Category Archives: Air travel

Do Not Cancel Your Travel Plans Because Of Fear

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Do Not Cancel Your Travel Plans Because Of Fear

“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by
yourself. It is not far.  It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since
you were born, and did not know.  Perhaps it is everywhere – on water and
land.” Walt Whitman

The US State Department has a worldwide travel warning in effect.

“U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation. Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowed places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events”

What this warning does is play into our culture of fear. If something should happen anywhere in the world, the State Department is covered.

When you look at the statistics, your likelihood of being killed by terrorists when traveling are less than your likelihood of being struck by lightning when traveling. Unless you are a single woman over the age of fifty.  In that case, your likelihood of getting killed by terrorists is higher than your chance of finding true love and getting married. The number one cause of death abroad for tourists is car crashes.

Here are a few things that will probably kill you. Heart Disease is the number one cause of death in the US. The death certificate for my ninety-one year old mother said that.  Prescription medication, brain parasites, something large falling on top of you and police officers kill a lot of people.

It’s the media’s job to give us a play by-play of every horrific thing happening in the world and it’s my job to fight my resulting anxiety and paranoia. We put a lot of power into the idea of a potential threat.

Psychologically we are more afraid of a terrorist attack because it is a new unfamiliar fear than car crashes and heart disease that we hear about all the time. One incident with multiple deaths is scarier than many incidents the same day of single deaths. This is why plane crashes are scarier than car crashes which are far more likely to happen. The uncertainty of where to travel is scary. We don’t know where they will hit next so you really can’t plan and control what will happen. Chances are small to none that it will seriously affect your trip. The best thing to increase your travel safety is to plan to drive carefully to the airport.

Drive safe,
JAZ

How To Survive A Long Plane Ride

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How To Survive A Long Plane Ride

“I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Long flights aren’t pretty.  I start thinking about the amount of fidgeting I will be doing. i imagine a kid kicking my seat or a screaming baby for 15 hours straight. I think about the inflight meal and what the bathroom will start to look like half way through. I picture the bad movies and tv sitcom reruns i will be watching to pass the time.

The first hour of the flight is pretty manageable. Then it starts to dawn on me that I am stuck in an aluminum can for an interminable amount of time. Sometimes it helps to make a schedule and break the flight up into time chunks. Two hours to do work, three hours to watch movies, an hour to blog, etc. This can work better than constantly looking at the time.

It is so important to stay hydrated. Airplanes dehydrate you quickly which can make you feel bad and also do a number on your skin and eyes. Bring travel sizes of moisturizer, hand cream, eye cream, eye drops, water spray, chapstick and a reusable water bottle. Vapur water bottles roll up to fit in your pocket and can hold a liter of water. Eating protein is better than carbs because carbohydrates hold water making you bloated, Caffeine and alcohol will dehydrate you even further.

Flying takes a toll on everyone’s freshness. Colgate wisps or a toothbrush, breath mints or mouth wash and deodorant will help you and the people around you feel better.

Slip on shoes and compression socks for health risks such as blood clots are good to have with you and will help with circulation. Wear comfortable loose-fitting clothing. Sweat pants don’t have to be your go to travel attire. (I did wear them for a long time. I’m not proud of this.) You can wear leggings and a long sweater or comfortable jeans and a loose-fitting shirt.

Anything that helps to pass the time is useful -Tablet, iPod, book, magazines, movies, etc. For me it  is Hollywood, Hollywood, Hollywood. I bring a stack of trashy magazines and watch as many movies as I can.

Noise cancelling headphones, fuzzy socks and a scarf/blanket makes it easier to sleep.
I wrote another blog about that. https://travelwellflysafe.com/2015/11/03/how-to-sleep-on-a-plane/

I always get off long flights feeling like the Tin Man – creaky bones, cramped muscles, neck and back knots, and all around uncomfortable. Now I do some stretches and yoga poses that are conducive to small spaces and it definitely helps.

Long flights are usually exciting because it means you are going somewhere amazing. A long uncomfortable flight is a small price to pay for seeing the world.
Fly safe,
JAZ

How To Sleep On A Plane

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How to Sleep On A Plane

“Most travel is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering; the reality has more to do with long uncomfortable flights and losing your luggage.” Regina Nadelson

I hate hate hate people who can sleep on planes.

I’ve always been a terrible sleeper. During the day I’ve been the tired friend, mother, partner, student, employee who is drinking coffee to stay awake. At night I’m someone who makes ridiculous sleep deprived decisions, does crazy internet shopping, sends weird incoherent emails, googles everything, signs up for online classes and watches
reruns of shows that I would never watch when they were on. Once I cut bangs. Another time i joined an online dating site while i was dating someone. Now I write blogs like this one.

A plane just makes it worse for me.

Obviously the best way to sleep on a plane is to travel in first class, followed by business class, three seats together in coach, two seats together in coach or an empty middle seat. New Zealand Air has “couch,” three coach seats for two people.

The next choice is the window seat. It is definitely better for sleeping. But I don’t like feeling locked in so I have to take the aisle.

Make some kind of footrest and take your shoes off. Use your carry on luggage if you need to. It is helpful to have your feet raised.

Come prepared. Bring something to block out the noise – ear plugs that you buy in the airport or toilet paper will suffice in a pinch. Noise canceling headphones are a good investment if you fly a lot.  While you still have Wi-Fi, and before you put your phone on airplane mode, download a few relaxing songs and apps. Sleep Machine and Ambi Science Pure Sleep are recommended apps. Anything that can calm down your brainwaves will work.

Bring an eye mask to block out the light. Yes it will mess up your hair but the chances of looking great after a twelve-hour flight are not good anyway.

The neck pillow is controversial. There are certain people who don’t like to look dorky in an airport carrying around a blow up neck pillow. I get that. But it is worse to wake up with a creak in your neck and you will sleep better if your head is not rolling around.

Keep warm. Bring extra socks, a blanket, a snuggly or a shawl. Airlines like to freeze you out and if you should fall asleep, you will wake up if you are cold.

Wear something comfortable on the plane. Or if you are a person who likes to look cute in airports (single) bring something comfortable to change into. I do that as soon as I get on the plane. Sweats and cuddly socks are always in my carry on for flights over six hours. It is not as easy as you think to change in those tiny bathrooms. I don’t recommend tight jeans.

Eat something before you fly so you are full but not bloated. They say healthy soup, kale and salmon are good for this. But they say that those foods are good for everything. You can not sleep if you are hungry. You definitely don’t need those salty snacks that make you feel bloated.

It helps if you schedule flights when you are actually tired. An early morning flight without coffee is good and if you stay up late the night before packing, you have a chance of falling into an exhausted sleep. (a trick my son uses)

Make sure to fasten your seatbelt over your blanket. Stewardesses who may never talk to you otherwise will wake you up for this. Then try to get back to sleep.

Everyone should smell neutral on a plane. Why do I even have to include this? Are their cultures, religions or countries that don’t believe in showering before flying? I don’t think so. Do we really need to be smelling your perfume from three rows behind? I am allergic to perfume so it is a problem for me.

Many people love to drink alcohol on planes to relax. It does help at first but then you wake up with low blood sugar, have bad jet lag and sometimes a hangover. It’s a personal choice.

I’m not sure if you are supposed to advocate pharmaceuticals in a blog. As a non sleeper I have tried everything. A rule of thumb is do not take anything that puts you out until the plane is in the air for a bit – especially if you are a snorer or a drooler. I think snorers and droolers should not fall asleep in a public place anyway. One time there was a problem with the plane and we had to get off after everyone was seated. They had to wheel off a famous person snoring loudly with drool all over her face. It was frightening. I live in fear that total strangers will see me like that. I never take anything strong enough to put me out.

Homeopathics and prescription medications that you have taken before can be useful. I use melatonin and valerian root, Melatonin sometimes gives you bad dreams so make sure you have taken it before. I had to fly two weeks after 9/11. The few people on the plane, stewardesses and pilots all looked terrified. I took ativan. It helped. I took it for a few years every time I flew after that. Now I meditate and only take it on long flights to help me sleep. I’ve tried Nyquil, Tylenol PM, Sleepy Time tea, warm milk, downloaded weird guided meditations, taken strange things from the health food store, a sleep remedy from a Mexican pharmacy and I once took something that was only legal in Canada. None of that works for me but feel free to try them.

The best thing is to do whatever it is that alleviates stress for you and relax. That will help you sleep.
“Looks like I picked the wrong day to give up smoking”.

Fly safe,
JAZ

Annoying Things To Say To Stewardesses

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Annoying Things To Say To Stewardesses

“A little girl turns to the stewardess as the plane is taking off and says,”When are we going to get smaller?” Anon

I can’t get this window to open.

Can you get me a blanket and a pillow?

I didn’t get upgraded because I’m too pretty. Flight attendants hate pretty girls.

Can you help me find the box cutter in my carry on luggage?

I’ll have a water and two sleeping pills.

I was using my cigarette lighter in the bathroom because I couldn’t see.

I have no idea who left this crackpipe in the bathroom.

How much more time do we have?

Can we lower the engine noise?

Am I going to make my connection? (like they know)

You went to college?

How is the pilot feeling today? Happy, sad, suicidal?

So are we just going to see clouds?

And my personal favorite. Could you help me put this heavy bag in the overhead compartment? (I heard a stewardess tell a 90 year old woman that if she couldn’t carry her luggage she should not be traveling.  I had “blood in my eyes”)

Fly safe

,JAZ