If you are a keen and frequent traveller, there is probably one part of travelling which you don’t enjoy so much: the flying. Most people would agree that this is not exactly the best part, and even those who seem to actively enjoy it would admit to sometimes being a little nervous. The truth is that this is not a place where many people are on their best behaviour, and a lot of people are downright bored, anxious or concerned.
If you have particular problems with flying, or you just want to make it a little easier, read the following. In this article, we are going to look at a number of simple, small things you can do to make your next plane journey a lot easier. Many of these you might never have considered, so take a look.
Get There Early
One of the biggest causes for stress on the plane is rushing around on the day of the flight. For that reason, you will make your journey much more enjoyable if you remember to get to the airport nice and early and check in soon so that you don't have to rush around at all. For international flights the advice is generally that you should get there three hours early, and there is a very good reason for that. You never know what kind of queues or security issues might upset your plan, so the longer you have to give yourself the more chance you have of getting to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Once you are at your gate, you can sit down and relax, and you don’t have to worry about rushing on and then feeling stressed throughout the flight itself. Get there early, and your flight is a lot smoother on the whole.
Dress Plane-Appropriate
The way you dress can actually have a surprisingly big effect on your experience on the plane. You want to dress in a way which is plane-appropriate, but what does that actually mean? Put simply, it means that you should dress in a way which enables you to be comfortable, and to not impose on others’ space at all if you can help it. Generally it is wise to go for loose free flowing clothing – and remember to take a jacket, even if you are landing in a hot country, as it can get cold on the plane itself. You should also think about whether you are encroaching on anyone else’s space by the way you dress or have your hair. Nobody wants the hair of the person in front of them in their face, so tying your hair into a bun is generally advisable. You can click this link for an example of a good style of bun to use for this purpose. As long as you dress properly, you will make the journey better for yourself and those around you.
Take Some Entertainment
Depending on the length of the flight, you might want to take something to keep you busy while you are up in the air. This could be anything you like – a book, a kindle, a travel board game. As long as it is safe and you are not imposing on others, it is worthwhile entertaining yourself in whatever way you like. Remember too that on long haul flights there are generally screens for you to use for either gaming or watching TV and movies, so you are unlikely to get
bored in that sense. But providing your own entertainment is a good idea anyway, as you never know how long you might have to sit on the runway, or whether there might be a power outage for your screens. As long as you have something to read, or cards to play with, you should find that the plane journey is much easier to make.
Get Your Timing Right
You will find that you will need to go to the bathroom every now and then, and especially on long haul flight this can be frustrating. Even more so when the pilot turns on the seatbelt light and you have to stay seated for a time. It’s a good idea to try and time your bathroom breaks as well as possible. This might mean going as soon as you get on the plane, or after food has been served, or whatever. As long as you can space it out and do it in a non-disruptive way, you are making the flight easier for everyone.
*This post was brought to you from a collaborative partnership with Fat Jo.