Episode 429
Travel Mistakes to Avoid at 30,000 Feet
This episode focuses on things travelers should avoid during long-haul flights to ensure their own comfort and be considerate of others. Some key points include not clipping toenails on the plane, avoiding new or untested outfits and materials that may turn out to be uncomfortable, and not trying new medications for the first time while flying. It's also important to move around during the flight to prevent circulation issues like deep vein thrombosis, and if you take your shoes off, keep your socks on or wear slippers—never go barefoot in the cabin.
Travelers are advised against using a new neck pillow or face mask for the first time during a flight, as they might cause discomfort or allergic reactions. Unscented products are recommended to avoid bothering others. Lastly, restrictive clothing should be avoided since the body can swell at altitude, making tight clothes even less comfortable. These reminders aim to make flying more pleasant for everyone on board.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Traveling Introvert. Today I want to talk about things you probably shouldn't do when traveling, specifically by plane and really specifically long haul plane travel. And this came up because a couple of friends and I were talking about things that really irritated us about travel, how travel has changed. And then there came this litany of, of things that people have seen other people do. One of the first things that came up was please, please, please do not clip your toenails on the plane. And part of me thinks, oh, that was a one off thing. But multiple people said this was an issue. So my, my, my plea is things you shouldn't do is not do that.
Janice Chaka [:But honestly, there are some other things for your own sort of comfort when you're thinking about long term travel. The idea is that you want to be as comfortable as possible and, and so don't think this is a good time to try out that new outfit you've been wanting to wear or a new material that you've been wanting to try. Because if you're trying to be comfortable, the idea is you should have some kind of control and therefore be things that you know you are comfortable in. So don't try wearing a new outfit and because it might end up being scratchy or irritating or too tight in weird places, so don't try that. Another thing you shouldn't try is, is a new drug. And I say this with love because a lot of the times when people post on the Internet, they're like, I can't sleep on flights, what should I do? And some people will always chime in, try Xanax, try this, try that, get a prescription drug from your doctor. Great. But don't try it for the first time on your flight.
Janice Chaka [:You need to try it beforehand to know just how groggy you get, any side effects, how it makes you feel, anything of that nature, don't have it be the first time you try something or on a plane. Another thing you should not do for long haul flights, anything over, realistically three to four hours is just sit for the entire flight and don't move. It's not good for your circulation. Deep vein thrombosis is very much a thing. The blood pools at your feet and you need to keep that blood circulating to prevent anything. And it's not because it's only for overweight people, only for people over a certain age. Everyone needs to be aware of deep vein thrombosis and how it can affect you. And so do not just sit in one place and not move for the Entire flight.
Janice Chaka [:The other thing is, I know our feet swell and you might want to get comfortable on a long haul flight. But if you do take your shoes off, don't take your socks off. I don't care how clean your feet are, no one really wants to see your bare feet. You can put socks on, a fresh pair of socks on, or even wear slippers so that you're not walking just in your socks to the bathroom where the floor is not covered in water, it's covered in all sorts of gross things and then you're trekking that back to your shoes. Please don't do that. Get a little pair of airline slippers. That's great if you want to take your shoes off, but please try not to go barefoot around the cabin. Another thing actually speaking of new things not to try is neck pillows.
Janice Chaka [:So many times people just kind of buy a neck pillow in the airport, they've never tried it before then if it's any good. Or they'll buy it online at Amazon and stick it straight in the suitcase and not try it out. Even if your best friend says it's the best thing since sliced bread or Betty White, you don't know if it's going to work for you. Everyone has their own quirks and in your secrecies, people have long necks, short necks, whatever it might be. So highly recommend when you get a neck pillow, you sit at home in a chair and try said neck pillow in different, you know, ways that you can have in the front, at the back, at the side, whatever it might be, to test it out to see if it is actually comfortable. If the outside material is comfortable, maybe you need to swap it out, maybe it needs washing, whatever it might be. But don't try a new pillow on the plane because it could lead to hours of misery if it's not just right. And the speaking of those sorts of things, also don't try a new face mask or a new skin care routine.
Janice Chaka [:I totally get wanting to hydrate and put on a face mask on the flight and I know some people who, who do it. That's great. But don't try a brand new one or a different, especially a scented one. Don't do that. Should be unscented so it doesn't bother people around you. But also don't try a new one that you don't know if it works well with your skin or not. Nothing worse than having some kind of reaction. And there's nothing you can do because you're stuck at how many thousands of feet for hours on end.
Janice Chaka [:And yeah, no restrictive clothing. Don't gases expand. You go up in the air, you expand. Don't wear restrictive clothing. It's just going to make you uncomfortable. So that was a list of things that you shouldn't do when you are flying long haul on a plane for comfortability reasons and for other people's sanity. Thank you so much for listening. This is Janice at the Career Introvert helping you build your brand and get hired.
Janice Chaka [:Have a great rest of your week.
