Good evening everyone!
I have had a few requests re what to write about on my blog
here, so now that I have some time off I thought I would knuckle down and get
writing and fulfil some of these! One of these requests was tips for flying,
and so this blog entry was born…
1 Be prepared. There is absolutely nothing wrong with
starting your packing a week before your trip begins. There is also nothing
wrong with starting it the day you’re going to fly out, but I personally lean
more towards the week before thing (and this is half because I am hyper
organised by nature and half because I’m too excited for my holiday that I just
can’t wait to get packing and go!)
2 Make sure you pack everything you think you will need
during the flight into your carry on. Think really hard. Make a list if you
need to. Some essentials I always have on my list include any medication, an
empty water bottle that you can fill up post security but before boarding, a
jumper/scarf/jacket/even your own little blanket if you have one (because even
with the cabin temperature set at what is usually quite a comfortable 23
degrees Celsius, sitting still for 14 hours will make you cold, even in such a
pleasant temperature), snacks, magazines, books, my iPhone/tablet/laptop, lip
balm, moisturiser, tissues, socks, headphones, all my important travel
documents, my passport and visas, my wallet, some home currency as well as some
currency of the country I’m travelling to, my travel journal, sunglasses,
toothbrush and toothpaste, hair brush, a clean change of underwear and a few
pens.
3 I also always make sure my attire is comfortable for a
long haul flight (and even for short haul flights!). I usually wear jeans, a t-shirt
and a hoodie, and after take-off I change into a much comfier pair of pants to sit
out the flight in. Leggings or flowy yoga pants are ideal. You just need
something flexible, stretchy and comfortable. One flight coming home from San
Francisco I even changed into a pair of pyjama pants! No shame.
Your hoodie will keep you warm and you have your comfy t-shirt
if you get too hot in your hoodie.
I always wear my runners on board long haul flights since
they are the biggest and heaviest of all the shoes I usually take on my holiday,
so I wear them on board to save room in my luggage. I usually take them off
pretty soon after I board though. Just don’t be gross and rest your bare feet
too close to another passenger, or worse, not wear your shoes to the bathroom.
Seriously. Don’t go in there barefoot, or even with socks on. WEAR SHOES.
4 Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! There is only one
thing I will stress more than this, and we’ll come to that later. It is so, so,
so, so, SO dry on planes. Your skin will get so weathered and leathery over the
course of your flight. There is absolutely no need to wear make up on board a
long haul flight. You’re not Miranda Kerr. The paps won’t be waiting for you at
either end of your journey. Go bare faced and settle back and moisturise your
hands and face (at least) with a good hydrating cream. I am also a big fan of
Jurlique’s Rose Water Balancing Mist. It is a little pricey, but comes in a
small or large bottle (the small bottle is the ideal size for travelling at
50ml), smells incredible and is good for those of us who are a bit lazy and
don’t slap on an actual creamy moisturiser as often as we really should. I use
it on my face several times per flight when I am working and it just gives me a
little pick me up and makes my face not feel so haggard. Give it a go! (pro
tip: if you are flying internationally you can buy it post security at duty
free, where it will be cheaper than in regular stores!)
5 Drink water. And lots of it. This is the point I want to
stress the most. I used to be so bad with water. I don’t like water much anyway
as I find it pretty boring to drink, even with added lemon slices or powdered
mixes I added to my bottle, and I used to barely drink any water during the
flights that I worked as crew. Meanwhile I was drinking plenty of coke zero and
apple juice and almost anything else I could get my hands on (fatty hot
chocolate, lemonade, orange juice, smoothies from first class…). I know I know,
bad flight attendant *slaps wrist*. I used to get to my hotel and have a nap
and when I woke up I would always have a headache that wouldn’t go away til I
had had a shower and something to eat and drink. Clearly my body was screaming
at me. But I continued to not drink much water and every time I would wake up
in my hotel bed with a headache. Every. Time. You’d think I’d learn, and
finally, this year, I have. One flight I forced myself to drink 2 x 1.5 litre
bottles of water and no caffeinated drinks at all, and when I woke up later in
my hotel after the flight I had the clearest head ever and felt like I could’ve
gone out and run a marathon. It was amazing! I felt so good. I tried it the
next flight as well, just to see if the feeling was a one off, but it wasn’t.
Now I force myself to drink three litres every flight and even though it’s
annoying going to the toilet about eight times over the course of the flight,
how much I feel better and how much clearer my skin is already makes it worth
it! So drink drink drink!
6 Sleep. I tell my passengers this all the time. Try to get
as much sleep as you possibly can. Of course this isn’t always possible, as some
people just cannot sleep on aeroplanes (and who can blame them? Sleeping wasn’t
meant to be done sitting upright!). Try to set your schedule up according to
when you will depart and land. So for example if you are leaving your home town
during the day, try to stay awake all night the night before so that you zonk
out as soon as you sit down on board. You get what I mean. Just do the maths,
avoid the caffeine and use whatever you have to to try to get some shut eye
(sleeping tablets, herbal tea, eye shades, ear plugs…). Even if you can’t
sleep, most of us have such crazy lives that we don’t even get the chance to
sit back and not have anything to do for a few hours, so here and now, on board
your international flight, is the time to do just that. Even just resting and
watching a movie is sometimes almost as good as sleep.
I think that’s all the tips we have time for today. These
are by far the most important anyway. I hope they help you out on board your
next flight, and you step off in a new destination ready and raring to explore!
Your friendly flight attendant,
Jorgs
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