Air travel by far is the most popular mode of travel nowadays. However, there is one inconvenience that I always dread when I am about to go on a plane, ok two… One being the airport security finding something (precious to me) in my humongous handbag that would probably be against security policies and they would end up confiscating it. The second thing that I am most anxious about is that me not being able to do something about a situation once we are airborne…
And to quell the fear of the latter, I have a set of rules I follow/wear when I am going on an airplane…
1. Layer
Cabin temperatures inside airplanes are never set to comfortable. Its either freezing or too hot… Am I the only one who feels this?
In-flight blankets are dodgy to say the least and the fact that budget or economy airlines not even providing an option of asking for a blanket I knew I had to take matters in my own hands… I find the best way to handle such situations is to layer… I always wear a light jacket on my shirt and carry a thin pashmina with me in case it gets really “Tundra” in there! Layering helps being ready of any kind of temperature situations on the aircraft and you can remove or add a layer depending on how hot or cold it gets in there…
2. Comfortable Shoes (Flats + Slip-Ons)
I make it a point to avoid wearing heels when I travel (by any means of transport) but I especially make it a point to wear flat footwear when traveling by air is solely because I think they are the most practical thing to be wearing when I imagine an emergency situation mid-air… Imagine running down the aisle or having to use the emergency exits wearing heels; tsk it doesn’t make a comfortable picture…
Flats aside, I also make it a point to wear slip-on footwear when on long flights simply because I like to remove my shoes and curl up into the seat to take a nap… And when I have to take a washroom run mid-nap its more convenient to slip into your footwear rather than tying up laces or straps or whatever contraption you have going with intricate footwear…
3. Breathable Fabrics
Aircrafts are generally pretty packed especially the economy ones and hence synthetics are a total no-no on flight. Not only are they not good with sweat absorption, they can cause irritation, body odor and the like… I prefer wearing cottons and linens on flights as they are not just comfortable, they are also safer in case of fire (there I go again with my in-flight emergency situations!)
4. Cute Socks
Now cute socks are great for a varied set of reasons… They are great conversation starters if you have a cutie sitting next to you on the flight, they protect you from the cold by preventing your feet from freezing and finally they are the best way to hide ‘unpedicured’ feet when you are struggling to curl up into a tiny aircraft seat…
I generally carry a pair of socks with me in my handbag and wear them the second I decide to doze off…
5. Spectacles, Not Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are a big no-no on flights solely because the airplane cabins can get really dry and that ends up causing irritation. Another reason why I avoid wearing lenses on an aircraft is because I like to doze off after I’ve had my meal and removing the contacts sitting on my seat in the middle of everyone is just not my thing!
6. Deodorant, Not Perfume
The one thing that I always pray for when I am walking towards my seat after entering the aircraft is for the person who would be sitting next to me should not be wearing any perfume… Perfumes are very personal and what someone likes could end up giving me a headache and being stuck with it the entire duration of the flight is not my idea of a pleasant journey 
However, deodorants are a must since you know the only thing worse than a strong perfume fragrance is Body Odor!
7. Minimal Makeup
This one is more out of saving my vanity than anything else. My worst nightmare is emerging from a flight (after a nap!) with cracked foundation, eye liner smudged and mascara giving me panda eyes… And hence I keep my makeup to a minimum, it not only ensures no makeup mishaps post flight, it also keeps my skin bare so that it can breathe and the “closed” cabin air doesn’t clog my pores!
What are your air travel essentials?
My Infinite Wanderlist 