5 WAYS TO MAKE A PLANE JOURNEY MORE COMFORTABLE
Greetings! I hope your New Year is starting off well. My New Year will involve, as usual, a lot of travel. We have trips planned for Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, San Diego and Great Britain, and I’m sure we will manage to fit in several more trips as well in 2018.
And, now that the holidays are over, I’ve started to think about doing more travel posts. I am SO behind in sharing with you many of the amazing trips we took last year, so stay tuned for lots of fun travel posts coming soon. In the meantime, as I’ve been booking flights for our upcoming trips, I can’t stop thinking about how uncomfortable flying has gotten these days.
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And the discomforts even start before one gets onboard a plane. Here in Southern California traffic is congested 24/7, so just getting to the airport is always a hassle. Then there are the long waits in long lines at the airport, and flights are often delayed and overbooked. On his trip home for Christmas, my Chicago dwelling son got stranded overnight BOTH coming and going, at his connection airport, San Francisco. What are the odds of that? Maybe higher than we once thought in today’s busy world. While travel is uncomfortable before you even get onboard the always overcrowded aircraft cabins, I’ve learned that the flying part doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom if one does a little advance planning. So, here are my 5 ways to make a plane journey more comfortable…
1. Consume Plenty of Fluids
Staying hydrated is very important if you’re headed off on a long flight. Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue and could even contribute to blood clots, all things that could ruin a trip. Did you know that you should start to consume liquids hours, even days, before you get on a plane, and not just while in flight? But drinking water isn’t the only way to get yourself hydrated. There are other clever ways of achieving this if you’re not a fan of the relatively bland method. In fact, some people, including me, find that plain water can cause nausea, so it’s not great for those of us with motion sickness. So, how does one achieve hydration without just consuming water or high calorie drinks? I found a great article in the Daily Burn that suggests lots of great hydration alternatives. Oh, and by the way, it’s also best to avoid alcohol when flying, as it can contribute to dehydration.
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2. Plan Ahead For Medical Conditions
Do you have a medical condition that requires you to bring prescription medication with you on your trips? If so, did you know that medication must be carried in its original packaging showing your name on the label? The last thing you’ll want is for your medicine to be taken away from you during a trip.
It’s also vital that you pack your medication in your carry-on luggage. Millions of checked bags get lost or delayed every year by the airlines. Can you imagine if your bag was lost and your medication was inside?
Now that my husband and I are a little older we’ve come to realize the importance of travel insurance. We always purchase it for overseas trips and for cruises. We also buy evacuation insurance in case we need to be medivaced out of a foreign country. We started doing this after my son’s mother-in-law had to be medivaced from a ship off the shore of Poland. It happens folks.
For some interesting reading on the subject of traveling with a medical condition read this interesting article.
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3. Book Your Seat Ahead of Time
Have you noticed that airlines are cramming even more seats into ever smaller aircraft cabins? I sure have. So, even though it usually costs me, I pay extra to select my seat ahead of time. Or, when traveling on Southwest, (they don’t assign seats) I buy the Early-Bird Check-In for a better boarding position. That’s because there is nothing worse than getting stuck in a middle seat when flying!
I prefer a window seat because if I’m trying to get some shuteye I can lean into the window and not the person sitting next to me. I also like to a have a seat with a view so I can take photos for this blog. Others prefer an aisle seat which makes getting up without disturbing others easier. Occupying an aisle seat also allows you to be the first to grab your bag from the overhead and be out the door quicker when the plane lands. That’s important if you have a tight connection. And in that case, buying a seat near the front of the aircraft is a wise investment too. In any case, I think paying for your seat when you book a flight is worth every penny of the expense. What do you think?
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4. Get Some Sleep
As you know if you’ve been following my blog for awhile, I travel a lot, often on long-haul flights to distant destinations. I have a lot of trouble sleeping on planes but I hate to ruin the first few days in my destination because I’m jet lagged. So, I was delighted when I found this great article in The Greatist that has some terrific expert advise on how to sleep on planes. Their advice has really helped me and I highly recommend reading the article before your next long flight.
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5. Come Prepared
Pack some things in your carry-on to keep you entertained and occupied, and throw in some creature comforts for good measure. I do my best reading while traveling by air and always make sure I download several books to my laptop before every trip. It makes the journey speed by much faster. My kids like to download movies to their laptops because more often than not, planes lack seat-back entertainment systems. And don’t forget comfortable, noise canceling headphones. Many people take along eye shields, neck pillows and even small blankets. I always have packets of herbal tea in my bag and simply ask the flight attendant for hot water. Whatever it is that makes you comfortable bring it along on your next trip.
So there you have it: 5 WAYS TO MAKE A PLANE JOURNEY MORE COMFORTABLE
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains affiliate links which help to make this blog possible. Thanks for your support.
