Basics – 101 Preparing for Your Adventure

Boomeropia’s Travel Tips provides you with a plethora of governmental links for detail information with regards to your travel plans and itineraries. Here we shall address the basics when flying on airplanes from a flight attendant’s perspective. We share with you our secrets for maintaining good health.

* Time – allow extra time for your transportation to the airport allowing for traffic issues and last minute delays. When an airline suggests you arrive two hours before departure, you should plan on three. Waiting in the lounge reading a book is more calming than racing through the terminal trying to get to the gate on time! Also, when making connecting flights, always allow additional time if you can as oftentimes, especially with international arrivals, your connecting flight may not allow for delays that often occur when clearing customs. Be aware that even the airline reservation desk often books your connecting flight too close to your international arrival!

* Planning – you have your itinerary and of course it is in written form. All your transportation needs, air flights, dates, hotel accommodations should be kept together in a folder and easy to access from your carry on bag. Fumbling through for proper identification as you pass through various security check points can cause frustration and delays. www.magellan.com offers many convenient small pouches that you can hold your most important documents and have readily available. Many flight attendants like the pouch which can be worn around the neck with identification card plus passport. It is simple, convenient and always accessible when needed!

* Baggage: Simple answer is in the magic of TWO. One bag for your prescriptions, documentations (passport, itinerary, travel journals, camera, reading materials etc) and the other a european style (smaller size) roller board wherein you will pack all your clothing. No matter if you plan a week to a month trip, it is not necessary to bring multiple bags that will certainly cause stress if lost. Lost baggage claims unfortunately are on the rise so to insure you arrive to your destination in tact do not check bags unless absolutely necessary.

* Clothing: Soft, elastic or expandable waist is the key – rather than anything that would be tight fitting. There are many travel clothing sites and catalogues which give you an abundance of styles that are both comfortable and chic – so trade in that jogging suit for some trendy travel wear that are not expensive. My favorite site is www.travelsmith.com (for both men and women!)

* Security Check Points & Departure Fees: Not only does it vary city to city within the continental U.S. but also internationally security check points may vary. Not only do they vary but oftentimes changes are made before they are even posted in the travel - governmental links. Generally, keep all liquids to a minimum (be especially observant when traveling to the UK as they are very stringent in what you can have in your carry on bags – one small zip lock bag must contain all your liquids and gels. (At some UK airports your zip lock bag goes through in a separate container for inspection).

* You also will have to take your coat and heavy sweaters off in addition to anything metal (jewelry, watches) that might cause the checker sound to go off. Different airports have different calibrations – so be aware that what might pass at your airport at home may not receive the green light at that foreign destination.

* Collecting those shower caps from hotels work well to place on your feet as you walk through the security check point shoeless (as the floors are not clean). These are easily disposed of at the end of your day! Always check before hand what the departure fees will be and know the procedure you have to follow to pay. In some third world countries you may have to pay in cash so be prepared (to pay not in US dollars, but the form of exchange for that country! Not all places accept the U.S. dollar anymore)

* Lavatory Maintenance: Once on board, if you feel you need to visit the lavatory do so before takeoff rather than after! One never knows if there will be delays and when the aircraft is on the tarmac and in line for take off, all customers must remain seated – if you have an emergency and must get up the plane has to stop and wait for you to complete your visit! This will cause further delays in takeoff for flight crews must notify the Captain when this happens.

* Most airlines will give two announcements with regards to arrival – there is initial decent when the captain generally comes on and gives an announcement. This is the time to make a dash to the lavatory before the final decent announcement is made. In final decent flight attendants come through one last time to collect any discarded items and insure all customers are seated with belts fastened, tray table locked and all computer or video equipment stowed etc.

* Smoking: Smoking is prohibitive on most international carriers but be aware that some do allow smoking, depending on destination. I will never foget flying A’Italia from Rome to Tirana, Albania. I was sitting in first class and every other person was lighting up much to my dismay. I had to place a handkerchief over my nose to try to filter out the smoke. If you are not use to smoke, be prepared for in most of the third world destinations it seems most everyone lights up and the air carriers allow smoking on selected flights! This is also true in many of the air terminals where everywhere is an acceptable place to smoke!

* Be aware that many neck air purifiers recently are being banned on most U.S. carriers for sometimes the batteries do explode while in flight. If you are bringing one on board be sure to ask the flight attendant whether or not your particular model is acceptable to use.

* Health Maintenance: Air quality within the cabin does have reduced percentage of oxygen so be sure if you have any allergies or breathing/lung difficulties you get clearance from your doctor before embarking on your trip. The crew is prepared to service any oxygen bottles that you may bring on board of which must be purchased with the carrier and the customer service representative will coordinate your special needs with the flight crew.

* Circulation/Exercise: The key is to exercise and stretch whenever you are able – even if you have a window seat, don’t feel that you are disturbing others when you need to get up. Often I have been relieved when those sitting next to me (as I always seem to get the window seat!) need to get up for a lavatory stop or a walking tour of the cabin! We all like to stand up and stretch during those long flights. An aisle seat is the preferred choice but oftentimes we just can’t get that seat. So be sure to gently ask your neighbors and get up and walk! You will feel much better!

* Walking is the best exercise you can do each day while traveling. You don’t need an hour at the gym to insure good health. There is tremendous value in just ten minutes each day in your hotel room doing some basic yoga stretches plus ten deep abdominal breaths. This combined with your daily walking on tour will be sufficient to keep you healthy and strong. Just be sure you have comfortable shoes to wear!

* Light-headedness/Headaches: Be sure to alert a crew member for oftentimes to conserve fuel, the oxygen in the cabin falls to a lower level which can be easily corrected from the cockpit. You should also be taking periodically deep abdominal breaths which will clear your head and give you a general feeling of well-being. If the cabin oxygen levels are normal and you still experience lightheadedness, the flight attendant can give you some oxygen from a POB (Portable Oxygen Bottle) which quickly will bring your blood oxygen levels back to normal.

* With regards to headaches, be sure you are not dehydrated as this oftentimes is the first symptom. Drink more water and if needed take an aspirin. Some carriers carry aspirin in their customer care kits, but what is recommended is that you carry the appropriate medication that works best for you.

* Drink more water! Avoid alcohol for one drink is like having two or three when you are at 35,000 feet! It is advisable to avoid all alcoholic beverages and sodas (high in salt) in exchange for bottled water. All U.S. carriers use bottled water but be careful when flying smaller regional carriers outside the U.S. When in doubt you can always order “fizzy water” “water con gas” which is seltzer water and therefore purified. Also avoid ice in your drinks for one cannot be too careful as to its source.

* To combat dryness in the cabin you can wet a cloth (paper towels are usually found in the lavatory) and place over your face to get a little relief and hydration. Also, eye drops can relieve itching and dryness. A little secret my allergist told me was to place a small amount of vaseline in each nostril which will keep your nose area moist plus providing an additional filter to keep out those unwanted microbes! If you have the yoga kettle or nasoline syringe found in health food stores, you should irrigate your nasal passages when you arrive at your hotel (use filtered water please!). Keeping the nasal passages clean from irritants and microbes is important in helping you prevent catching a cold or flu from other passengers. Visit www.iherb.com .

* Wash thou hands! Briskly wash your hands whenever you have a chance and keep your fingers out of your eyes or mouth. We remember singing the ABC or Happy Birthday song with our grandchildren – we too must do this in order to allow the proper length of time to wash our hands to insure those unwanted bugs have filtered down the drain! Always carry those antibacterial cloths and once through the security check you can purchase the antibacterial gels (which are generally not allowed through some security check points).

* If you have a cold be sure to take a decongestants an hour before departure! If you have severe congestion you run the risk of getting a painful condition called ear bloc which could cause loss of hearing if severe enough. You may have to consider delaying your departure if you experience this condition.

* Chewing gum also relieves the pressure in the ear canal as well as swallowing.

* www.healthline.com provides techniques for equalizing ear bloc that many experience while descending. These techniques work well but you must do them gently otherwise you run the risk of damaging the ear drum.

* If you experience severe ear ache ask the flight attendant for two styrofoam cups and saturate wet towels with hot water and put them inside each cup. Place them around each ear allowing the heat to penetrate the ear giving you some relief. This works well especially with children. For babies, sucking on a pacifier or bottle also aids their inner ear to adjust to the variance in air pressure.

* Sickness/Illness: Should you become ill while en flight do not be alarmed for the cabin crew are well prepared to handle most all emergencies. In addition to oxygen that is available, they have a defibrillator as well as a complete medical kit for any medical doctor to access. In addition to this, the cabin crew will be in direct phone contact with a ground medical clinic (MedLink) with doctors who are on call 24/7 giving detail instructions to the flight crew on helping the ill passenger. What is important however, especially if you are traveling alone, and are diabetic, is to alert the ground staff of your condition. They will communicate this to the crew who will be sure you are served your meal first before serving others. Also, any other kind of special needs or medical condition should be reported as the more information they have about you the better apt to meet any medical emergency that may arise. This information is kept confidential, and all crew members in their crew briefings are made aware of your special needs and seat location. They will silently be monitoring you and making sure of your comfort.

Of course the key is that if you are in a foreign country and become ill you should not plan on returning on your scheduled flight for the risk may be too great .Many airlines will accommodate you if this happens thus waiving any change of schedule fees.

* Diet/Medicines: Airline food is full of preservatives though the good thing is that with American carriers, illness due to food spoilage is rare. Chances are you will not get sick from what is served but be aware that you will certainly want to flush out the preservatives in your system with plenty of water. Whenever you have a choice, try to eat fresh prepared meals prior to your plane travel. Carry healthy snacks such as almonds, walnuts, protein bars.

* If you are diabetic be sure you have additional food to eat to insure your blood sugar levels remain stable and be prepared and have what you would need should you have a reaction. Don’t depend on the crew, especially with foreign carriers, to have food or things that would alleviate a diabetic reaction. You need to come prepared with the proper foodstuffs and medications. Also, it is against FAA regulations for the crew to stow or refrigerate your medicine. They can provide ice for you but be sure you carry appropriate insulated bags for proper storage of your medical prescriptions etc.

* Fear of Flying Issues: There are more people who experience fear in flying though many of us do not realize this as they usually are sitting in quiet agony. If you are one of these people, sometimes just sharing this with a crew member will actually diffuse your anxiousness. We feel safe when we are in environments that we know and have control over. Flying in a small space with total strangers would cause most people to feel uncomfortable. Speak up and share your concerns – the crew will be alerted and will provide you comfort.

* Always follow your intuition: Never ever discount your concerns or suspicions about other travelers! Your hunch is important - pay attention to it and always err on the side of caution – alert a crew member quietly. Flight attendants are the eyes and ears of what is happening in the cabin. As flight attendants we welcome any comments with regards to suspicious behavior, smells or anything that may be disturbing a passenger. You are our eyes and ears too as to what is happening within the cabin – together we will assure all of us will remain safe and secure.