than lots of digital entertainment.

Earplugs/headphones, loose clothes, a warm top just in case it's chilly, a small pillow, empty bottle to refill after you get through security.

A private jet.

Turns out I cannot buy one of those.

2 beers and a NyQuil.

I wouldnt recommend alcohol and meds.
If it's not the extra side effects, it's the diarrhea.
- I mean, obviously test it before you go. But I've never had a problem and I sleep like a baby on a long haul flight.

Ear plugs - not just noise cancelling headphones. It's much easier to sleep with ear plugs than with headphones. And headphones can get uncomfortable after many hours. And if you want extra quietness you can use both the earplugs and headphones at the same time

Get custom molded ones if you can. I got concert ones made and they were 100% worth the price.
On my list to try but haven't yet: wax earplugs. They are single-use, so more costly over time. But I have been told they don't build up pressure like foam or silicone plugs do.

Steam Deck + noise cancelling headphones.

I haven't worked out the sleeping part yet, but will be scouring the comments here for ideas.

Sleeping is hit or miss for me. I find the smaller/shorter you are the more likely you can sleep well, bit if you break out all the tricks it may be possible for tall folks too.
I listed my tips elsewhere, but slip off shoes, using the headrest wings, noise cancelling headphones with background non-verbal music, and maybe an eyemask give you good odds I suppose.

Those pain medications that make you unnaturally sleepy.

Real bed pillow

Once you try it you will never go back to the horseshoe neck strain weak sauce

Counterpoint, a good horseshoe neck pillow. I've got great, thick one made out of a real dense memory foam. Acts more like a slightly mold-able neck brace, keeps me from being that guy leaning on the passenger next to me. I've used it on 6+ hour flights and never had any pain or comfort issues.

If you're flying internationally, look up to see if you get free alcohol.

I was stretching during my long flight and the flight attendant totally hooked me up multiple times with fun drinks.

Dramamine. Takes care of any motion sickness and makes you nice and drowsy.

When I flew intl I asked a doc to give me a prescription for two zanax (one each way) to be super chilled out and ended up asleep most of the way. Not sure if that's common, but I think it might be worth asking. Note: had we had an emergency landing, I would not have been able to protect myself, but that's because I mixed it with a bit of alcohol (which you should not do).

Silicone water bottles take up no space and travel well. Extra leg room seats in normal economy are usually narrower than normal seats due to the table and entertainment. Also no unseat storage, but it's less of a concern because once the flight is in air can just get your bag down.

I'm 190cm tall and 150kg. I just survived an 11hr flight on Turkish air boeing 777, following an 6hr flight on a Airbus a330 in economy on both. The Airbus was more comfortable. But Dramamine is your friend.

Sealed bag of cookies/chocolates/whatever as long as there are a decent number. Give it to whichever flight attendant is closest to your seat when you board. Most crews will have your back for the whole flight after that.

I just returned from a long trip and tried a couple of different pillow alternatives because showing in planes is so uncomfortable.

Get over of these.. it doubles as an eye mask and head support so you can sleep without linking your neck. SO much better than a pillow.

https://www.amazon.com/ORIGINAL-SeatSleeper-Travel-Support-Pillow/dp/B0758TY861/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa

Yeah, be aware that these may block screens or other things like mobile phone holders on the back of the seat for the passenger behind you if you can’t find a way to keep the strap confined to your own headrest. I wouldn’t bring one of these only to find out you can’t use it.
They make neck pillows that are more supportive than those cheap inflatables and will hold your head upright. I’ve had one for a while now and they work pretty good. They support under the chin so it helps you aren’t “catching flies” too.
I’d recommend one of those, but they tend to be more expensive than the cheap pillows.
- Every plane I've been on with screens over the past 2-3 years had a sliding headrest that gives you something to attach to that doesn't interfere with the person behind you. It's a good thing to be aware of, but I haven't seen it be an issue at all.

Good pair of ANC headphones are an absolute must

Then a Battery bank, tablet with your fave music + shows + Books.

Or a laptop with your favorite games.

But the headphones are still a must have