I spoke with the New York Post about wearing contact lenses on airplanes. On a short flight with healthy eyes, contacts are generally fine, as long as you don't plan to sleep. On long flights, though, the dry, pressurized cabin air can make eyes gritty, red and uncomfortable, so glasses are often the better choice. Many people are surprised to learn that these symptoms usually come from dry eye getting worse in the cabin.
My travel tip: always pack a backup pair of glasses.