1. Dress comfortably and modestly.
Cotton clothes and light comfy jackets or blazers are not just trendy but it can also be your saving grace especially in a long-haul flight.
2. High-heel shoes and strappy sandals are a big no-no.
Spare your favorite gladiator sandals, pumps or flip-flops on the day of your flight. Sneakers, zip-up boots or closed-toe shoes are relatively convenient when going through security at the airport, and will also protect your tired feet walking around the airport for hours.
3. No strong perfumes.
Avoid using high-strength perfumes as it may disturb other passengers who are sensitive to strong fragrances.
4. Don’t use contact lenses in long flights.
It is recommended not to use contact lenses, especially in long flights since the air pressure and dry air inside the aircraft may cause dryness and eye irritation. If you carry your contact lenses with you, ensure that your contact lens solution can fit in a quarter size clear zip-top bag.
5. Don’t let your hair down, Rapunzel.
For family members with long hair, try sporting easy updo hairstyles to keep hair secure and out of the way, but still stylish. Keeping the hair down will let flying strands mess up with the face and eyes. The dry air inside the cabin but will also make it dry and exposure to other elements will make it greasy.
6. Ensure your bags and luggage are durable.
Ensure that your checked luggage are durable enough to withstand the pressure of travel. Put a distinctive mark on your checked luggage before travel so you can easily eye on it from the conveyor belt. For carry on suitcases, ensure that you comply with the size requirement for each flight in your itinerary.
7. Don’t carry scissors or lighters. No power banks in checked luggage.
Ensure that you are not carrying prohibited items in your checked or carry-on luggage. For instance, sharp objects like scissors or cutters and ignition devices like lighter are usually not allowed in carry-ons. Power banks are not allowed in checked luggage as lithium batteries have the tendency to combust.
8. Assign numbers to your luggage and take photos.
Count your luggage and take photos. In case of lost, you will have an easy reference when reporting to airport authorities.
9. Bring your health cards and travel insurance.
As a precautionary measure, bring your health insurance, health cards or copies of your travel insurance together with your travel documents.
10. Carry your essentials with a belt bag.
Wearing a belt bag or body bag is very functional, convenient and practical. Strut your essential stuff like travel documents, cards and cash in a belt bag. Your documents will be more secure and easily accessible without the hassles of searching beneath the rumbled items in your carry-on bag.
11. Never question any rules and regulations. Do not try to crack a joke with authorities or airline staff.
Comply with the rules and regulations of the airport or immigration authorities. Never show any kind of aggressiveness or disagreement, nor crack jokes while talking to airport authorities or airline crews. Any off-color joke or saying a wrong thing might land you to being offloaded or even arrested.
12. Do not accept anything from strangers or help other passengers.
Never ever carry other passenger’s belongings or accept any parcel from anyone even if they ask for help to avoid any trap of bad guys. Many drug-related cases involve people pretending to be in need by asking other passengers to carry their belongings. Remember, you are also a passenger. If anyone needs help, they should call the authorities or airline crew.
13. Don’t be engrossed in shopping. Empty your bladder before boarding time.
Be mindful of your boarding time and do not be engrossed in shopping. With sample time prior to your boarding time, If you are travelling with family, ask the family members especially the kids if they need to use the bathroom. Boarding with pee-bags full is absolutely uncomfortable. Remember that it would be inconvenient to use the plane’s lavatory in the midst of a boarding passengers’ crowd.
14. Take advantage of family priority boarding.
Airlines give boarding priority to travelers with small children, so be ready when boarding time comes. This will allow you to board conveniently and settle in your seats before other passengers crowd in the boarding gate.
15. Be mindful of airplane etiquettes.
Inside the cabin, speak in soft tones and avoid loud voices so as not to disturb other passengers onboard. Remind the kids to keep their legs a bit from the seats in front to avoid shaking that might irritate the passenger seated in front of them.
16. Stay hydrated.
Ensure that all family members are well hydrated by drinking enough water while onboard and use moisturizers to avoid skin dryness.
17. Move your feet for proper circulation.
Low air pressure can slow your circulation and may cause clots or thrombosis. To avoid this, get up and move once in a while. Otherwise, exercise your ankles and legs or do the heel-toe/ toe-heel (raise your heels with the toes on the floor and vice versa).
18. Clean the tray table with antibacterial wipes.
Avoid putting the food directly on the tray tables, as these may have molds and viruses. Never ever rest your face on the tray tables. Some studies revealed that these are the dirtiest surfaces of the airplane. Use anti-bacterial wipes to clean tray tables especially that of the children to avoid catching any virus.
19. Tuck your essential kit into the seat pouch. Chew gummies during take-off and landing.
Ensure you have your essential kit ( antibacterial wipes, headache tablets, motion sickness medicines, gums or candies) tuck into the seat pouch for easy reach. Chewing gummies or candies during take-off or landing will help in equalizing the pressure in your ears. Remember that the cabin pressure changes faster than the pressure in your ears, and it can make you feel half-deaf. Teach the kids how to breathe while holding the nose to release the pressure in the ears.
20. Be ready with your playtime strategy.
To make the kids busy and away from boredom, adopt a playtime strategy. Don’t pull out all the weapons from your arsenal at the same time, as kids may get bored in no time and you will be in a tantrum warzone! Ensure interesting games or storybooks are downloaded on the iPad for kids to enjoy during the flight. Avoid bringing toys with detachable parts as it may fall under the seats. Do not let your child pick up anything between or under the seats as it may cause them serious injuries.
Read More:
Part 1: 20 Things To Do Before the Family Travels
Part 3: 20 Tips for the Family After Arriving at the Destination
