Flying in comfort: Part 2

Contact your airline in advance to find out if they still offer free meals and potentially request a special meal. Many airlines offer vegetarian, Kosher, Halal and other “special” meals if you order up to two or three days in advance. And because the airlines have to specially prepare your meal, it is usually better than the standard food fare. Plus, passengers with special meal requests are almost always served first. If your airline doesn’t offer a free meal, be sure to bring your own or buy one at the airport.

Move around. This is especially important on longer flights, to prevent your body from aching due to poor circulation. Some airlines provide guidance on in-seat exercises you can do (such as circling ankles and stretching arms). The long mid-flight stretch on overnight flights is an excellent time to take a stroll up and down the aisle a few times. There is usually room to do some back stretches at the back of some of the cabins.

Opt to sit near the back of the aircraft for long haul routes, if you don’t mind the extra noise produced by the engines. Certain aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 series, have a large area behind the last row of seat in the back of the aircraft that give you plenty of space to stretch.

However, do not sit in the absolute rear of the plane as there will be noises and smells from people using the bathrooms and other areas in the plane’s rear.

Participate in the in-flight exercise video, should your flight provide one. These are designed to help with body circulation and reduce fatigue. If your flight does not include such a video, you can still do your own stretches and exercises.

Take steps to protect yourself from the dry air on board the plane. The air in a plane is very dry and may dehydrate your system.

Drink plenty of water. Although you can request water from your flight attendants, it is a good idea to bring plenty of water on board with you. You may either purchase bottled water once you pass security or bring an empty bottle with you to fill from a water fountain. Remember that you should never drink the water from airplane bathrooms; it may contain bacteria.

Use eye drops (eye drops may now be carried through security) whenever your eyes feel dry. If you are really uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to inform cabin crew.

Consider saline nasal gel if your nostrils feel uncomfortable breathing dry air. Saline nasal gel, which can usually be found near the saline nasal wash at a pharmacy, can help keep the inside of your nose moist and make breathing more comfortable. Apply in the restroom and wash your hands before and after. You can put it on a cotton swab and coat the inner 1/2 inch of your nasal passages. It may seem gross, but it really works for preventing your nose from painfully drying out.

Bring lip balm in a 3 oz or smaller container and use it to protect your lips from becoming painfully dry. Bring a small container of hand lotion or cocoa butter if your skin dries easily.

Always have a couple of recent magazines with you.

Take some sweets or other snacks with you. Protein bars are particularly helpful if on a long-flight. Most airline meals tend to be low in protein and high in carbohydrates.

The title may sound like an oxymoron, I mean, how happy can you be when travelling, if you don’t own your own personal jet or eye-candy stewards to serve you freshly squeezed juice, and centre filled chocolates with a gentle shoulder rub thrown in for good measure?

But funnily and also thankfully enough, airports have realised that an unhappy traveller comes a close second, to a plane full of screaming babies, hence the recent shift towards travel friendly airports.

Since I am currently based in Singapore I shall talk about the airport that I am most familiar with. Changi Airport offers free wifi at all four of their terminals. Now travellers can surf the net, log on to their office network, if they are suddenly overcome with love for their jobs, or more realistically, check their personal email, update their blogs, Facebook account and register and update their ArrivedOK account. With over 400 free internet kiosks and 80 laptop Ethernet access points located throughout the terminal lounges and transit areas, Changi Airport offers everyone in the vicinity wireless broadband, keeping us happy and connected.

This shift towards being contact-able on the go is great news. There used to be a time when I would have to lug a whole bag of coins to call home while waiting the requisite three hours before boarding. On days that I forgot my bag of change, I used to stare at the worn out linoleum on the floor until my eyes crossed and vision blurred. Thankfully now there are much more constructive things for travellers to do with their time. Of course the luxury of free wifi and air-conditioning is still a foreign concept in some countries, so if you have any horror or happy airport experiences to share, please do, because I would love to have a list of airports I should avoid or at least come armed with an arsenal of entertainment, so as not to go crazy with boredom.

As the saying goes about too much of a good thing…., Its now come to a point, that airports have become such wonderful places to be at, that non travellers seem to prefer to while away their free-time napping or reading magazines while sipping coffee, making it no longer a place no longer exclusive to those of us toting boarding passes.

If this trend continues, one day genuine travellers will no longer have anywhere to hangout at during the three excruciatingly long hours until boarding, what with all the seats taken up by the non travelling riff-raff surfing the net on the mobile phones while sipping their cup of expresso!