Most frequent fliers—especially flight attendants—are all too familiar with feeling bloated, sniffly, and fatigued after a long-haul flight. It comes at no surprise that traveling at 37,000 feet at 575 miles per hour inside a pressurized bullet filled with dozens of other people can take a toll on our bodies and immune system. To help you feel at-least semi-refreshed upon landing, here are tips and tricks on how to stay healthy while traveling, according to flight attendants (including yours truly).
As a flight attendant, there’s nothing like watching passengers sleep through a 4 a.m. flight somewhere over the Atlantic as we sip on the 13th espresso of our shift in the desperate hopes of staying awake.
Nowadays, sleeping on a flight is no easy feat; small and uncomfortable seats–or a reclining passenger in front of you–can make it a herculean task. As a flight attendant of seven years, I have (enviously) observed the many creative ways passengers make themselves comfortable in order to get some shut-eye—some of which work better than others.
Find the neck pillow that’s best for you: I’ve seen dozens of different types of travel pillows used on flights, including wacky-shaped headpieces and cushioned crossbody straps that attach to your seat. If you didn’t order one of the more intricate designs in advance, one hack I think works well for head-bobbers is reversing the classic neck pillow sold at any Hudson News airport store so that it supports your chin rather than your cheek.
Meditate: Nowadays, with apps like Insight Timer, listening to a guided meditation on a plane has never been easier. It can ease passengers into a deep sleep or help them overcome their fear of flying.
Natural sleeping aids: Many passengers sleep well using melatonin and other natural sleeping aids. However, experts advise against using a more potent medication, especially if you plan on drinking a glass of alcohol or two; the results can be straight-up disastrous.
Find out which neck pillow shape and position works best for your sleep habits.
While getting a few solid hours of sleep on the plane is the best way to arrive refreshed, fliers should always be sure to make a game plan on their preferred method for adjusting to new time zones upon arrival.
There’s a golden rule among flight attendants: If you have social plans or activities you need to do at your destination, never sit down. It’s a guaranteed express ticket to snooze land. I’ve experienced this many times—arriving, sitting down, and waking up at 3 a.m. with my cravat half undone and uniform scattered around me.
There are different strategies to combat jet lag, depending on your personal tolerance and trip length. Maria, a seasoned flight attendant at a Middle Eastern
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Fatigue, irritability, dehydration, brain fog: these are just a few of the unpleasant side effects of taking a far-flung trip, though even jumping a couple of time zones within the United States can wreak havoc on energy levels. Purported remedies for jet lag abound, but here are a few tried-and-true methods that can help you feel better faster — without drinking multiple espressos upon landing.
Whether we're packing for a weekend cabin getaway, a weeklong safari, or a few weeks wandering around Europe, we need a good pair of leggings in our suitcase. After all, the best leggings are lightweight, hardly take up any room in a carry-on or weekender bag, and can be worn for multiple occasions: on the plane, to sleep, while working out, under a dress on a cold winter day, or for a lazy afternoon in front of a fire. They also go with nearly any top, and when styled well, help us feel just a smidge more put-together than sweatpants.
For nearly as long as commercial air travel has been possible, flight attendants have pushed back on policies surrounding their appearance and what they have to wear. It used to be about miniskirts and hot pants; today it’s about tattoos, comfort, and gender-neutral clothing. No matter the specifics, the shifts in airline uniforms reflect shifts in culture, and if you look to the skies, you can see that change happening yet again. In recent years—and even this past month—airlines worldwide have increasingly been loosening once-strict appearance guidelines and dress code policies to become more inclusive.
Over the past year, Denmark has experienced its wettest weather ever recorded, posing significant challenges for vacationers and businesses reliant on summer tourists.
While Southwest just announced changes to its seating program (gone are the days of seat free-for-alls), one thing that hasn’t changed is its beverage program. The jostle of the cart, the “what would you like?” and the “ice or no ice?” But while you wait for your drink, you might be interested to know that the service starts in certain rows, and those rows are well-known before a flight. So yes, you can get your drink first.
As we were preparing to land at Orlando International Airport (MCO) during a recent Delta Air Lines flight, a friendly attendant handed me and a few other passengers a card with a handwritten thank-you note on the back. I had never received such a note, nor had I known they existed. I immediately texted my trusted co-worker and fellow frequent flyer Clint Henderson for some insight.