or… How to avoid getting punched, dragged, squished, kicked, felt, bumped, and who knows what else?
I should begin by telling you I don’t have many answers. And this isn’t your typical “bring this, pack that” travel post. We’re delayed for about ten minutes and you need something to do anyway. Why not stay take a look?
I’m hoping to do a couple of things here. The first is to begin a conversation. The conversation is about how we travelers can do what we can to make our air travel segments as endurable as possible. I’ll share the second one in a minute (it’s a big part of the solution).
But let’s check-in on the playing field first.
We can all agree that flying isn’t much fun anymore. Here’s the rest…
- You’re tired
- You’re rushed
- You missed breakfast, or you missed lunch, or both
- You haven’t had your coffee
- Prices at the airport are ridiculous
- Jerks are out en masse
- There’s a long line around every turn
- They charge for every little thing they possibly can
- TSA just “made your day”
- And that’s just a start! (This could become a very long list if we keep going).
It doesn’t help that nearly every week some bizarre air travel, contact sporting event is reported in the news… with video!
Are you feeling anxious yet?
That’s the thing, isn’t it?
Who isn’t completely stressed-out? Who can fly somewhere without starting the trip beaten up, pushed around, abused by the people you’re paying to get you there? You’ve lost before you’ve even left your driveway?
This is my second and most important message for this post…
You’ve got to consciously and actively work on your “head game” for air travel these days. I’m not kidding. Look back at the list I started above. That’s just a fraction of what you and I, and everyone else in the airport and on the plane, is facing.
It’s one big freaking recipe for disaster, we’re all in the game, and the referees are adding to the chaos.
Virtually everyone is playing with a bad attitude. Some are even playing hurt. (Think about that one… not everyone is going on a vacation).
I didn’t start with the sports theme in mind, but let’s go with it. We need to inspire some team spirit and we need to be good teammates ourselves to get everyone through a travel day.
It would be a worn-out cliché to tell you to be a good sport… we can do a lot more than that to make things better.
Before you get to the airport… better yet, before you leave the comforts of home…
Have a pep-talk with yourself, an attitude check of sorts. It should go something like this…
I’ll be out of my normal environment, so will everyone else.
I wanted to get enough sleep, have breakfast and my coffee. Hardly anyone else did either.
I’ll do my best to give myself time wherever I can, but there will be a lot of sprinting. I’ll need to be on my toes.
I’m tired, but I’m ready. I can do this.
I’m hungry, I need to grab a bite when I have the opportunity.
Remember to drink plenty of water.
We’re all just trying to get where we’re going. I may not notice when I commit a travel foul.
I recognize this. I didn’t mean to smack that person with my bag. I may need to be given a break too.
I realize that on this road trip, the odds are tough.
When I assist another traveller, I’m assisting myself.
When all else fails… I’ll just roll with it!
The point is simple. Air travel these days is tough for everyone. Most of us start a trip tired, stressed and hungry. No one is at their best. Ourselves included.
Recognize this reality… then psych yourself up. It’s only a few hours at a time. Strive to be a good travel companion to yourself and to the other three hundred travel mates compressed into that metal tube.
It’s also a very good idea to remember to care for your basic needs. Remember, you’re throwing most everything out of kilter when you travel.
- Do your best to get a good night’s rest
- Try not to start out tired, hungry and thirsty
- As much as you can, keep to your schedule for meals, caffeine, meds
- Dress for comfort… you’re going to get wrinkled, you’re going to be walking, you may even need to run
- Pack light and be nimble
Try to keep in mind that the vast majority of flights take off and land without a hitch. There will be just a few hours of discomfort in exchange for getting somewhere you most likely want to go.
Call me crazy, but I think it’s going to be a long flight until the airlines get it and try to make air travel fun again.
Until then, navigate the bumps and “happy (jet)trails.”
For tips on what to pack and practical (and tactical) ways to survive your next trip, Google “air travel survival kit” and “air travel survival guide” and have a great trip.
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