Air Travel

• Tired of your feet swelling on a long plane trip? I purchased an inexpensive pair of runners with velcro closures. I can flip them open or closed with the toes of the other foot so my feet can breathe. Better yet, I'm not fumbling trying to change out of slippers or trying to tie laces in the cramped seats in coach.
  
  
• When packing film and cameras, make sure to take them with you as a carry-on. The machines that are used to x-ray the luggage that goes under the plane can ruin your film. Just to be extra safe, take your camera and film out of your carry-on bag when you go through the security check - that machine can also ruin your film. The security workers should be happy to be of assistance.
  
  
• For all you smokers, on long flights bring a pack of nicotine patches or nicotine gum to curb the cravings. Jonesing for a smoke on an international flight can drive you crazy. Follow the usage/safety directions.
  
  
• I use a medium to large size leather backpack for my carry-on. It allows me to have both hands free for handling luggage, tickets, boarding pass, etc. After I check my luggage I can carry it by the handle. I alway pack magazines, newpapers, and a paperback for the flight and any unexpected delays. It is also a very good idea to pack sandwiches and snacks - you never know when you might need them. After reading the magazines and newspaper and eating your snack, you have room for souvenirs or fragile purchases on the return flight.
  
  
• When traveling alone ask the person beside you if you can have the aisle seat. This means that you won't have to bother the person beside you if you have to get out of your seat. I would rather be bothered than to bother another.
  
  
• Do not put your homeopathic medicines or supplements containing enzymes through the x-ray machines - ask for them to be hand searched instead.
  
  
• The internet has wonderful maps of airports available. I have printed up copies and taken them along, making changing airplanes much easier. I have also looked at the lay-out of the planes to see where my seat was located.
  
  
• I always carry on board while I'm travelling by air overseas: many magazines, crosswords, and some stuff so that I can have fun during the flight that may happen to be very long and borring. I always also carry a book, and depending on the weight of my hand baggage, I "forget" all the stuff like: magazines, crosswords, etc. ... on board. That way I'll not have to carry a heavy load and during the flight I'll have heaps of fun with my things.
  
  
• When buying airline tickets online, call the airline to get seat assignment immediately if no seat assignment is given. If you arrive at the ticket counter without seat assignment on an overbooked flight, you probably will get bumped off the flight and forced to take a later flight - which can be several hours or even a full day later. Due to overbooking, getting seat assignment in advance can reduce the risk of getting "bumped"!
  
  
• Chew gum as you are taking off. That way you can reduce the pressure in your ears.
  
  
• When traveling by air in high risk areas, always request a window seat. If the flight is high-jacked, terrorists tend to hit the people sitting on the aisles as well as pull out people in aisle seats for mistreatment. It pays to be harder to get to! This may sound extreme but living in South America it is something I always practice.
  
  
• When on a long flight remove your shoes and put on slippers. This will improve circulation in your feet.
  
  
• If interested in getting an upgrade (first class) you must be wearing clothes that are presentable. This means dress slacks for men and a button down shirt, no jeans or shorts allowed. Females should dress in smart casual or business attire. This is for international travel - I'm sure a domestic flight would not be so strict.
  
  
• When you claim your bag at the airport, check it over before you leave the bag claim area. Look for any new damage on the bag, and to be sure that it was not opened and something taken (airlines have time limits for when these can be reported, and they will need to see the damage before opening the claim for damage or pilferage). The baggage service desk for the airline is normally right in the claim area; this is also true for Customs arrivals. It is especially important to fill out the misplaced baggage information before leaving Customs, as Customs will have special forms that may help the baggage clear without your presence at the airport. If you have combination locks or keys for the baggage, these should be left with the paperwork for your baggage - as it will prevent delays in getting your bag or possible bag damage from Customs opening the bag.
  
  
• If the air gets too dry in the plane, wet some paper towels and breathe through the wet towels.
  
  
• When booking a flight through a travel agent, double check with the airline that the travel agent has given you the correct luggage allowance. I was told that I was only allowed 1 piece of checked luggage and 1 hand luggage at a combined max weight of 50 lbs. I had not flown before and didn't susupect that this was wrong, but it turned out that the luggage allowance was actually 3 pieces with a total max combined weight of 183 lbs. - 70 lbs. per checked piece and 43 lbs. per hand luggage.
  
  
• If you're planning to carry on your luggage, make sure that you get a seat in the rear of the plane when making your reservations. This avoids the panic of trying to find overhead space since you're among the first to board.
  
  
• BRING BLISTEX!! On the plane, this can be invaluable. If your flight is over 1 hour long, I strongly suggest you make this tiny tube of lip moisturizer a part of your carry-on bag. Almost nothing is worse than severe chapped lips in the very dry environment of the plane. Even if your lips are not chapped when you take off, the dry recycled air will do the job quickly! Blistex is tiny, and if you have dry elbows or heals, it can also be used as a skin moisturizer. It is shareable, as you can sqeeze it on to fingers instead of lips, and in very desperate situations, it can be put on the face in small amounts to get rid of that dry, tight feeling. I hope every one will heed this advice; as a veteran flyer, it is a small thing that can make a huge difference!
  
  
• Noise-cancelling headphones have now come down to affordable prices of about $50 (also available for $300 or more). These really help - as I found out with a $69 Maxell pair on a 15-hour Australia flight. They cancel out especially the low frequency noise such as the engine and part of air conditioning and allow for great sound quality when watching movies. Other brands are Aiwa, Sony or BOSE. They can also be effectively used at home while mowing a lawn or vacuum cleaning. The effect is quite amazing. Highly recommended for people who travel a lot.
  
  
• During airline check-in, especially for flights originating from airports outside the US, check the airline destination tag. If not, your luggage may end up in MNL (Manila) instead of MIA (Miami); DKR (Dakar, Senegal) instead of DAC (Dhaka, Bangladesh).
  
  
• On long flights, especially in coach, take a few minutes to get up and walk the aisles. Or at least do some exercises ... move your legs and arms to simulate walking If you are not allergic to it, take an asprin. Blood clots can form on long flights when you do not move and they can kill you. (See http://www.aviation-health.org/Health_Advice.html )
  
  
• Want to use your Laptop In-Flight? Auto Air Adapters There have been a few instances of airline power adapters not working with in seat power sources. This can happen when an adapter is required to produce the fully rated 70 watts to fast charge the internal laptop battery but the in-seat power system is not designed to produce that much power. With an adapter efficiency of 90%, the 70-watt load tries to pull 78 watts from the in-seat power unit, and it safely shuts down. The safety circuits in the adapter also sense the overload and also safely shut down. This can happen with any of the in-seat power systems that have current limited outputs of around 5 amps (Note that 5 amps at 15 volts = 75 watts). This can also happen with any brand of power adapter and with any laptop that draws up to 70 watts. Many of the in-seat power systems were designed when laptops used between 54 and 60 watts. The need for higher power was not foreseen by the airlines. Solutions: 1) Turn off the laptop before plugging the adapter into the in-seat power system. Most laptops will draw less than 70 watts when only charging the battery. Allow the battery to charge for 15 to 20 minutes then try to operate while it continues to charge at a somewhat lower level. 2) Remove the laptop battery before plugging the adapter into the in-seat power. The operating power of a laptop is far less than the combined operating and charging power. Note that without the internal battery any interruption in in-seat power will cause a loss of unsaved data.

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