"Make fists with your toes..." Surviving Air Travel.

[MoeFOH]

I'm sure there are loads of you who remember that line from Die Hard about surviving air travel, yeah? Well, I've got a decent schedule of international and domestic flights (to the US and then within the US) ahead of me, very soon... So, any tips that can beat this one? (Keep them clean... or not... ;)) 

Cheers,

Moe.

[gweilgi]

My recipe:

• comfortable clothes;
• emergency rations of paracetamol, band-aids etc;
• making sure I get lounge access at any stopover;
• don't skimp on the flights: the extra inches in business really are worth it on the long hauls;
• alcohol: not enough o get me pissed, but just enough to take the edge off the stress/aggravation and let me sleep;
• bring your own books/music/films -- the in-flight entertainment doesn't always live up to the billing;
• if you're worried about deep-vein thrombosis, take an aspirin a day for a couple of days before travelling;
• forget about the expensive "aids" such as compression socks or those silly foam neck pillows, they are a marketing gimmick only.
• make sure to leave enough time between connections -- few things are as stressful as having to rush between flights (and terminals!) in unfamiliar airports.
• DO NOT crack jokes: customs and border control officers (especially in the US) are bred not to have a sense of humour;
• sorry if this sounds racist but: try not to be in a queue behind passengers who are African or Middle-Eastern.  In my experience, officialdom across the world very much tends to take their time being extra-thorough with such travellers.

[MrGlass]

A good set of noise-cancelling headphones are worth the investment.  I always carry a wired set with me, along with spare batteries.  Be aware that some of them won't work unless the noise-cancelling is turned on, meaning that if your batteries go flat the headphones won't work at all.  

[Corylax18]

Noise cancelling headphones are the biggest thing for me. Don't skimp, they are worth every penny. Spare batteries for them is also huge as Mrglass suggested. I also bring my own entertainment, downloaded onto a tablet. WiFi and general inflight entertainment function at far less then 100% reliability. Just enough liquor to take the edge off also does wonders. 

[MoeFOH]

1 hour ago, gweilgi said:

My recipe:

• comfortable clothes;
• emergency rations of paracetamol, band-aids etc;
• making sure I get lounge access at any stopover;
• don't skimp on the flights: the extra inches in business really are worth it on the long hauls;
• alcohol: not enough o get me pissed, but just enough to take the edge off the stress/aggravation and let me sleep;
• bring your own books/music/films -- the in-flight entertainment doesn't always live up to the billing;
• if you're worried about deep-vein thrombosis, take an aspirin a day for a couple of days before travelling;
• forget about the expensive "aids" such as compression socks or those silly foam neck pillows, they are a marketing gimmick only.
• make sure to leave enough time between connections -- few things are as stressful as having to rush between flights (and terminals!) in unfamiliar airports.
• DO NOT crack jokes: customs and border control officers (especially in the US) are bred not to have a sense of humour;
• sorry if this sounds racist but: try not to be in a queue behind passengers who are African or Middle-Eastern.  In my experience, officialdom across the world very much tends to take their time being extra-thorough with such travellers.

Thanks! Good checklist. On top of most of that, planning to take a couple of codeine mid-flight, put a nice glow on me. The alcohol, however, is always a tough one to limit... somehow my judgement becomes impaired...

[MoeFOH]

10 minutes ago, MrGlass said:

A good set of noise-cancelling headphones are worth the investment.  I always carry a wired set with me, along with spare batteries.  Be aware that some of them won't work unless the noise-cancelling is turned on, meaning that if your batteries go flat the headphones won't work at all.  

 

3 minutes ago, Corylax18 said:

Noise cancelling headphones are the biggest thing for me. Don't skimp, they are worth every penny. Spare batteries for them is also huge as Mrglass suggested. I also bring my own entertainment, downloaded onto a tablet. WiFi and general inflight entertainment function at far less then 100% reliability. Just enough liquor to take the edge off also does wonders. 

Noise cancellers... check! Have a good set of Sony's. 100% agree on the fatigue factor that they reduce; it's amazing how much constant noise batters the brain. 

Cheers! 

[Fuzz]

Definitely NC headphones. They are a must on any flight, even the short ones.

Drink plenty of fluids, and I don't mean booze. Stay hydrated throughout the flight. On international flights, if you're not getting up at least once to use the facilities, you are dehydrated.

[gweilgi]

3 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Definitely NC headphones. They are a must on any flight, even the short ones.

Drink plenty of fluids, and I don't mean booze. Stay hydrated throughout the flight. On international flights, if you're not getting up at least once to use the facilities, you are dehydrated.

Talking of fluids, another piece of advice: bring spare socks or slippers.  That water on the floor of the plane's toilet?  It ain't water.

 

 

[TNT009]

Bring your own travel blanket and pillow, I don't trust those given by airlines.. And most importantly, sanitizing wipes, get the head and armrests and dinner tray.

[Fuzz]

1 hour ago, gweilgi said:

Talking of fluids, another piece of advice: bring spare socks or slippers.  That water on the floor of the plane's toilet?  It ain't water.

 

 

I always put my shoes back on before getting out of my seat.

[MoeFOH]

2 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Definitely NC headphones. They are a must on any flight, even the short ones.

Drink plenty of fluids, and I don't mean booze. Stay hydrated throughout the flight. On international flights, if you're not getting up at least once to use the facilities, you are dehydrated.

 

1 hour ago, Fuzz said:

I always put my shoes back on before getting out of my seat.

Plenty of water and gumboots. Got it! 

Cheers,

Moe.