If you’re hopping on a plane soon, you’re in good company. In fact, about 2.7 million passengers hop onto planes from major airlines each and every day!
When getting on a plane for a long flight, knowing what to do with the hours ahead can be a daunting task. That’s why we’re going to talk today about what to do on a plane to stay safe and make the time pass by faster. Read on before buckling up and taking off!
Stay Safe
Safety is the most important thing in any situation, so it’s important to think about staying safe during long flights. Know where the nearest exits are on the plane and read the safety booklet provided to you.
Flying increases the risk of dehydration, so you’ll need to make sure that you stay hydrated. Buy a bottle of water at the airport or order it off the airline menu. It might cost more than you’d like, but it will be worth it so you don’t become dehydrated. Set a timer on your phone and make sure it goes off (with earbuds, of course) at regular intervals. This will remind you to take a drink.
Your blood circulation can also be thrown off by spending a long time in the air. Get up and walk up and down the cabin every one or two hours. This will ensure that your blood pumps to your legs appropriately.
For circulation reasons, you’ll also want to wear special flight socks. These reduce the risk of blood clots in your feet and ankles by applying more pressure to your feet. They also stop your feet from inflating and becoming uncomfortable and numb after landing.
Be Considerate
Be considerate while on the plane. While you may be struggling with a long flight, others around you also deserve to be comfortable for the long hours of flight. Some things you need to do are:
- Use headphones when listening to music or audio from your computer
- Make sure your headphones are at an appropriate volume- the person next to you doesn’t want to hear your music
- Don’t try to make conversation with people who have headphones/earplugs in
- Allow the person in the middle seat to use the armrests beside them
- Don’t put your legs or luggage in your neighbor’s foot space
If you know that you’re prone to motion sickness, take a Dramamine. This is just as much for you as it is for your neighbors- you won’t like being sick, and your neighbors won’t like being next to someone who is sick.
Remember: you’re all in this (flight) together!
Understand Plane Maintenance
Understanding plane maintenance before heading off on your journey is also a good idea, and if you don’t know about it, you may want to download some articles to read on the plane about this subject.
Just knowing some expert maintenance tips will make you feel more comfortable in understanding how the plane works. This can make you feel safe because you’ll know that care was put into ensuring your safety while the plane is in motion.
Make Sure You Have Snacks
You’ll also want to make sure that you have some snacks with you for the flight ahead. Most airline snacks are extremely overpriced and can be brought onto the flight on your own.
Unless you want to buy food after getting through airport security (another expensive choice), you’ll need to choose snacks that are in fully sealed bags. Granola and trail mix are good options, as are dried fruits that come in sealed bags. In consideration of other guests’ allergies, you may want to avoid nuts, but beyond that, there are so many options!
Read a Good Book
While watching movies and shows can be fun, nothing beats reading a good book. If you want to get in the mood for travel, reading a novel about an adventurer can be a lot of fun. You can also read a book set in the place that you’re flying to so that you can get hyped about your surroundings!
Here are some delicious book recommendations for those that still aren’t sure where to start:
- Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (fantasy)
- A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab (fantasy)
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (fantasy)
- We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (fantasy)
- Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas (historical romance)
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (contemporary romance)
- November 9th by Colleen Hoover (contemporary)
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (classic- free to download)
- Emma by Jane Austen (classic- free to download)
If you don’t want to carry a bunch of books around with you, that’s understandable. Load up your Kindle or Nook with some of these titles or download them from Barnes and Noble or Amazon onto your smartphone!
Music
When you want to give your eyes a break from books and shows, make sure that you have an iPod or music player handy. You can listen to your favorite songs and daydream about the trip ahead. After all, you’ve literally got your head in the clouds!
Make sure that you also have some relaxing tunes with you. When you get tired, sleeping on the plane with earbuds in and an eye mask on will help you to feel better and avoid jetlag. This will ensure that you feel refreshed when you reach your destination!
Take Time to Journal
There are a lot of benefits to journaling, especially when you’re traveling. And what better time to start your travel journal than while you’re on the plane heading to a new destination?
Write about the things that you’re most looking forward to doing and seeing on your adventure. What do you think you’re going to like most about your destination? What are you excited about? What anticipations do you have?
Writing about these things will give you something to look back on at the end of your adventure. You then can discover how different things were from your expectations.
On the flight back, you can then write about the ways that things in your destination were different than expected. Write about the expectations that were exceeded on your trip and what you look forward to on your next adventure! You can also write about the things you’ve learned about yourself on the way.
More About What to Do on a Plane
Now that you know what to do on a plane to stay safe and keep entertained, it’s time to check out the search function on our page. Here, you can enter any keywords related to travel and technology to find more tips to get you through your journey.
Have a good trip!
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