Four-plus years of travel and hard knocks have taught us a few things, and so have our many expat and travel-blogger friends. By far our worst travel experience – and hardest-earned lesson – was the time when Dan developed a blood clot in his leg from a long-haul flight. That sure gave me a scare, since DVT can be life threatening!
Healthy air travel begins before you board.
We don’t want you to arrive at your destination with DVT or have a case of coughs and sniffles spoil your vacation. Here are some of our favorite, little-known tips to help you have a safe and healthy flight, along with some suggestions (in bold) of things to bring along with you to help avoid picking up a nasty germ.
Feel free to add your own secrets in the comments.
Prepare yourself ahead of time
- If you have a sensitive bladder, request an aisle seat when you make your reservation. Not only will you be far more comfortable, you won’t have to wake up a seatmate again and again.
- Avoid heavy meals in the 24 hours before a long trip. Thanks to the reduced air pressure, it will weigh you down and prevent a comfortable rest.
- Avoid eating gas- and bloat-creating foods (beans, cabbage, broccoli, etc.) in the 24 hours before you travel. The low air pressure in the cabin causes swallowed air and gases in your stomach and intestines to expand and you’ll end up feeling uncomfortable and bloated. (You’ll also embarrass yourself from the smells you emit, and nobody wants that.)
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Sleep strengthens your immune system, which might make the difference between a fun vacation and catching the cold of the guy in the next row who’s constantly coughing.
- TSA-approved locks. Buy and use them for every bag, including your carry-on. More and more people are having to gate check bags, which means any traveler or airport employee might be able to gain access to your stuff until it’s loaded on the plane.
- If you do have to gate check a bag, always bring your prescription medications and valuables on board with you, on the off chance your bag doesn’t make it onto the plane before takeoff.
- Snacks. Nuts, fruit, homemade cookies, and other solid items, will breeze right through security with no problem, as long as they’re not liquids or foil-wrapped. (Heck, we’ve seen foot-long Subway sandwiches go through the x-ray machine!)
- Glasses. Wear your glasses instead of contact lenses. The dry air in the cabin makes contacts extremely uncomfortable.
- Saline nasal spray. Studies have shown that using it before, during and after a flight helps to ward off airborne germs.
- Water bottle. Staying hydrated is the #1 way to stay healthy when you’re flying. Drink 8 oz. for every hour in flight. You can bring drinks on board, so depending on your preference you can buy bottled water or refill an empty bottle in the departure lounge.
- Walk around the airport while you wait for the plane. You’ll get plenty of time to sit still once you’re aboard.
- If you usually request a hot beverage on board, buy a nice, large, to-go cup of freshly brewed coffee/herbal tea/hot chocolate at a café in the departure lounge and make your seatmates envious instead. (I’ll explain why below.)
- Use the restroom just before boarding. There always seem to be long lines at the one on board as soon as the pilot turns off the “Fasten Seatbelt” sign.
Once you’re aboard
- Adjust your watch to the destination’s time when you board; it is one of the top ways to avoid jet lag.
- Antibacterial Wet Wipes. Pay attention, this is very important: Clean everything in, on, above and around your seat. Everything. People change their babies’ diapers on the tray table, wipe their noses and push the seat back, cough into their hands and then touch the remote … you get the picture.
- For more comfort and movement room, lift the armrests on your seat. (For the aisle and window seats: There’s a button under the armrest near the hinge. Push it to lift the armrest.)
- Get up to stretch and move around at regular intervals. Moving helps to prevent backaches, avoid DVT and swelling, and is far more effective and enjoyable than any in-seat exercises you can do. Yet another reason for an aisle seat.
- If you have a large bag or backpack, use it as a footrest during the flight. It will help to reduce swelling in your legs and feet. And if you’re lucky enough to have a seat with an actual footrest, don’t forget to use it.
- Wear shoes whenever you walk around the plane, especially in the lavatory where floors often get wet. (I also advise you to avoid wearing white socks; they never shampoo the carpets in a plane.)
- Ear plugs and an eye mask are handy if you plan to sleep. (They can also be useful if you have an especially friendly neighbor.)
- Neck pillow. An inflatable pillow takes up very little space but is much more comfortable than the thin one they provide if you plan to sleep on board.
I wasn’t a fan of neck pillows until I tried one.
- Mint candies. Mint and ginger ale both help to alleviate nausea.
- Never eat a meal that isn’t completely heated through. Ask the flight attendant to reheat it.
- Drink of choice: Bottled water. Avoid carbonated beverages; when they hit your stomach, the bubbles will create an air pocket that can become very uncomfortable.
- As tempting as it may be to enjoy the free wine, go light on the alcohol, and avoid it if you can. Not only is alcohol dehydrating, it will also disturb your sleep.
- Don’t drink the water on board. Ever. They never sanitize or clean the water tank, which explains why there’s a sign in the lavatory telling you that the tap water is “non-potable.”
- A travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer will come in handy after you’ve washed your hands in the lavatory’s “non-potable” water.
- Use a paper towel on the door handle when you leave the lavatory. Throw it away after the door’s open.
- They use the same “non-potable” water to make coffee, tea and hot chocolate on board. Avoid it at all costs. (And no, they don’t bother to boil it for five minutes first. They’re too busy.)
- Visit the restroom an hour before descending. It will probably be less crowded then. Besides, if you will be going through immigration, there may not be restrooms in the security area.
- Stow and secure everything before landing. In the right conditions, anything you are holding (including babies!) can become a projectile.
- If you’re flying in wet weather, prepare yourself for a hard landing. If the runway is covered in water the pilot will have to touch down hard in order to puncture the water layer and prevent aquaplaning.
Special diets and plane travel
- If you have dietary restrictions, bring your own prepackaged snacks and food. Otherwise you might end up with the meal from hell, as we did when we were offered our choice of clams or pork.
- You can often request a special meal when you book your flight, such as vegetarian or gluten-free. Bring food anyway, though, because there’s no guarantee it’ll be edible. We once requested kosher meals to ensure that we wouldn’t get stuck with pork products at breakfast time. Big mistake: almost everything was unpalatable, from margarine to lots of varieties of dry, stale white bread. And who knew they could make cheesecake from creamer? Blecch.
- If your flight is canceled and you’re put on the next plane, immediately make sure they know that you requested a special meal, because they don’t transfer special requests to the next flight. Not all airlines may be accommodating, but you might as well try. (Yet another hard-earned lesson, lol.)
Other helpful tips
- Pack underwear and an extra shirt. They will come in handy if they can’t locate your luggage right away or if you just want to freshen up during an especially long trip.
- Dress in layers. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and shoes you can slip off and on easily, and avoid tight socks, which can restrict circulation to the legs and feet.
- Tablets and Kindles are lifesavers if the on-board entertainment is unappealing. Load them up with books, games, music, movies, etc. Or if you prefer low-tech travel, books and crossword puzzles will also keep you busy for hours.
- The supplied earphones are uncomfortable. Bring your own, along with a headphone adapter (available on Amazon for under $5).