Air travel is a common thing nowadays, it’s often cheaper to fly cross country than take the bus or train. We scoured the internet for insights from well-seasoned travelers and tips from employees that will help you know what to expect and what to avoid:
Things Not To Do On A Plane
Don’t Drink The Water (ice, coffee, tea)
Don’t drink the water? Yes, don’t drink the water, or tea, or coffee, or ice. Why do you ask? Well, aircraft have large water tanks for storing water used during the flight and while there are regulations that control the cleaning of the tanks, those are proving insufficient. Recent studies have found that at least 15% of samples from various airlines contained dangerous bacteria.
Keep Your Shoes On
There are a number of reasons why you should be keeping your shoes on during a flight. The first is fairly self-explanatory; if you have smelly feet do you really want to subject your fellow passengers to that in a confined space? Also, airplane bathrooms are not the most hygienic spaces and neither are the floors since when a passenger gets sick the carpet is only spot cleaned.
Keep Your Shoes On
Avoid Sitting For The Entire Flight
Getting up and about is something that has benefits for us all, no matter the environment. During a long flight, it is very much advised that you do not remain seated at all times. Deep vein thrombosis, the clotting of blood in the veins, is a real risk when traveling by air a lot.
Lay Off The Booze
The low-pressure environment of an aircraft cabin reduces the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. Couple this with the fact that air travel already dehydrates you, drinking alcohol in flight not only hurts your liver but your kidneys as well and you will feel rather unpleasant when you reach the ground.
Don’t Eat Directly Off The Tray
The variety of things people put on the tray is quite something else. A recent study found that an average of 250 units of bacteria on a toilet flusher is pretty much normal, but the same study found that more than 2100 units of bacteria were found on most airline tray tables. Simply put, if you dropped your cookie it is not safe to eat even if it landed on the tray.
Ease Up On The Soda
Soda is a delightful beverage on a hot day, but on a plane, it can cause an increase of intestinal gas causing nausea and bloating. It’s best to avoid carbonated drinks and go for something gentle on the stomach instead.
Skip Airline Food If You Can
Airline meals are prepackaged for convenience but this means that sometimes they are reheated, cooled, and reheated a few times over. This is risky and also results in broken-down proteins and starches making the meal rather unpleasant to eat.
Don’t Be Rude
The effectiveness of friendliness is something we all need to learn at some point in our lives. One place where being rude has never, and never will, get you anything is at an airport. Consider the fact that you’re not in your car and instead of sharing a ride with fellow humans who want to get to their destination comfortably too.