I have been travelling a lot recently, which to many is a wonderful experience while to others it is almost painful. During my voyages I see a lot of situations -some usual, some unusual- which brings me to the topic I want to write about today: I wanted to provide some insight about the whole travelling experience of flying.

The first thing I would like to share are the three rules I use when flying:

1. Prepare yourself for anything.

There are dozens of unexpected events that can happen to you when flying: lost luggage, late luggage, being searched by customs, missing items in your bags, broken locks, delayed flights and so on. The list is so big that almost every time I fly I add a new unexpected event. On one of my most recent flights, there was a woman sitting two rows behind me who had probably never flown before. As the plane started to taxi its way to take-off, she had a panic attack: she started yelling, coughing, and eventually threw up in the isle. When assistance came over her, she started asking questions about the noises the plane was making -setting up the flaps, turning up the engines-. In order to calm her, a stewardess had to sit down with her through the rest of the trip.

2. Be patient, extremely patient.

Flying from town to town means going through a lot of experiences, beginning with all the queues. Although some airports are quicker than others, queues can be demanding both physically and mentally. That is why if you breathe and be patient, you can turn them into a relaxing and easy going experience. I believe that with a bit of common sense and travelling education, there would be a lot of improvement in interacting with all these tough assignments.

3. Travel light on carry on, heavy on checked bags.

The more comfortable you are with your carry on, the smoother your day will go. Keep in mind you have to walk long distances in the airport to catch your plane, to go to the bathroom, go eat, catch the new gate of your flight after there was a gate change, and so on. Also, it is quicker to pass the security checkpoints, not only for you but for the people behind you. Place everything you can in the bags you intend to check, and leave only light items on your carry on. By the way, try to have just one carry on.

4. Buy smart bags.

Ahh… the existential question of determining if your bag meets the 50 pound limit. The trick here lies in the bag, not the shopping. Years ago I bought myself one of these extra large tennis bags, which I consider the best investment I have done when we talk about flying. It’s a huge bag that has lots of room, but more importantly the bag itself weighs less than three pounds. The problem with excess weight is that people buy bags that are heavy as a standalone. Any regular sized bag can weigh around ten or fifteen pounds, meaning that it takes close to 30% of the weight limit. So next time you plan to buy something, do yourself a favor and buy a huge and light large bag.

5. Pack wisely.

The #1 mistake people make when travelling is buying (or bringing) inappropriate stuff, not because of their nature but because how dysfunctional their packing is. Try as not to bring heavy items: jeans, lotions, creams, metal objects, books, and overall any combination of high density low volume. Instead, pack more efficient items for your trip.

6. Do not underestimate being organized.

What does that mean? Fold! Don’t just throw in you clothes. Take your time and fold them nicely and properly. The reward will be breathtaking. You will have lots of free space for those extra items you didn’t believe were possible you could fit, and this will enable you to take full advantage of your bag’s size. If you are carrying something delicate, then use your clothes to protect it from the corners and borders.

7. Take your time to exit the plane.

People like to get up, get their carry-on, and push to exit as soon as the plane arrives at its gate. Sometimes they even do it as soon as the plane touches the runway. Unless you are sitting on first class or have some sort of express exiting arrangement, the most likely scenario is that you will leave the plane only to find yourself on a queue to pick up your luggage -which can come randomly-. If you are flying international, you have to go through immigration -another line-. I have lost count how many times I have seen people rush their way out of the plane, with me being one of the last passengers to exit, only to run into them later when I see them waiting for their bags or their clearance or anything. One time, a lady sitting next to me asked if I could help her get her carry on because she was late for an appointment. I helped her, but as I had seen countless times before, she exited the plane first, and left the airport last.

8. Light shoes, sweatpants and sweaters.

Unless you are under a formal protocol, like your company’s VP is picking you up at the airport, or if you yourself are in a position that requires a certain protocol, you should dress in loose, light clothing. Wearing expensive shoes, belts or cufflinks, earrings, can become a hassle during the security checkpoints. Besides, it’s so comfortable to travel in a nice warm sweater that even serves as a pajamas in case you want to take a nap.

9.  Be nice and have empathy.

Flying is stressful for a lot of people. Some people enjoy it, some people don’t. Regardless of the background, you don’t normally know what’s in the mind of the person next to you (or behind or in-front of you). I always approach flying with a very relaxed and loose mindset, and I try to make the best out of it on any occasion. Of course as I mentioned earlier, every now and then something unexpected can happen: one time I was making my way towards my seat. I placed my carry on, confirmed it was the right seat, jumped in, and buckled my seat belt. I took off my shoes, I placed my headphones on my ears, turned on my playlist and closed my eyes. I fell asleep for about fifteen minutes when all of a sudden I felt someone grabbing my shoulder. As I opened my eyes, I saw a woman signaling to me if I wanted to switch seats with her because she wanted to sit next to her daughter, who was sitting next to me. Under normal circumstances I would have accepted, but on that particular day I had just came from an 11-hour connecting flight, with no sleep at all. I was exhausted to the point of being unable to summon any energy to move. I politely declined, explaining to her that I was tired. To say that she went berserk and got mad at me would be an understatement. She probably assumed that I was supposed to accept her request with no questions asked. I felt like I was nice to her, but she didn’t have empathy for me. And again, I normally do not mind giving my seat to people who want to sit next to someone, but on that particular occasion my little seat felt like heaven to me and I did not feel like giving it away.

Wrapping it all up!

These useful tips make up for a very pleasant travelling day every time I fly. I hope you liked my suggestions and let me know if you have more to add to my list.

HR